You’ve read those posts haven’t you? The ones that tell you to follow your dreams, be who you want to be and that you’re the master of your own destiny. They pop up all over the place every new year, well written and crafted words to inspire and motivate, right?

Don’t get me wrong, there are some great posts out there in the ‘new you’ genre, but chasing your dreams or making significant life change isn’t a simple process. You’re not going to wake up one day and be a (insert title of dream here) no matter how inspired you are.

How to Change Your Life

You may have always wanted to be a singer or an artist, or what ever else takes your fancy, but you’ve been in your job for years and it covers the bills. You’ve spent years in this rut called life and it’s all you’ve ever known. This is your comfort zone, we are talking about taking a massive leap into uncharted territories, there needs to be some kind of map doesn’t there?

1. Face Your Fears

I’m going to assume you have the dream all figured out, and you know what it is you’d love to do. Now what’s stopping you doing it? If it helps, write down all the obstacles that you think are in your way, or what you are afraid of happening.

This process will help you plan what needs to happen to work towards your dream, and also help you realise that nothing in life is certain and there can be all sorts of things round the corner, regardless of what route you take. With things written down, the process you’re about to begin will start to feel a bit more manageable.

Stuck in a rut? Here's 10 simple steps guaranteed to change your life for the better

2. Make Sure You Get Support

A change in career or following some other dream like travelling the world etc is not only about you, but could affect the people around you. Talk to them as soon as possible about what you’d like to achieve and what plans you have. Getting support from your partner, family and friends is crucial to your success.

They will be your critical friend, your listening ear and provide you with vital support when you get downhearted. Days when you think it isn’t going to happen are inevitable, and having people to remind you of your dream and that you can do it will make a huge difference.

3. Look For Opportunities

Life is a funny old thing. It will throw you all sorts of things, there will be up and downs, and in my experience, it will also throw you some opportunities. They don’t come along every day, but when they do grab them with both hands if you think it will take you further down your chosen path.

They may not have featured in your original plan, and they may take you in a slightly different direction, but always be flexible to where they may take you.

Have faith that when you start working towards something, doors will eventually start opening, you’ve just got to be there to push them.

4. Get Your House In Order

You might need to make some practical adjustments to your house to help you along the way. Perhaps a studio or a working area. What ever it is get it set up so you can get on with what needs to be done.

5. What About Finances

There maybe some other considerations. Is there going to be a financial impact during your period of transition. This is something you may want to consider when getting support from your nearest and dearest.

Ask yourself things like do you need savings? Can you reduce your outgoings? Do you need to raise finances? You may need to make a financial plan to help you achieve your goal. Consider investing in things like Bitcoin, which is an up-and-coming digital currency many are already investing in. You might want to take a look at the best place to buy Bitcoin in Australia if you live down under, but plenty of places across the world can also offer you Bitcoin investment opportunities if you know where to look.

You can also utilize the services of financial planners and/or advisors so you can feel safe with what you have chosen. They can talk to you about savings, investment opportunities, how to deal with private markets, etc. so you have a handle on your money in the capacity that suits you.

6. Do You Need To Learn New Skills?

Whatever your dream is, I’m pretty sure you’re going to want to be good at it. How can you learn to be the best you can be? Is there a community you can join or find yourself a mentor that is willing to give you guidance.

There maybe a whole heap of information on the internet or perhaps you can attend part time courses at your local college. What ever it is get yourself signed up and get started.

7. Set Yourself Goals

Once you’ve decided you’re taking this new path, having some goals will help you know if you’re heading in the right direction. Firstly identify what success might look like for you, or where you want to be in say a year or five year’s time.

Now, just like a business would, set yourself monthly or regular milestones to help you along your way. This way you’ll have a sense of purpose and direction and you’ll be able to tell if you’re getting things right or not.

8. Review How Things Are Going

Because you’ve set yourself goals, and you’ve thought about the milestones that will help you get their, stopping every now and again to review how it’s going is really easy.

Remember nothing is set in stone, and you can make changes to your plans as you go as you learn more about this new path you’ve chosen.

Don’t forget, if you are exceeding your targets, make them more challenging! Perhaps you will be better or achieve more than you thought.

9. Don’t Give Up

There will inevitably be times when you feel disheartened as no journey is perfect. Things won’t always go to plan and you’ll probably hit bumps in the road.

When this happens don’t let it put you off following your dreams. Remind yourself what you’ve achieved and keep trying. Hard work will always pay off in the end.

10. Be Patient

Anyone that knows me will tell you that I want it all yesterday. Patience isn’t something that comes easily to me, and I guess I’m not the only one. If you want to change your life, or change something significant in it, it is going to take time.

You are starting at the beginning of a journey, this is long haul and it is worth taking your time over it. Good strong foundations will support your success in the future, so be prepared for this process to take time and try and avoid frustration.

If you liked this post, please share it with your friends. Who doesn’t want some change in their life after all…

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7 COMMENTS

  1. Nice post Zena! It is so true that changing your life is a process – and I guess that’s why so many people sit around complaining about where they are and what’s going on in their life. In that position, we need the steps we need to take to be spelt out for us, so thanks for doing just that!

  2. Great summary. I agree that writing it down and getting support are key. It’s too difficult to change when all your thoughts are in your head. We need accountability to make sure the changes we say we want happen, yet kindness if there are bumps along the road.

    Patience is a virtue too… sometimes our timescales are not realistic.

  3. Hi Zena, nice post. I agree it’s so important to remember change is a process and any steps we take towards our goal are worthwhile. Fear of mistakes is so often a biggie. We need to remember what we tell children that there are no such things as mistakes, just learning opportunities. Great start for Day 1

  4. I couldn’t agree with this more. Life threw me a plot change a few years back and I’ve had to look for new opportunities. The ones I’ve embraced and trained for are completely out of my old life’s comfort zone but I love them, and am so happy doing what I’m doing these days. Great read and very true!
    Lucy

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