Learning Daily While Expanding Your Mind

How to Have the Year of Your Life

  While many people view the start of a new year as an opportunity to make significant changes in their life, it is the small decisions made each day that have the greatest impact.  Those are the main reasons why New Year’s resolutions fail so often.  Start and end the year on a high note by making better decisions every day.  To help you have the finest year ever, here are a few pointers.

  Whether you’re trying to save for a dream home, establish a business or lose weight, you need to accept that it will take time to achieve your goals.  As a result of our drive for immediate fulfillment, we may give up on our goals before we have even begun. Make a list of all the things you want to do this year, and then work backwards from there.  Make even more sub-components from them.  Make a list of 10-30 minute daily tasks that you can finish.  Even though the goal is a journey, it will assist you from giving up too early and make the objective a lot easier to accomplish.

  Keep a Record of Your Time—we’re all strapped for time. However, many people use their busy schedules as an excuse to avoid making changes, even if they claim to wish to do so.  Finding “wasted time” in your calendar is as simple as keeping a running tally of the time you spend on each task.  Keep a daily log of your activities for at least three days.  An app, spreadsheet, or even a basic notepad can help you track your progress You’ll soon realize that you’re spending more time than you expected on TV, video games, and social networking.  When you realize how much time you’re wasting, choose yourself over others. Investigate job options, pursue a passion, or spend extra time with loved ones while you’re off.  Whatever your resolution for this year is, making a commitment to working toward it every day will help you achieve your goal at the end of the year.

  Life redesign—Most of us go through life in a daze more often than we’d like to acknowledge.  Determine what makes you happy and do your best to incorporate it into your life.  What are the things that make you happy and alive?  Now, rebuild your life so that these aspects are included.  Check your time-tracking records (from above).  In order to live a life of joy and purpose, what commitments and expectations can you alter or completely eliminate.  Take responsibility for your actions and make a daily decision to live life to the fullest.

Start the New Year on the Right Track by Taking a Breather!

  Occasionally it’s better to wait and see what the situation is before jumping in. Reflecting on our mistakes and failures can be difficult.  That being said, it’s the most effective method of figuring out how we can bring about long-term, positive changes in our lives.  Prior to making a slew of brand-new resolutions and goals for the upcoming year, take a step back and evaluate your current situation in each of these areas.

  Obligations—

Wouldn’t it be great if you could spend more time doing the things that mattered to you?  Now is the time to make a change in your life. Starting with all the responsibilities you no longer see as essential is a good place to start.  Make a list of all the extra-curricular activities that no longer bring you joy.  It’s time to get rid of them if they’re becoming a burden.  That may be a challenge for you at first.  Ultimately, no one wants to disappoint anyone else.  However, this is your life, and you must put your interests ahead of those of others if you want to live it fully.

  Look at your finances.

   If you wish you had more money but can’t or don’t want to work more to get it.  Little desires often become necessities.  Look over last year’s bank statements to see if there are any recurring charges.  Note them down.  Seeing how much money you’ve spent on things you don’t really need can make you feel remorseful.  It’s okay to treat yourself and your family to a special meal every now and then.  When “shopping therapy” becomes a chore, it’s time to fix it. Cut back without feeling like you’re missing out on anything.  Instead of going out to eat four nights a week, try cutting back to two.  Is it necessary for you to buy new clothing every month?  Three days a week, bring your lunch to work instead of relying on takeout.  Do you enjoy having so many channels on your television?  

  If you don’t pursue your dreams and goals because you don’t have the time or the money, you’ll never achieve your dreams and goals.  It’s time to put those excuses to rest if you were one of those people and followed our advice to reevaluate your responsibilities and finances.  So, what exactly are you looking for?  Is it better to return to school and start anew?  A side hustle or a personal interest can be turned into profit.  What if you bought and prepared your own healthy, nutrient-dense food at home?  You’ve opened up a whole new world for yourself by making those two changes in your life.  Do not look back once you’ve taken it!

Your Year Will Change Forever if You Make These 4 Changes Now! (and Your Life)

   Making the life changes you want can seem nearly impossible at times.  In order to make significant changes that have a lasting impact, you must be willing to step outside of your comfort zone.  To kick off the new year in the best possible way, these simple changes can help you lead a happier and healthier life.

  It’s easy for us to believe that life is a straight line and logically organized.  However, the majority of the time, we make snap judgments based on the information available to us at the time.  However, what if you began to rely more on your intuition than your logical reasoning?  Often, the best decision is the one we don’t fully comprehend at the time.  There are times when following your instincts can take you in unexpected directions, but when you do, the results can be life-altering.  Ride the wave instead of worrying about connecting the dots.

  You want to make changes, but you’ve been unable to carry them out year after year because you don’t know why you want to.  In part, that’s because you don’t know why you want to make the change in the first place.  Take a step back and reflect on why you set out to achieve this particular goal.  Is it going to save you time, improve your health, or make your retirement more enjoyable?  A positive outlook on how your life will improve once the change has been implemented is a good motivator to take action.  Always begin with why you’re doing what you’re doing.

  Take Action—Many of us wait until the right moment to take action.  As a result, many of us later in life look back on our actions and feel regret.  What is it that you really want?  It’s time to take action if you can answer that question without thinking about it.  Take any action you wish to.  It doesn’t have to be the correct action.  That first step will lead you to discover the right next steps that will lead you to your desired destination..

  Keep Your Eyes on the Prize—Have you ever considered making a significant change in your life, only to talk yourself out of it once you got started?   Looking too far into the future can cause us to become paralyzed and unable to take action.  Ask yourself what the first step would be if you were to make the change you desire.  Then it’s on to the next. Then there’s the following. Most successful people had no idea where they were headed when they started out. Rather than waiting for a miracle, they took it one step at a time, making progress as they went along. Don’t let anxiety about the future paralyze you from enjoying the present.