5 tools for changing your life from nothing..

1. Get clear on your goals

First and foremost, you need to get clear on where you’re at and where you want to be. Fail to plan, plan to fail. As you get clear on your journey, it is important to write things down. It has been said that people who write their goals down are 60% more likely to achieve their goals. Also, another great piece of advice is to create a “not to do list”, doing the things that are norms in your life is what got you to where you are today.

Like anything, the first step in turning it around is accepting and recognizing where you went wrong.  Write down all the things you should not to do. This will help you more than the “To Do’ list on your journey to a better life.

“We are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor E. Frankl

2. Believe in yourself

Believing in yourself is key to becoming better. If you want to change your life, don’t be bitter, learn to be better. If you do not believe in yourself, it doesn’t matter the ideas that you have or even the opportunities that will present themselves to you. Believing in yourself entails a determination to make a situation work for you, rather than playing victim.

Believing in yourself is moving forward and trusting that you will figure it out along the way. Don’t fret, because there will be times that you want to quit, but just continue to push forward knowing that the most successful people have made mistakes along their way.

3. Don’t let setbacks de-rail you

Many times, the biggest failures in life have led to the biggest breakthroughs. Ask Thomas Edison. If you are in business, losses and setbacks are inevitable. You however should not allow setbacks to kill your dreams or make you quit. Instead of getting stuck and looking at the glass half empty, focus on the positives and the glass half full.

Find the good. One way to do this is to keep a gratitude journal. Here, you will capture your wins every day, weekly, or even monthly. You will have a sense of joy and you will remind yourself of some of the incredible things that you have accomplished in the past. Adopting an attitude of gratitude will let you see that you can do more in the future and let your little wins keep you going for the bigger ones.

4. Be mindful

Being mindful involves being aware of your thoughts, sensations, environment and feelings in the here and now. More importantly, you need to accept them, believing that there is no wrong or right way to think or feel in a particular moment. You need to be present, not thinking about the past or dreaming about the future.

How does being mindful help you change the direction of your life? It helps to increase positive emotions, which are associated with resilience. You also learn faster, have a sharper memory,regulate your emotions better, and become empathetic. You are able to keep distractions at bay, and improve your attention skills. Being mindful allows you to have closer, and more intimate relationships. Becoming more conscious of your mindset will help you become a better person in many aspects. It is a vital part of the journey to changing the direction of your life.

“Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.” –  

Albert Einstein

5. Reward yourself

Rewarding yourself even after achieving one small goal keeps you motivated, and avoids burnout as you try to steer your life in a different direction. The reward needs to be proportional to the goal achieved. If the goal is big, and achieving it has a large impact on your life or goals, then the reward should be big.

Smaller goals should be rewarded once achieved too. They keep us motivated as we try to reach the milestones of success. For instance, if your goal was to lose 10 pounds, and you have achieved it, buy a smaller shirt that you couldn’t fit in before. Take a photo and hang it somewhere where you can admire. This way, you will motivate yourself to stay in shape. After you achieve the bigger goal, such as closing that large account or finally starting your business, the reward could be larger such as taking a trip or buying a new computer for yourself.

As you can see, it is never too late to change your life for the better. All you need is the desire to succeed. As you embark on your path of change, be mindful that everything takes time. Always remember change for the better is a journey not a destination. Always keep on pushing on and never give up.