How does a person go about accomplishing a truly major life change, such as making a smooth transition from college to workforce, jump-starting a dead-end career or learning how to be more comfortable in social situations? Here are four tips to help you get started:
- Turn desires into concrete actions
: Write down an aspect of your life you want to change for example, “I want to finish projects on time,” or “I want to establish a fitness routine.” Then write a statement that describes how you imagine you would feel when you accomplish this activity, such as, “I feel good about myself when I finish a project on time.” For the next two weeks, repeat this phrase aloud to yourself, emphatically, at least 10 times every day.
- Set realistic goals and being accomplishing them.
The goals you set should be your own not what your parents or others in your life expect from you. Break down goals into measurable increments and establish a deadline for accomplishing each one.
- Perform an honest self-assessment of your strengths and weaknesses
in terms of your abilities to accomplish your goals. If seeking a new job, rate the quality of your resume and cover letter, how well you perform during job interviews, your command of English, and your ability to evaluate whether a particular job fits in with your long-term career goals.
If you want to manage your finances better, evaluate whether you need more information about investment options, consider keeping a diary of your spending habits, determine the circumstances under which to tend to spend too freely, etc.
- Make networking work for you.
Networking is the process of making using and retaining professional and personal relationships as a means of developing resources. Through networking, you can connect with successful individuals in your chosen career field, find a fitness buddy for workout sessions, get the name of a good financial advisor, etc.
People who successfully change their lives follow a blueprint they’ve created. The key is finding a plan that works for you and then sticking with it.