10 Things You Can Do TODAY To Upgrade Your Life
Small tweaks in your daily habits can make a big difference in the quality of your life. Many times, a complete overhaul of your life isn’t needed, but rather changes in destructive mental and emotional habits, which can be a game changer. Here are 10 things you can do today to upgrade your life.
Tips To Upgrade Your Life
1. Stop Living In The Past
The past is over, that’s why it’s called the past. You’ll be much more productive if you focus on what’s going on in the present, and you’ll also enjoy life more. Constantly thinking and ruminating about what happened in the past will keep you stuck. We can learn from the past, there’s no doubt it’s a valuable teacher, but that doesn’t mean we should live there. Learn from it and move on. I know this is easier said than done, but it will upgrade your life if you can do it.
2. Organize Your Space
I find that organizing my space, whether that’s my home, car, or office boosts my productivity. It’a mental thing, but it’s real. Think about it, don’t you breathe a sigh of relief when you walk into a clean and inviting home after an exhausting day at work. Clutter and disorganization is a brain drain, and it isn’t great for your emotional health either. If you stay on top of things and clean as you go, it’s not that hard to keep the spaces you spend the most time in organized and clutter-free.
3. Dare To Begin / Set Achievable Short And Long-Term Goals
Whatever you’ve dreamed of doing, map out a plan and begin taking steps to bring it into reality. However, don’t overthink it, which can be paralyzing. You don’t have to know all the details to get started, they’ll take care of themselves when the time is right. Be courageous and take that first step. It gets easier from there. If you’re scared of failing, remember that it’s much better to try new thinks and flog big time than never trying at all. In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if something doesn’t turn out the way you wanted it to? You’re strong enough to handle disappointment, and chances are things will play out beyond your expectations.
Regret is the most painful, soul-sucking emotion there is because you can’t go back and do what you wish you’d done. There are no do-overs. Live your life, so when you’re nearing the end of it, you’ll have as few regrets as possible. Be brave.
Focus on setting both short and long-term goals you can reasonably work towards. It’s much more productive, and morale-boosting to set goals you have a high probablity of attaining. Instigate a course of action and stick to your strategy until you’ve accomplished what you’ve set out to do. The sense of success you’ll feel when accomplishing a goal will set you up for future success down the road.
4. Have A Consistent Routine
I’ve often heard it said that people with mental disabilities need structure and routine. I’m going out on a limb here, but if you’re enmeshed in the day to days affairs of this world, and are in survival mode, you have a mild mental disability. I do too. Life is stressful. There are so many demands on our time, chronically day in and day out, that having a consistent routine is more essential than ever to keep things humming along as smoothly as possible.
Create a soothing morning and bedtime routine. If it’s good for kids, it’s good for us tired, frazzled, burned out adults, who are most definitely soothe-deprived. (I know that’s not a word, but is so applicable). It’s amazing what a few minutes of structure each morning and night can do to soothe the emotions and nervous system, and to set the tone to begin and end the day.
5. Get Creative
Remember when you were a child and loved painting and coloring? Adults need to be creative too. In fact, we are wired for it. Creativity nourishes the soul. Make time for whatever you consider creative: playing an instrument, taking a dance class, or learning a new skill you’ve never taken time for. Branch out. Talents and hobbies can significantly enrich our lives.
Creativity encompasses a lot of areas, not just the arts. Try your hand at writing if that hasn’t been your forte, spend time in your garden, learn how to sew, start a home-based business, or decorate a room in your house you’ve been hankering to redo. Being creative opens up new vistas and perspectives, and is good for your health. It also reduces stress, gives you a sense of accomplishment, and stimulates your brain.
6. Let Go Of Trying To Control People And Situations
The only person you can control is yourself. Trying to control other people is a losing battle and will drain your limited energy, which you could have spent on other endeavors. Instead of worrying about what others are doing, spend that mental energy on developing areas of your life you’ve previously neglected. Let others follow their own path and you follow yours.
And don’t try to morph yourself into someone you’re not, based on others’ expectations. Not being authentic is terrible for your psyche and your health. Develop a healthy sense of self-worth. Everyone is responsible for their own happiness, it’s not your job to maintain a standard of what someone else wants you to be. Don’t conform to other people’s expectations of what you should look like, how you should act, where you should work, or any other standard that isn’t authentic to you. It’s your life, and you only have one, so don’t waste it trying to be someone you’re not.
7. Carve Out One Hour A Day To Do Something You Love
Do you schedule yourself into your day? Even for just an hour? If you’re like most people, most likely not often enough. If the primary cause of sickness is stress, imagine what taking time for consistent self-care could do in terms of disease prevention? What you do doesn’t have to be anything earth-shattering, it just has to be something you enjoy that helps you unwind and tune out from the demands of daily life.
Read a good book, take a walk or a warm bath, cook something you’ve never eaten before, or play games that stimulate your brain. It’s amazing how solutions to problems come when you’re not thinking about them. Practice unengaging and detaching. It will change your perspective in a good way.
8. Express Your Feelings
Our society doesn’t place much importance on emotions. The vast majority of people are in survival mode: eat, sleep, rinse, and repeat day after day, year after year. You can do everything right for your physical health, but if you have strong emotions that aren’t being expressed, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.
Toxic, festering emotions are known to have deleterious effects on the endocrine, cardiovascular, and immune systems. I wish more of a premium was placed on expressing the whole range of human emotion. Emotions that are bottled up can’t be unpacked and dealt with, whereas feelings that are expressed and shared don’t seem so burdensome. Such a simple thing can pay huge dividends.
