Here is a must to-do-list for to do for yourself.
#1 START SPENDING TIME WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE – These are
the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to
improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more
alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who
you want to be, unconditionally.
#2 START FACING YOUR PROBLEMS HEAD ON – It isn’t
your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them.
Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you
can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the
right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and
miles in the long run.
#3 START BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT
EVERYTHING
– Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest
about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every
aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever
count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are.
Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how
you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go
and how to get there.
#4 START MAKING YOUR OWN HAPPINESS A PRIORITY – Your
needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up
for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it is possible to take care
of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once
your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who
need you most.
#5 START BEING YOURSELF, GENUINELY AND
PROUDLY
– Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Be yourself.
Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no
one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on
your terms. Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it,
take yourself out of it.
#6 START NOTICING AND LIVING IN THE PRESENT – Right now
is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is
life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop
dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the “here and
now‟ and experience life as it is happening. Appreciate the world for the
beauty that it holds, right now.
#7 START VALUING THE LESSONS YOUR MISTAKES
TEACH YOU
– Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not
failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not
learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate
that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving. Significant
achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of
failures. One of the mistakes you fear might just be the link to your greatest
achievement yet.
#8 START BEING MORE POLITE TO YOURSELF – If you
had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to
yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend? The way you
treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no
one else will.
#9 START ENJOYING THE THINGS YOU ALREADY HAVE – The
problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain
level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner
office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc.
Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll
likely have a new destination in mind. You’ll end up spending your whole life
working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have
now. So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate
where you are and what you already have.
#10 START CREATING YOUR OWN HAPPINESS – If you
are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out. Smile
because you can. Choose happiness. Be the change you want to see in the world.
Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey
into tomorrow. Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it.
If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will
eventually find it. But if you constantly look for something else,
unfortunately, you’ll find that too.
#11 START GIVING YOUR IDEAS AND DREAMS A
CHANCE
– In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll
never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t
work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns
out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you
learn something. Win-Win.
#12 START BELIEVING THAT YOU’RE READY FOR THE
NEXT STEP
– You are ready! Think about it. You have everything you need right now to take
the next small, realistic step forward. So embrace the opportunities that come
your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.
#13 START ENTERING NEW RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE
RIGHT REASONS – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who
reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you
are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people
who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people
do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how
others represent them.
#14 START GIVING NEW PEOPLE YOU MEET A CHANCE – It sounds
harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities
change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility
of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work.
Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering
into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be
ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.
#15 START COMPETING AGAINST AN EARLIER VERSION
OF YOURSELF – Be inspired by others, appreciate others, learn from others,
but know that competing against them is a waste of time. You are in competition
with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the
best you can be. Aim to break your own personal records.
#16 START CHEERING FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S
VICTORIES
– Start noticing what you like about others and tell them. Having an
appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places –
productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making
progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly.
What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering
for will start cheering for you.
#17 START LOOKING FOR THE SILVER LINING IN
TOUGH SITUATIONS – When things are hard and you feel down, take a few deep breaths
and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope. Remind yourself
that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times. And remain conscious
of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right.
Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
#18 START FORGIVING YOURSELF AND OTHERS – We’ve all
been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these
experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain
over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t
mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re
letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the
incident and move on with your life.
#19 START HELPING THOSE AROUND YOU – Care
about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others,
the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and
kindness. And so on and so forth.
#20 START LISTENING TO YOUR OWN INNER VOICE – If it
helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough
room to follow your own intuition. Be true to yourself. Say what you need to
say. Do what you know in your heart is right.
#21 START BEING ATTENTIVE TO YOUR STRESS
LEVEL AND TAKE SHORT BREAKS – Slow down. Breathe. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup
and move forward with clarity and purpose. When you’re at your busiest, a brief
recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity. These short
breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so
you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.
#22 START NOTICING THE BEAUTY OF SMALL
MOMENTS – Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big
promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen
every day. Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early
morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure
of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your
partner. Noticing these small pleasures on a daily basis makes a big difference
in the quality of your life.
#23 START ACCEPTING THINGS WHEN THEY ARE LESS THAN PERFECT – Remember, “Perfect‟ is the enemy of “good.” One of the biggest
challenges for people who want to improve themselves and improve the world is
learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes it’s better to accept and
appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than to trying to
make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal. No, you shouldn’t
accept a life of mediocrity, but learn to love and value things when they are
less than perfect.
#24 START WORKING TOWARD YOUR GOALS EVERY
SINGLE DAY
– Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Whatever it
is you dream about, start taking small, logical steps every day to make it
happen. Get out there and DO something! The harder you work the luckier you
will become. While many of us decide at some point during the course of our
lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually
work on it. By “working on it” I mean consistently devoting oneself to the end
result.
#25 START BEING MORE OPEN ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL – If you’re
hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, but be open about
it. Talk to those closest to you. Tell them the truth about how you feel. Let
them listen. The simple act of getting things off your chest and into the open
is your first step toward feeling good again.
#26 START TAKING FULL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR YOUR OWN LIFE – Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to
improve upon them. Either you take accountability for your life or someone else
will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead
of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the
outcome of your life. And no, it won’t always be easy. Every person has a stack
of obstacles in front of them. But you must take accountability for your
situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime
of mere existence.
#27 START ACTIVELY NURTURING YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS – Bring real, honest joy into your life and the lives of those
you love by simply telling them how much they mean to you on a regular basis.
You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people.
Decide who these people are in your life and treat them like royalty. Remember,
you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be
certain of.
#28 START CONCENTRATING ON THE THINGS YOU CAN
CONTROL
– You can’t change everything, but you can always change something. Wasting
your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control
is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation. Invest your energy in the
things you can control, and act on them now.
#29 START FOCUSING ON THE POSSIBILITY OF POSITIVE OUTCOMES – The mind must believe it can do something before it is capable
of actually doing it. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive
emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more
powerful. Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive
ones. Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on what you do want to happen,
and then take the next positive step forward. No, you can’t control everything
that happens to you, but you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s
life has positive and negative aspects – whether or not you’re happy and
successful in the long run depends greatly on which aspects you focus on.
#30 START NOTICING HOW WEALTHY YOU ARE RIGHT
NOW – Henry
David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even
when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t
go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice
of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t
spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have
access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some
might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the
things you do have.
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