Life Isn’t About Finding Yourself. Life Is About Creating Yourself

I recently found myself feeling as though I was living life on autopilot. There are so many wonderful things happening day-to-day but was I working to create the life I want? I decided it was time to take a step back, evaluate what needed to change, and take some action. Luckily, with the small changes I’ve been making, I’ve been feeling both excited and at peace about life. Since I’ve seen some success, I thought I’d share some of the insight I’ve gathered.

1. Firstly, ask yourself what you want your life to look like.
   By having a finish line in mind you can more easily find the steps needed to get there. One key factor to this being helpful is being able to recognize when you’ve set goals for yourself that aren’t reasonable or can’t be met. If you find that’s the case, don’t hesitate to simply take another step back and alter your plans to include goals you can succeed at.
2. Ensure your environment matches how you want to feel.
   Our environment impacts our mental and emotional health so it’s important to take it into account. Get rid of clutter, give yourself more light and color, and create a space that helps you feel the comforts of home.
3. Give up the things weighing you down.
   Do you have any bad habits causing concerns in your life? Seriously think about the things in your life that are holding you back from meeting your goals and creating the life you want. It might be time to make some changes.
4. Try something new.
   Do you have enough hobbies and interests in your life? Are you having fun throughout your week? Amidst all the things you NEED to do, are you doing the things you WANT to do? If you answered no to any of these questions, then it’s time to try something new or do more of something you already love.
5. Perfect your routine.
   Our brains love structure and routine. If you can have a good routine in your day-to-day life but can be spontaneous when needed or wanted, it will relieve your overall stressors. Routine can be as simple as getting up, eating meals and going to bed at roughly the same time each day.
6. Take care of your mind AND body.
   Taking care of your well-being requires good balance throughout the day. Working to purposely take care of both your mind and body throughout the day takes awareness. For example, what are you thinking about while you’re exercising? Are you ruminating over the past or future, or are you focused on the here-and-now and working to clear your mind? Be present in each moment and ask yourself throughout each day, “How am I doing? What do I need right now?”. Self-check-ins lead to good self-care.
7. Do one good deed each day.
   Never underestimate the impact you can have on others. Making it a goal to go above and beyond each day in little ways not only helps others but it turn helps your self-view and the life you’re creating.
8. Don’t sacrifice your core values while you’re making changes.
   Making changes doesn’t mean sacrificing who you are and the values you hold dear. Stay true to those parts of yourself throughout the journey.
9. BE NICE TO YOURSELF.
   Change is hard. Please be kind to yourself while you take small steps towards your larger goal. If you find yourself failing at something, get help or change course. Have reasonable expectations for yourself and be willing to forgive yourself when you’re struggling. Do your best each moment of each day. You got this!