Last updated on June 4th, 2012 at 11:19 am
People are afraid of change and I am afraid that I am no different.
The thought of making change in our lives can be so intimidating that even though we want to be someone better, we end up settling for less than we are capable of because we’ve become so afraid of change.
When we encounter something that doesn’t fit our established routines and comfort zones, our first instinct is to protect ourselves out of fear.
Everyone does this.
But successful dreamers feel their fear and do it anyway.
Admit to yourself that you are afraid of change. Acknowledgment is the first step towards change.
Promise yourself that you are going to face your fears and do it anyway — no matter what.
There are ways we can set up our lives for better success at changing so that we don’t go another year not doing the things that tug at our heartstrings.
8 Ways to Change Your Life —
1. Gather a group and make written commitments for the things you want to change.
The real reasons programs like AA and Weight Watchers work is because people who care about your success are watching and will hold you accountable. I am certain you can find a Meetup group with people who want to make the same changes you do — join it!
2. Kill your credit cards and track your spending habits.
Stop using your credit cards. Cut them up. Kill them. Carry only one and use it only for emergency purposes only. Track your spending habits. Look at where your money is going. If you don’t think you can do this long term then commit to doing it for 30 days. Ask a buddy to check your progress every Friday. Freeze your credit cards in a glass of water in the freezer if you can’t cut them up.
3. Remove any adult person in your home who Is Not changing for the better.
Do both yourself and them the beneficial honor of gently pushing them out of the nest. Let them go! Promise yourself to surround yourself with positive people who add value to your life. If you don’t know of any attend a bunch of different types of religious organizations and see if any speak to you. There’s always a Unity church in most areas. Unity churches help people of all faiths apply positive spiritual principles in their daily lives. Visit their website at www.unity.org to find a chapter near you.
4. Start a personal micro-loan group or your own group to cure what’s bugging you about your life.
My own Susu group started with 12 people. We elected a trustworthy ‘banker’. Each person pays $100 per month for 12 months. During that 12 months each person picks a month they want the get their “loan,” and once a month one person gets $1,200.
I got my $1,200. in August – see #5 next.
5. If debt is drowning you seriously consider bankruptcy.
Find a good attorney (ask you tax person for a recommendation, chambers of commerce are also good references) and check your options.
We did. We are filing now and that’s what I used my August Susu money for. But face your demons. Face whatever it is that you think you can’t handle and ask for help.
6. Change your mind.
We can make decisions that move our lives in a new direction. The instant we make those decisions is the instant we change our lives. Affirmations work wonders to help us change our thoughts. Not sure how to do affirmations? There’s some great tips at Writing Affirmations for Empowerment.
7. Call a therapist.
If your relationship is not going the way you need it to, maybe it’s time for therapy. Finding a good life coach can help too.
8. Make a commitment to like yourself.
Ask yourself right now, “How do I feel about Me? – Do I like Me? – What is great about Me?” If you cannot come up with any positive answers to these questions, then you need to start a daily gratitude journal listing all the things about yourself that you are grateful for. You have yes to read this with, right? Fingers? Toes?
Well as you can see by the above – I might be avoiding my dream – but I am cleaning up my life!
How about you?
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