What Is The One Simple Change That Made Your Life Better?

I did some research on the web and then asked a number of colleagues, past and present clients about what they changed to make their life better. Not surprisingly, this list delivers many simple changes one can easily do.

This is what I came up with:

I stopped watching the news. It is all over-hyped drivel designed to keep you afraid. It's not good for you.

I stopped worrying about what other people thought. It's like I've been set free from a mental prison. I realized that not having the approval of others had zero affect on my life. 

I quit smoking. I stopped slinking around and feeling like a pariah.

I ride my bike to work. It's such an improvement in so many ways. I'm healthier, look better and I arrive in a much better mood. All that and I'm saving lots of money.

I put a hook beside the front door and ALWAYS put my keys on the hook. This small thing has made my life simpler and better.

I started taking myself more seriously. I've found out how good it feels to pursue my goals despite anyone else's opinions.

I stopped spending so much time around toxic, needlessly negative people. I have a fresh, new outlook on life!

I try to be mindful throughout the day, especially if I become frustrated. The conflict of an unnecessary desire is usually to blame. I try to recognize these instances and correct my perception to appreciate what is right here now at the moment.

I do yoga. I'm becoming fitter and more mindful. I am palpably more stressed in the weeks I didn't make it to yoga.

I only drink plain water with meals. My life really is better (not to mention my skin, GI, overall health.) So simple, but a big difference.

I make my bed every morning. Makes my room tidier and therefore I don't feel so stressed in the mornings. Also stops me from going back to bed.

I cut my Facebook use by 95%. I check it monthly to catch up on what my friends are doing AND I've cut out all the narcissistic people who focus all of their posts on themselves.

I made a conscious decision to never again buy, pick up or flip through another beauty magazine again. Made me feel 10x better about life and myself and relationships.

I take the stairs at work. Floor 2 to floor 10. It is quiet. I let my mind wander. A few times a week I hear somebody complaining about the elevator. They don't know what they are missing.

I started being myself. Exactly 100% do what I want when I want. I stopped trying to change to make a certain woman like me. I did this two years ago. Met my fiancee 18 months ago and I know that she loves me completely for me and I love her for her.

I leave ten minutes earlier than I "have to" no matter where I'm going. I get there early and I'm NEVER late.

I get up early, like REALLY early . . . 4:30 AM. I not only have time to workout or meditate or read, I'm also getting to work early and getting all of my tasks done. I'm SUPER productive.

I realized that the problems in my life had two solutions. Either they were fixable and within my control, or they were outside of my control and not worth stressing over. The second kind of problem, I can still control my reactions to it and how much it affects my life.

Intermittent fasting. I don't eat Mondays or Thursdays. Lost a whole bunch of weight and really appreciate the food I eat the rest of the time.

Giving up the idea that working 40-60 hour weeks would make me more money and a better Mother to provide. Once I gave that up to live a simple life I couldn't be more happy. I'm a stay at home Mom and a self employed crafty Woman. Time with my family is priceless! Money can't buy you memories.

Journaling. It's a very unique opportunity to pose questions to yourself that no one else has. I've had breakthroughs in my journal, and thoughts that've changed my behavior dramatically.

I used to be very interested in politics. Now, I really don't care about it. First of all, because nothing major is going on - ever.

I got rid of my TV. If I want to watch a particular show, I'll stream it. I work from home so I usually have a show in the background for ambience (Dirty Jobs, etc.) if I'm not in the mood for music.

Image provided by Moyan_Brenn_BE_BACK_IN_SEPTEMBER from Flickr.

3 Simple Rules In Life.

1. If you do not GO after what you want, you'll never have it.

Be honest with yourself, there is no limousine pulling up to your door to whisk you away to that new job, to millions of dollars, or a new life. It's up to you to make it happen.

2. If you do not ASK, the answer will always be NO.

It doesn't hurt to ask. You will be pleasantly surprised sometimes when the answer is Yes. If the answer is NO, ask what you need to do to make it YES.

3. If you do not STEP FORWARD, you'll always be in the same PLACE.

When volunteers are requested, or you see an opportunity to do something challenging, take that chance. You will not only be glad you did, you will grow in many directions because of it.