9. Limit Time With Energy Vampires
I bet you have a few people in your life that drain the energy right out of you. We all do. If they’re family, it may not be possible to ditch them all together, however, you can limit your exposure to them. If you have friends that deflate your sense of self, don’t validate or listen to you, and who are constantly causing conflict, find new friends. Who you hang out with, can either positively or negatively, affect your outlook on life and self-esteem. Decide well who you choose to spend time with.
Life is too short to have to deal with people that don’t resonate with you. Besides, there’s no stipulation that says friends have to be forever. Upgrading your relationships is one of the best ways to improve your emotional and mental health. And if you’re an energy vampire, seek help to figure out why you feel the need to act that way. Then work diligently on changing your behavior. You’ll find that your relationships will be much richer and longer lasting.
10. Develop A Spiritual Practice
This point should have been number one, that’s how pivotal it can be in upgrading your health and happiness. We all crave connection, meaning, and purpose. You know that inner yearning you feel that seems so elusive? It’s your spirit seeking a connection with God. This longing is built into each of us, and relationships, status, wealth, or material things can’t meet this need.
Many people spend their entire lives searching for meaning and for something that will fulfill. They do this by earning more money, buying bigger houses, and jumping from relationship to relationship. Money, looks, and talent can’t meet the inner need that only God can. A meaningful prayer life will quell that insatiable, nagging hunger you haven’t been able to previously fulfill. Spend time developing a relationship with God.
Key Points
Eating a nutritious diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising are absolutely paramount for good health. In fact, they’re staples in my life. BUT, I know people who do all these things, and still don’t feel their best, And they’re not really that happy. I know because I used to be one of them. There’s much more to the equation.
Taking care of your mental, spiritual, and emotional needs are equally as important for a well-balanced life. I would encourage you to choose one of these 10 things that you’re not already doing, and devote a few minutes a day to practicing it. Small, consistent changes over time lead to a live well lived.
Which of these areas do you struggle in? Let me know in the comments:)
This is a great list! I am a big proponent of your first step, way too many people live in the past, and do not focus on the present or future enough. I am a routine person as well, although I do struggle with creativity, something I could definitely work on. How do you find an hour a day to do something you love? I could barely find 10 minutes some days! Thank you for the motivational list, excellent article!
Thank you Travis. I agree, too many people live in the past way too often, me included. I’m working on it. It’s much more productive to live in the present and spend time planning for the future. I’m a routine person too, I thrive on structure, and I also love being creative. Finding an hour a day can be hard, I get it, but if you can configure your schedule to do it, it will pay off. Thanks so much for reading:)
Hi, one thing about life is that it really can be improved by our daily living habits. Unsuccessful people live in the past. They play the victim role and give up. The thing is, these 10 steps can be used to improve anyone’s life.
People spend so much time and energy worrying about what others think about them, and maintaining the same unproductive habits, such as drinking or whatever habit they can’t kick.
The fact is, if a person followed this valuable advice, it would increase their happiness and success. Thanks!
Hi Jake,
Yes, small changes can make a significant difference. Living in the past really just robs the present of its pleasure. Ugh, people who play the victim are soooo draining to be around, and what a waste of valuable energy to continually worry about what others are thinking. I’ve had to gradually learn to stop doing that over the years. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but a valuable one.
It’s a shame, and such a waste of time and energy, to spend it on destructive habits, when that time and effort could be used on something meaningful and worthwhile. It’s all about choices, isn’t it? Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it.
I feel like this blog was written for me. There are so many things that I should be doing that I haven’t been, but I’m ready to make a change. I am going to start on the first two points of not living in the past and organizing my space. Every time I think of organizing it seems like such a huge job that I get overwhelmed, and don’t even make a start. I am going to start setting an hour aside each day to organize. That will also be my short-term goal! Thank you so much!
Oh, awesome. I’m happy to hear that. Those are two points worth working on. You’ll feel so much better living and working in spaces that are organized. It really is a boon on so many levels. I know it can be overwhelming, but that’s a good idea to set aside as hour a day until it’s done. You’ll get there. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment:)
The human existence has a lot of things that can happen, and it starts from birth with the way one’s parents live their lives, and how we are brought up. When you are fully aware of what you do, your life is in your hands, and you must deal with the consequences of all your actions.
However, having the right mindset is the first step to upgrading your life, and letting go of whatever is holding you back. Holding onto any unnecessary baggage, that needs to be dropped, is the key to better living. Best regards .
Hi Benson,
I totally agree, the right mindset is key to upgrading your life, and relinquishing any baggage that is taking up space in your life. We must all deal with the consequences of our actions. A sobering lesson and one that many people don’t take seriously.
It’s unfortunate the hand that many people are dealt in childhood, which can set the stage for patterns of wrong thinking and behavior in adulthood. In a perfect world, every child would be loved, and have all their needs met. It’s what I wish for all of them. Thanks so much for reading my post.
Hello Holly, this is a very important article to us all. Living a happy life is not certain, but there are so my things we can do to better our life and you have listed a lot here. Personally, I feel when you try to control situations and people, that alone would create sadness because these things are beyond our control, and so we should just learn to move on. It may be difficult to move on, but its worth it. Cheers.
Hi Bella,
Thank you. So true, happiness is not a given, but we do have control over many aspects of our lives. Trying to control others is really a terrible way to live because it’s a losing battle. Thanks so much for reading my article.