1. Set powerful goals.
The most important benefit of setting goals isn’t achieving your goal; it’s what you do and the person you become in order to achieve your goal that’s the real benefit.
Goal setting is powerful because it provides focus. It shapes our dreams. It gives us the ability to hone in on the exact actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are great because they cause us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals, we must become better.
2. Get (and stay) motivated.
Make a decision to go all the way to the top. Up to now, you’ve thought about it. Up to now, it’s passed your mind. But now make up your mind to go all the way to the top, and your life will take off. It’s the most extraordinary thing.
Your life is like a shadow going up the dark side of a hill—until the moment you decide that I’m going to be the best at what I do. And suddenly you rise into the sunshine, and your life is forever after different—wonderful.
Get serious. Don’t fool around anymore.
3. Get inspired.
We all know inspiration when we feel it. Vladimir Nabokov described it as first, “a prefatory glow,” followed by a “feeling of tickly well-being.” After a few days, a lightning bolt hits you.
The idea grips you and furious napkin writing ensues. You forget to eat. You build a prototype. This kernel starts a nuclear chain reaction that fuels a lifelong undertaking.
OK, OK, it’s not always that profound. Sometimes inspiration takes you only as far as, I think I’ll have another coffee.
Like its cousin, motivation, inspiration seldom bowls you over. In its more common form, it’s a gentle hand on your shoulder, but it always moves you forward.
4. Learn good habits.
If we don’t learn good habits, life becomes more difficult. We have a choice: Get hard on ourselves so life becomes easier, or get easy on ourselves resulting in life getting harder.
Successful people choose good habits over a stagnant life. At first it might not seem like you are accomplishing much, but don’t be fooled. “Small hinges open big doors.”
Not all good habits are created equal. Some are more powerful than others. See the ones that will strengthen your confidence, help you get what you want and result in a satisfying journey.
5. Commit to improving yourself.
You’re never too busy for 10 minutes, which is all it takes to improve yourself just a little each day. You can de-stress using meditation, yoga or reading. Track your unhealthy spending habits. Learn a new language. The possibilities are endless. Stop prioritizing the busy parts of your life and make time for the important things, such as the constant development of your mental, physical and emotional well-being.
We compiled a list of 43 easy ways you can improve yourself in 10 minutes or less. Ready, set, go!
6. Summon the strength.
Have you ever held back from making a change or taking a chance, afraid of what might happen if you did? Have you ever stayed silent when there was something you really wanted to say, scared of ruffling feathers or being rejected? Have you ever thought to yourself, I wish I just had the guts?
If you have, you’re not alone.
As human beings, we’re wired for caution. We steer away from situations that expose us to the possibility of failing, losing face or feeling foolish. Our desire for safety and certainty pulls hard against our desire for growth and adventure.
If only I had the courage, we often say to ourselves, as though courage is something only a lucky few are endowed with. But that’s not true. Within you lies all of the courage you will ever need—to make that change or take that chance—in your work, relationships and life.
You just haven’t learned how to access it. Yet.
7. Act brave.
If you’re afraid, count down, 5- 4- 3- 2- 1, then act brave. At the heart of everyday courage is a choice. Five seconds at a time you make a decision to do, say or pursue what’s truly important to you. That’s why there’s such a tight bond between courage and confidence. Every time you face doubt and 5- 4- 3- 2- 1 right past it, you prove to yourself that you are capable. Every time that you beat fear and 5- 4- 3- 2- 1 to do it anyway, you display inner strength. Every time you 5- 4- 3- 2- 1 and smash your excuses, you honor the greatness inside of you that wants to be heard.
8. Start over if you need to.
A full-fledged restart is scary. But it’s those full-stop second chances in life end up being monumental breakthroughs in people’s lives.
When that fear strikes you, don’t expect it to go away. Dramatic restarts will always cause doubt, worry, uncertainty and fear. Anticipate that reality, and then honor the struggle. Expect there to be hardship, and decide that you will meet it as an opportunity to grow and show the world what you’ve got. Honor those big steps outside of your comfort zone because they will make you better.
Photo by Jacob Lund / Shutterstock
