Paulo Coelho wrote: “One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Do it now.” Many of us put our happiness and dreams on hold for another day, when the truth is life is happening right now. If you want to make positive changes, today is the day.
Want to know where to begin? Here are 30 things to start doing for yourself.
1. Create a vision for your life.
Get clear on your purpose, what drives you and what you desire for your love life, relationships, career, finances, lifestyle, wellbeing and personal development.
2. Meditate daily.
Your investment of a few minutes of time will come back to you tenfold in the form of increased insight, inner peace, creativity and compassion.
3. Treat your body well.
Your body is your home on this earth so nourish it with water, whole foods, walks, sufficient sleep, yoga and exercise.
4. Listen to your heart and intuition.
Your heart is the key to your life purpose and it will provide you with wisdom and guidance that your logical mind cannot comprehend.
5. Mix up your routine.
Don’t live the same year 85 times and call it a life — try a new route, coffee shop, walking trail, hobby, activity, city or career.
6. Get clear on your values.
Values are your deep underlying motivators like freedom, creativity, wisdom, abundance, vitality, connection and authenticity — identify them and start basing your life around them.
7. Make time for joy and pleasure.
Write a list of all the things that make you come alive and do them weekly — the whole world will benefit from your light and joy.
8. Pause throughout the day.
Take your attention away from the circling thoughts and worries in your head and connect with the sights, sounds, smells, textures and beauty of life surrounding you.
9. Get comfortable being you.
You were made by the Universe for a reason and you are a one-of-a-kind. Own who you are.
10. Create rituals.
Whether it’s a morning prayer, evening book or weekend brunch, rituals can help you incorporate your values into your life.
11. Give thanks.
Gratitude is magic — it makes what you have enough and attracts more goodness into your life. You are blessed to be alive.
12. Go after your dreams.
Give things a go — you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. You are more likely to regret not trying than trying. What is life for if not for living fully?
13. Spend time with good company.
We are heavily influenced by those around us, so surround yourself with dreamers, doers, believers, thinkers and those who bring out your greatness.
14. Love and accept yourself.
When you improve your relationship with yourself, your other relationships and your life improve naturally. Everything starts to work.
15. Forgive others.
As the Chinese proverb says: “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” Forgive others and set yourself free.
16. Fill yourself up.
Understand that other people are not responsible for your happiness, self-worth and fulfillment — you are. Start filling yourself up with love and whatever else you need.
17. Plan out your week.
Know your top goals and values and plan your week around them — otherwise you will get swept away by the pull of the modern world.
18. Reflect on your week.
Give thanks for everything wonderful that happened and acknowledge what isn’t working so well so you can fix it instead of repeating the same patterns.
19. Celebrate everything.
Small wins build your confidence and build you up to have more success — look for more ways to celebrate yourself and your loved ones.
20. Build a connection with your soul.
Get in touch with your essence, your inner being — the part of you that exists beyond your thoughts, emotions, titles, roles and labels.
21. Allow your feelings to flow through you.
When a strong negative emotion arises, observe the feeling in your body without judgment, knowing it will pass — rather than feeding it with stories in your mind, or storing it deep in your heart.
22. Spend time in nature.
Nature can remind you of the natural beauty, intelligence and balance of the Universe — it also gets you back in touch with your soul.
23. Let go of the past.
The past is not happening here and now — it’s only in your mind. When you continue to relive the past, you rob yourself of the peace, beauty and opportunity available to you in the present moment.
24. See the lesson.
Sometimes our challenges are our biggest teachers — pause and see if your challenges contain a sacred message showing you where you are stuck or need to grow.
25. De-clutter your space.
Our possessions don’t just weigh us down physically — they weigh us down energetically and psychologically. By clearing space in your life you are symbolically making room for the new.
26. Check in with yourself regularly.
How often do you ask yourself how you are feeling? Check in with your inner child by placing your hand on your heart and asking what it needs from you right now. You may be surprised by the answer.
27. Breathe deeply.
Many of us are in such a rush we forget to breathe properly. Our body becomes tight and our energy becomes stale. Pause throughout the day to take a few deep breaths from your belly.
28. Simplify your life.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, track what you do in a typical week and see what you can remove — perhaps too much television, worrying or social media scrolling isn’t serving your highest good.
29. Do one thing each week that scares you.
Your current comfort zone is just the last place you set up camp on your journey — by doing something that scares you each week, you are constantly growing beyond your self-imposed limitations.
30. Value your happiness.
We are so quick to give away our happiness over trivial matters or things outside of our control, when it is one of the most valuable things we possess. Value your happiness by remembering the mantra: “I could see peace instead of this” every time you are tempted to get caught up in drama.
Elyse is a writer, life coach and happiness teacher at NotesOnBliss.com. She teaches people to connect with their soul, create their dreams and expand their happiness. For updates and inspiration, sign up now.
Originally published at notesonbliss.com on February 11, 2017.