It's that simple. So what are you waiting for?

POST YOUR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BELOW

P.S. Which rule do you procrastinate on? If you do and REALLY want to make it happen, let’s talk. I’ve coached thousands of people (just like you) and have helped take a decisive step in their life — call or email me to schedule a complimentary session.

This quote was found on Reddit this morning, one of my favorite sites to be inspired! 

20 Tips To Tune Up Your Life.

A number of weeks ago, one of my favorite sites (Reddit), posted an open forum on what small areas of your life you can subtly tune up where it delivered an incredible result. Here are the BEST of the 5000+ entries from people all over the world:

I gave up soda two years ago. I used to drink it like water. Now I drink water. I sleep better and have lost 5% of my body weight without another major change.

Going through my closets, shelves, etc. and getting rid of things that I haven't used or don't really need. As it's often been difficult in the past for me to part with "things," it's become necessary in order to maintain my sanity.

More risk taking, made me feel more alive. Just jumping in and doing something different, getting myself out of my comfort zone. Engaging in conversation with strangers, got me way more friends than I've ever had previously. Also leads to some powerful stories.

I threw out all my old socks, and bought 10 identical pairs. My life is so much easier.

I cut out sugar and vastly increased vegetable intake.

I started working out and trying to eat better, and girls notice me way more now. It was hard work, but I love being fit. It feels much more natural. A funny response to this tip: “Now if you just get a suit you'll be unstoppable.”

I started flossing on a daily basis about a year ago. I'm normally the guy who goes to the dentist and gets the lecture about taking better care of my teeth. The last time I went, the hygienist finished, looked me in the eyes and said "Your oral hygiene is excellent."

I got rid of all my credit cards 2 years ago. I am more careful with how I choose to spend money.

When I see people I know, even acquaintances, I act like I am genuinely really happy to see them and give them a big smile. Someone else did this for me once. I was hooked.

I quit playing video games and ‘surfing’ the web. The days are so long now I have no idea what to do with them. I actually started writing my dissertation and exercising out of sheer lack of anything else to do.

I started waking up at 5:00 AM so I can get in my personal time to read/work on projects before everyone else is awake to distract me. I used to dread waking up early, now I look forward to that time every night when I go to sleep. FYI - I go to bed at 10:00 PM.

Started dressing nicer. People really do notice.

Recently, I've been sitting up straight. I'm tall so I have a tendency to hunch over and slouch when I'm sitting. The posture makes me feel less sleepy and more alert, which is odd because I can't figure out how that works. The trick for me was to roll back my shoulders and the rest kind of follows.

I left my job in a cubicle to teach preschool. It's a lot less glamorous to tell someone that I work in childcare but it has really affected my lifestyle. Surprisingly, I'm a lot less drained at the end of the day. Something about staring at a computer screen for eight hours is just tiring. Now I come home and actually have energy to do stuff. I'm happier, and most importantly I don't dread work on Sunday evening.

Regular meditation. It definitely takes some patience and practice, but regular meditation has amplified my living experience substantially. I am more engaged in the richness of life as a result. I can glide through tasks with pleasant ease, and never feel like I'm flustered or frustrated. It's hard to explain the subtleties of how practicing meditation has improved my overall well being, its as if people, places, goals, tasks and basically everything else has changed around me plus I have a more confident outlook. HERE is a great beginners guide (direct .pdf download)

I stopped caring about what anyone thought about me. I went from being a shy kid, to a successful, confident, happy man!

Here’s my favorite (one person did this!):

• Remind yourself where you want to be, what you want to be doing, and envision yourself getting there throughout the day. If you have a solid vision, you can make it reality.
• Start the day with some change in a pocket you normally don't keep change in. Every time you say something nice to someone move a coin to another pocket. It is a powerful thing to know at the end of the day that, if nothing else, you made a few people feel good about something.
• Cook dinner for your friends once a week if you can. There is no better bonding than regular dinner as a family.
• Introduce yourself to everyone you come into contact with at social events. Everyone has a story to share and most have the desire to collaborate. You'll never know who you might have met and what you could have accomplished together if you don't say hi and they don't know your name.