5 Steps to Start Living Your Life Today
In my past I have had those moments of feeling stuck. I thought I couldn’t break free, that I had to ride out that phase of my life, even though it was no longer doing good for me. My mindset was focused on the future. I would always say to myself “one day I’d like to live like this, or have this as part of my routine”. I thought I had to wait for that one day in order to start living for myself.
This thought process is so limiting and we can become stuck in this negative mindset, not knowing how to break free.
So, I am here to share 5 steps that will help you to start living your life TODAY!
These steps are going to help you break free from that idea of being stuck and just dreaming for the future. You will be able to start creating a life daily that you enjoy living. Now is the time to stop fearing the present and just wishing for the future.
Remember, you are the maker of your life - so why not make it one you actually enjoy?!
Step #1: Look at your daily routine, what don’t you like?
Now is the time to eliminate the things in your daily routine that you don’t enjoy.
Ok, we can’t get rid of doing laundry - because we need clean clothes, but we can step out of our comfort zone and make changes to the things that do not refuel us. Do you get home from work and turn the TV on right away and watch it for the remainder of the evening? Maybe it’s time to limit your TV consumption and rather than start watching it at 6pm when you get home move it back a couple hours to start at 8pm. It’s time to start learning how to fill your time with activities and tasks that actually refuel you. Watching TV may seem relaxing in the moment, but it’s actually not doing any good for you and there are much better ways to relax in order to refuel yourself.
Do you hate your commute to work? Ok, maybe you are not in a place where you can get a new job that is closer to home. So, you can’t actually change the commute, but you can change your mindset around the commute.
Last fall I worked for my uncle back in Ontario and I had an hour commute to work everyday. I knew from the get go that I was not excited about this and I had to make it more interesting in order to not become bitter about it.
I started listening to audio books on my drive and this simple act completely changed my mindset around commuting. I was always so excited to get back in the car and start listening where I last left off. One time I even sat in my car in my parents driveway at 8pm after a full day of work, just because I wanted to finish the chapter I was listening to.
I’m telling you, audio books and podcasts are a GAME CHANGER when it comes to commuting to work.
So, I urge you to look at your daily routine and figure out what you don’t like about it and make the change happen!
Recently I changed my morning routine. I used to always open my laptop right away and then scroll social media or watch youtube videos. Not a good morning routine at all! Now I start with my journal, reflect on the previous day, write some daily affirmations and I even do a personal card reading for myself so I know what messages are coming forward for the day.
Simple changes can make a huge impact!
Step #2: Journal time, every day write 3 dreams you have for your life and 3 steps to move towards each dream.
This is such a great way to stay connected to your future and what you hope for in life, but also making sure you are being productive in the present to help you move towards your dreams.
Everyone loves dreaming about what their future might hold, but sometimes we stop there and our future always stays as some moment in the distance and we never know when or if we will make it there.
Remember, we are wanting to start living our life TODAY! So, dream, create those goals and desires for your future. They can be big or small, but whatever you dream you need to start to think of steps and tasks that will help you achieve those dreams.
At least once a week you should pull out your journal and write 3 dreams you have for you life. Every week you can write the same 3 dreams, but the key is to also write 3 steps for each dream that will help you move towards them.
These steps can be small or big, but as long as you are recognizing what needs to be done to help you move forward you can then start acting on them.
Create those dreams, but keep yourself accountable in moving towards them!
Step #3: Create boundaries
Ok, this is a big one and it’s so important!
Creating boundaries means knowing what is good for you and what is not and being able to say no to the things that are not good for you. This can mean the people that bring the worst out of you, maybe they are gossipers, or always have drama surrounding them, or maybe they just always leave you in a bad mood. It’s time to start saying no to events and gatherings and get-togethers that include them. Let the relationship drift apart, because it’s not worth your time or energy.
We can also create boundaries around our jobs. Remember, work is not your life, so don’t let it take over and dictate everything you do in life. When the weekend rolls around say no to those extra tasks and leave it until Monday. I’m telling you that there will ALWAYS be a to-do list that isn’t completely finished, so don’t let that pressure you into feeling like you can’t take a break. Your mind needs time to rest and you need time to enjoy life, so create those boundaries around work and stick to them.
There is so much more we can create boundaries around, but the important part to remember is if you are not gaining something in return then it’s time to stand your ground and build those boundaries. We need to realize that we don’t need to be constantly giving to everyone else, a good relationship is one of give AND take. Save some of that energy for yourself and the things that bring you peace and joy!
Step #4: Daily & Weekly Goals (have 1 thing you do for you every day and every week)
It’s time to create daily & weekly goals for yourself that reflect on living your life. What does this mean you may ask? This is the start of living your life for YOU! It’s important to know what fuels you and brings you joy. So every day you should be committing at least 5 minutes to yourself and every week you should be committing at least 1 hour to yourself. This is the bare minimum.
At the start of the week write out what you will do for yourself every day and once this week. This does NOT mean clean the house or check something off the to-do list. This does mean spending some quiet time reflecting on your life, or setting your intentions for the day, or meditating to clear your head space, or working on a puzzle because it brings you peace.
Find something you can do every day that is only for the better of yourself, and commit yourself to actually doing it. Eventually this will become a habit and you will not be able to go about your day without that time.
You also need to have something bigger once a week to remind yourself of why you are important and why your time and energy should be focused on creating the life you want to live. This might mean getting out in nature for an hour, or working towards one of your big dreams & goals for your life, or maybe even taking that course you always wanted to take.
As long as you are giving yourself that time and space then you are moving forward and living a life that allows you to be you fully.
So commit at least 5 minutes a day and 1 hour a week for YOU!
Step #5: Reflection
This step really helps us to learn a lot about how we are spending our time, how it affects us and then we can decide how to move forward. At the end of every day whether its when you are laying in bed, or just before you go to bed if you want to write in your journal, you should reflect on how the day went. In this reflection be open to noticing what drained you and was not worth your time, or what refuelled you and allowed you to feel joy.
After the reflection you need to decide how to move forward from there. Did something leave you exhausted and emotionally drained? How can you change or what can you change in order to not experience that again? What brought you peace and how can you include that in your life on a daily basis?
Reflection is a great tool for learning about ourselves and how we wish to spend our days. We need to be willing to reflect in order to grow and become the best versions of ourselves, because something that fuelled us 5 years ago might not fuel us now.
So take time every evening to reflect on how your day went and be willing to make changes where necessary in order to make tomorrow even better!
Since I started implementing these 5 steps in my life I have noticed how much I have grown personally because I feel like I know so much more about myself including what fuels me and what leaves me drained. I make adjustments where necessary in order to stay true to myself.
I know when you start using these steps you will be reintroduced to the greatness you have within.
Step back into the role of Maker of Your Life and start living your life today!
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