Odds are, all of us have something in our lives we want to change. It could be our weight, our job, or maybe even a certain relationship. The sad thing is though, that most of us don’t ever make these changes because we are either too afraid of what might come next, or if we are making the right decision.

The first step to making a change is to determine if the change you want to make is really something you want to do. Let’s say you’re thinking about moving to a new town to pursue a different career path. Quite a big step, huh? To figure out if this is really what you want to do, just play a little mental game.

Place yourself in this new town and imagine the best situation possible. You meet new people and have new friendships, you love your new career, you have an active social life, and you even have a new relationship that might turn into something. Wow. Not too bad. Here is where it gets tricky.

Do your best to imagine the same thing happening where you’re at right now. It’s probably a little easier to imagine better things happening somewhere new, but don’t let that stop you. Really picture yourself happy, hear the sounds of your friends talking to you, laughing during an afternoon on the patio, maybe you can feel the breeze as it dances around you…you get the idea!

Now think…and I mean really think…which of those two mental journeys really brought you “there”. By that I mean, which image was more real, more passionate, and made you feel better? That is most likely the one that you want to go with.

The next step to making any change is to decide that you will not rely solely on the opinions of others to make the change for you! This is something that sometimes I still struggle with, even. There are people in our lives - family, friends, etc that somehow know the answers to our most troubling questions, yet can’t seem to get their own life right. Have you ever wondered why?

It’s because it is SO EASY to tell someone else what to do, it’s not as easy to tell yourself what to do. So sometimes we let other people tell us what they think we should do, and we just allow them to make a decision for us. Don’t ever let other people control your decisions. I’m not saying you shouldn’t seek counsel when you need it, because that would be foolish. I’m just saying that it’s not necessary to let other people guide your choices.

The third and final step is probably the most important and overlooked step in all areas of life. And that step is this: (drum roll)

ACTION

Yes, it’s true. If you want to make a change, you’re going to have to take action. This means actually doing what you want to do. If you have decided to lose weight, then go to the gym! Change your eating habits. If you want to go back to school, then go down to the college and get some more information. As the ancient proverb says, “The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step.” How true that is!

Ok, so now you’re ready to go! Get out there and start making positive, life altering, awesome changes…

Let me get you started with a change you need to make right now! You NEED to be signed up for my newsletter. Seriously, it’s FREE and contains TONS of great information to help you with whatever it is you might be facing. The first issue is coming out soon, so you could be amongst the very first people to get it…exciting huh? Please join below.

Personal development is just that…personal. Each of us changes at our own pace, and no two people are the same. So don’t expect there to be a definite course of action for you to make changes in your life. You see, often I get asked this question:

What can I do to have more self discipline?

Interesting question, to say the least. Usually I just sort of nod at the person and smile. I think they really expect me to give them some sort of a short answer that is quickly and easily going to change their entire lives! Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for self-discipline. If there was, trust me, I’d be selling the course right now and make a mint doing it!

No, instead self-discipline is a meticulous journey, it’s path cleared daily by the decisions we make. I’m not suggesting that we either have self discipline or not, but what I am saying is that it is something that is both learned and earned.

I have given up all forms of beverage now except good old H20…water. If I find a way to keep drinking even water, I’ll let you know. Anyway, this wasn’t a choice I made overnight. I started by giving up regular soda and switching to diet. Next, I cut out diet soda and started drinking Crystal Light. One day I ran out of Crystal Light, and just started drinking water. That was sometime ago, probably 4 months or more now.

The point is, it wasn’t hard. It was progressive and therefore manageable. If you have something you want to change in your life you don’t need more self-discipline, you need a plan.

Start with something easy and develop a plan you know you can follow. Systematically follow the plan and you’ll find yourself attaining it in no time.

And as far as self-discipline goes, you’ll find controlling your actions gets easier and easier when you get a few successful achievements accomplished. So, get out there and start achieving!