As I am writing this article, there are officially 103 days left in the year 2016 [This might be different for you depending on when you might find or read this post].
Personally, I don't believe in New Year's resolutions.
Don't get me wrong; it is good to set a New Year's goal, but this is your life we are talking about. Waiting around for the new year to happen is a lame excuse for making yourself better!
I am a big fan of life-long learning and improvement, not just once a year!
You might want to transform your life completely, or improve the life you already have. Either way, being proactive is the best and easiest way to spice things up.
Start small, build momentum and then go for the home run.
Let me clarify one thing first!
I know, some of you might say "Zane, my life is great, I don't want to change it" and that's perfectly ok.
First, great job! Second, if you are exactly where you want to be in your life then enjoy it, but don't get too comfortable!
Enjoy what you have and strive for excellence too! For example, I can read up to 1,000 words per minute, but I am still working towards reading 1,500 by the end of the year. I believe there's room for improvement.
Here, I'm going to share some simple and effective little things that can transform your life as you know it.
In my article, "7 Things That Changed My Life And They Can Do The Same For You", I provided a condensed list which plays a crucial role for success in my life on a daily basis.
In this article, I am going to pull the curtain back and share all the tools and resources I use for success.
Honestly, your success is my success, so the more I share, the better!
So here we go:
1. Count your blessings.
The best way to transform your life is to start recognizing the blessings you already have. So start counting your blessings and name them one by one!
What are you thankful for today?
List everything you are thankful for and make this a daily practice.
2. Believe in yourself.
You are your first and most important ally. So be your motivation coach, believe in your skills and talents and carry yourself with poise and confidence.
3. Clean House.
Both mentally and physically. When you want to bring new success into your life, you need to let go of few old things first to make room for the new.
4. Learn something new every day.
Learning something new is a lot easier that it sounds. There are hundreds if not thousands of new things to learn.
Maybe learn a new word every day in your native language or a new language or strike a conversation with the strange person next to you as you get you coffee from Starbucks.
Be creative and just try things out!
5. Go on a daily walk.
Dedicate 15-30 minutes each day to kick your health habits into gear.
I go on a walk first thing every morning, and I've done that for the past five years.
6. Read, read, then read some more.
Books contain vast amounts wisdom and knowledge that's ready to be used. Start out by striving to read at least ten pages a day, with just ten pages a day you'll learn a ton.
7. Set goals and take action towards them.
As I said, you don't need to wait for the new year to start a new habit or learn a new skill. So set your goals and break them down into daily action steps and then get going towards achieving them.
8. Drink at least eight glasses of water.
Staying hydrated is key when you're striving to become a high achiever. Water, the good old H2O is your best friend!
Maintain a healthy body, look younger, lose weight, improve your mood and much much more by simply adding 8 to 10 glasses of 8 oz of water daily.
9. Set a schedule but be flexible too.
The biggest challenge I find with most people that I work with as a life coach is that they set a to-do schedule, and then they become married to it.
The schedule that was supposed to help them turns out to be the thing that holds them back. The answer is to set a tentative to-do schedule and when priorities shift, be flexible and adjust accordingly.
10. Keep a journal.
Digital or physical journaling is a simple yet effective way to stay on track with your goals, ideas, aspirations, etc. I journal daily.
My entries are short and to the point; I write about what happened that's worth noting, areas of improvement and best of all record my moods, feelings, and emotions.
11. Think like a winner.
Thinking like a winner is a great transformation tool. To become a winner, you must think like one. So don't let self-doubt, past experiences, people's negative comments to make you think like a victim.
12. Be KIND daily.
Start by being kind to yourself, then those around you. Being kind doesn't mean donating all your paycheck or giving what you don't have.
Kindness like giving things to others, smiling at strangers, watering a plant or petting an animal. These are all examples of simple acts of kindness that are totally FREE and will lift your mood.
13. Declutter your closet.
Decluttering my closet is one of my favorites! Every year right around Christmas, I go through my closet and donate every piece of clothing that I haven't worn during the last year.
What a great way of sharing the wealth and also making room for more blessings to come your way!
14. Wear your favorite colors at least a few times a week.
I love red, so I have a lot of red shirts, t-shirts, and ties, etc. I feel happy when I am wearing my favorite color and science has proven that colors play a huge role in our overall mood.
So if you're feeling blue, then maybe put on that red pashmina that always brings a smile to your face.
15. Surround yourself with those who bring out the best in you.
These are the people that inspire you, motivate you and strengthen you. I made it a weekly habit of linking up with my circle of trust either in person or via video call to keep in touch and to keep my spirits high.
16. Share your talent with others.
An excellent way to improve upon something you're good at is to teach someone else how to do it.
So are you are a great artist, reader, or thinker? Then share it with others and show them how they can learn to do what you do best.
17. Do something that pushes you outside of your comfort zone.
I try to do things daily that push me out of my comfort zone. It's the best way to stay on top of your game.
18. Meditate Daily.
By now you must know how effective meditation is. If not, check out my article about Mindfulness here.
I meditate daily to increase my clarity and focus, decrease my stress level, and reap the amazing benefits that meditation offers.
19. Eat more fresh fruits and veggies daily.
Yup, I said "fresh," so no canned stuff. Fresh fruits and veggies give the body a healthy dose of nutrients, and best of all its good for you so go all natural with your diet :)
20. Say "Thank You" often.
Thank everyone even for the smallest act of kindness. The more thankful you are, the more you attract things to be thankful of.
21. Be a "Yes." man or woman but learn how to say “No” too.
It always feels good to be helpful and to help others do something but if someone wants you to do something that violates your core values or beliefs, then learn to say "No" and be comfortable with that.
22. Don't sweat the little things.
Life will alway throw you a curveball, so it makes no sense to get all worked up every time something goes against your plans.
23. Dedicate some time each week for disconnection.
Disconnect your PC, your phone, your beeper, and simply have some "Me Time." Every Sunday I do that and go out in nature and get my internal batteries recharged.
When you become a person who finds the good in every situation, you transform your life because you'll be too busy living the good to notice the bad.
25. Travel solo or with a group, but travel!
Traveling is an amazing way to expand ourselves as we get to see new places, new cultures, and new things, and we are more inclined to try something new when we are in a new place.
26. Go to bed at least 30 minutes earlier and wake up 30 minutes earlier each morning.
That way you get more sleep at night, and you start the new day with more time on your side to do things that you enjoy, such as, your fresh cup of coffee or reading your morning newspaper.
27. Turn off your digital devices an hour before bedtime.
The blue light of most digital devices can affect your body's levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, so ditch the smartphone or the tablet as this will help your body to know when it's time to unwind and get ready for bed.
28. Forgive but don't forget.
First, forgive yourself! Then forgive those who have hurt you - you're doing this for you, not them. Let go of past pains and give yourself the permission to heal from the inside-out.
29. Be a “Growth Oriented” person.
Make growing and learning a life-long goal. Always learn something new, always improve on what you already know and that's what you call a "Growth Mindset."
Essentially, you don't have to wait until the New Year to work on improving yourself.
Self-improvement is a life long journey and the New Year is not the only time to seek self-initiated change.
So why wait when you can start creating the best you NOW.
Change doesn't have to be involuntary, or hard, it can be voluntary and easy to implement, and the above simple things I shared with you is a prime example of that.
Try at least one of them today and let the fun begin!
Cheers,
Zane
P.s. Please let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
P.p.s. Did you enjoy this article? Please pass it forward!
To read more from Zane, check out his blog at Valhalla Mind, or go here to get his top rated Mindfulness Meditation “The Vision Quest”.