How to create change in your life. I’m a big believer in being in charge of your life. When you are in charge and focused, magical things can happen. I’m not saying that you will get every job you want or even the one you really want, but you will give yourself a huge shot opening doors you never imagined could be opened, or embarking on adventures you never thought possible.

I’m surprised that people are often shocked that I sold most of my stuff and moved to Warsaw Poland with my husband on a whim. It’s thanks to that belief that I have managed to leave myself open to any and all opportunities for where life may take me and I am always willing to take a chance on the unknown. This means that I’ve danced, sold cosmetics, owned a Pilates studio, sold insurance, worked at a dealership, run a successful blog and written books.

Whether I am starting a new creative project or spontaneously moving to a new continent without a detailed plan, my motto has become, “anything is possible, it’s the journey that counts”.

HOW TO CREATE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE

Don’t Go Too Wide Too Fast. If I had stopped to plan every single detail before leaving for Europe I probably never would have gone. Instead, I ignored the small (insignificant) details because I knew they would throw me off track. Details can be worked out later, as they come up. I knew that if nothing worked out, we would come back a year or even a few months later, wiser and with great stories to tell. What actually happened was that we spent four wonderful years in Europe experiencing the lifestyle we wanted, meeting wonderful people and making great friends. In fact, upon our return to Canada, we were in a stronger position than when we left.

One Step Not One Leap. While it might be tempting to jump in and change everything all at once, there’s a good chance it might backfire. This is about making lasting changes in your life that will truly make you happy in the long run. Identify the changes you want to make and then break them up into small bite sized actions you can start doing right away. Sometimes if we think about changes for too long we just won’t make them happen.

Ignore The Box. Easier said than done, but if you are always living within the constraints of your comfort zone then it’s virtually impossible to make changes. The best way to do this is to start small by doing one small thing that makes you nervous or uncomfortable. Acknowledge how you felt doing it and then set another goal. Practice makes perfect and if you keep doing this you’ll be breaking out of that box in no time.

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” – Brian Tracy

Visualize The Outcome. When you want to change something in your life it’s extremely easy to become overwhelmed by the magnitude of what you don’t know. Maybe it’s about traveling somewhere exotic on your own or starting a new class, it can be scary. Before you talk yourself out of it, sit down an picture yourself after you’ve made that step and take the time to note how you feel, write it down and remember that feeling.

Don’t Be Afraid Of Failure. Look, not everything always works out and that’s totally normal but if you don’t try then you’ll never know. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination. Remember if you approach “failing” as a learning opportunity rather than the end of everything, then it’s not really a fail. It just means that you need to shift directions, not stop altogether.

Appreciate The Little Things. The grass is always greener on the other side, right? I fall into this trap all the time and it makes me miserable. Honestly, it’s so important to notice and enjoy the little, seemingly insignificant things that you are grateful for. It could be anything but write it down and make a conscious effort to appreciate them.

Dismantle Your Wall. When we aren’t happy or we are embarking on something new it can be easy to disappear inside ourselves. I find that sometimes I’m so busy having an internal conversation that I completely shut out everyone around me. When you feel yourself doing this, take a breathe and see everyone around you. Make eye contact, say something nice to someone or reconnect with a loved one. The key is to make the first move by reaching out. Doing this puts you out there and facilitates changes that maybe you didn’t even think of.

Flip Your Day Inside Out. If all else fails and you can’t or aren’t ready for bigger changes then do one thing differently today. Put on a dramatic piece of jewelry, wear an outfit you never wear, eat something you normally wouldn’t eat. Try this a few times a week and pretty soon you’ll realize how much fun it is to shake things up. If you need some ideas then I have the perfect article for you, HOW TO LIVE LIKE YOU ARE ON VACATION

This isn’t about doing what I did and moving to a new continent (although I highly recommend it) but rather it’s about not letting yourself get too comfortable. Life is short and you never want to have any regrets.