Change is never easy or pleasant. It can be scary, but sometimes necessary in order to grow. Many of us are creatures of habit and enjoy our day-to-day life. It’s easier to be in a status-quo than to go out and explore uncharted territories of our lives. Coach Elsie Storm explains life:
Because we like familiarity, the unknown is often enough to keep us resistant to change, as we’re afraid of the potential disruption in our habits, routines, and comfort levels.
Obviously, sometimes periods of change and transition in our lives are unavoidable. We may lose a job, or get a promotion that requires us to move across the country, or get divorced, or sick, or something third… there will always be reasons beyond our control that force us to change. However, we won’t talk about them, because when we’re faced with involuntary change we have no choice but to move forward. Today, we will talk about a voice inside us, screaming and insisting on a major life change.
I am a firm believer that any change can bring something new and good into our lives, no matter how scary or bad it may seem at first. Everything is determined by how we decide to view the change, as a positive and challenging experience, or as a dreadful must-do-it activity. Our view will manifest in our actions. And our actions will change our lives.
Decide whether it’s time to embrace something new by checking out these 7 Signs You Are Ready for A Life Change Right Now.
No matter how fast you travel, you’ll never reach your destination if you’re headed in the wrong direction. If your short-term actions don’t align with long-term values, you need to change something ASAP, or you’ll deeply regret it in the future. Thus, it’s important to know your values. They serve as a beacon in the dark to show you the direction you need to travel in order to experience the best life possible.
It’s time to recalibrate your values and align them with the situation you want to be in. If your core value is health, and you continue to eat junk food and drink soda, then something must change if you don’t want to end up in the grave before 60. If you say your core value is a contribution, and you never donate money or time to charity, it’s time to sit down with yourself and have an honest chat.
First, you need to question them, and then you need to understand that some of them are more important to you than others. Second, focus only on the top 5 core values, and let them guide you to a better life.
Make a list of what your core values are – things that are non-negotiable to you and your life. Here is a list of over 500 core values that can help you determine which ones are yours.
For example:
These are some of my core values by which I live my life. Whenever I’m feeling unfulfilled, I check to see whether I am neglecting any of them and if I do; I need to change course accordingly.
There is a quote that says:
The opposite of happiness is not sadness. It's boredom.
And boredom is another obvious sign that it’s time for a change. We all want to be happy, therefore change is a must in this case. Change the people around you, the environment, or activities to be stimulated and challenged again. Remember, there is no status quo in our lives, either we’re growing, or we’re dying.
Are you doing the same thing, day in and day out? Has your routine become so comfortable that you have forgotten what spontaneity means? Monotony is perhaps the most obvious sign that you need to change something in your life.
I don’t want to say that there is anything wrong with your habits and routines (in the end they are really important to your life), but from time to time change something. Take a different route to work, or take a day off, or change countries. Step out of your comfort zone. We’ve all heard the quote by Neale Donald Walsch:
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
But how many of us really live by it?
I know, I know. You like to sleep. Me too. But when you snooze your alarm clock 10x before you wake up, then something in your life is obviously wrong. When you don’t want to face the day in front of you, you know it’s time for a change. Try to turn your life into something that makes you eager to wake up in the morning. I don’t know what that is for you, but for me, the opportunity to grow and add value are such powerful motivators that I can’t wait for the morning to start chasing my dreams again.
The past is in the past for a reason. While it’s always nice to remember good things that have happened to you in the past, you can’t live there. Many new opportunities await you when you stop living in the past and start walking in the Now. The present can be daunting because we lose the ability to connect the dots, but that’s exactly why is also challenging and exciting. Maybe you are living in the past when your relationship just began and it was magical, but right now it doesn’t work anymore, and you have to move on. Leave the past where it should be and extract only beautiful memories out of it.
What you see in the mirror doesn’t align with who you want to become. Be it physically or mentally. You fantasize about how your life will be better in the future, but what you really need to do is start living your life in the present. Life is short, live the way you want to live – not in the future, today.
I’ve always dreamed of being independent and in charge of my own life. I didn’t like the idea of having a boss who dictates 8 hours of my life 5 days a week. When I quit my job in 2020, I made a conscious decision that I am going to create a life I deserve. I didn’t want to wait to be 35 or 40 to quit and then start living on my own terms. I wanted to do it while I’m still young. It was one of the best decisions of my life.
If you dream about something, don’t postpone your dreams. Life is too short to be scared. Change what you can and create a life worth living. There is a quote I really like by Tony Gaskin:
If you don’t follow your dreams, someone will hire you to build theirs.
And it’s truer than you want to admit it.
You’re not living, you’re merely surviving. You have stopped working on yourself, your dreams, passions, and aspirations. You’re not happy and you know there has to be more to life than this, but you’re afraid to leap. You need a purpose – something to make a bigger contribution than what you are currently doing. Maybe you need a new job that can allow you to do this, or maybe a move across the world will help. Whatever it is, you need it, and you need it right now.
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The way you live your life is determined by you, no one else. Rather than feeling helpless and defeated, pick yourself up, figure out what you want, and go for it. If you need a change, take the first step. Don’t forget to have faith in yourself and definitely never settle. You deserve better.
Cheers!
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