If you have ever taken a close look at your lifestyle and decided that it's time for a few changes, join the club. Millions of people feel as if they are in ruts and can't get out. The solution is to step into those zones that are slightly uncomfortable and make a new path. Try things you've never tried. Experiment with ways of acting, playing, and working that perhaps never occurred to you before. Here are some of the most effective strategies for teaching yourself to change for the better.
Learn a New Skill
Take on a new challenge by signing up for an art class, taking sky-diving lessons, becoming a blogger, or enjoying a music appreciation tutorial online. Pick something you've never done before but that you've often daydreamed about. There's no need to make a long-term commitment here; just enroll in the lesson and see what happens. It might end up being a one and done, or could lead to a new hobby, job, or way of life.
Help Your Children Get Through College
If you are a parent, this strategy can work wonders for opening up your mind and getting past the I have to do everything for my children
attitude. Instead of offering to pay for college, consider acting as a co-signer on a private student loan. The college-bound youngsters still get the funding to attend school but learn a vital lesson about how to be financially responsible. There's a major bonus, too in that they also get a loan package that offers competitive terms, reasonable interest rates, and borrowing limits that can cover the entire cost of a four-year degree.
Clean Out Your Clutter
There's a whole new way of living called minimalism. You need not join the movement, but it's possible to perform the central rite of passage, namely ridding your home of junk, clutter, and unusable items. Spend two or more weekends eliminating all the accumulated stuff in your living quarters. Be organized. Plan the purge. Make lists. Get it done. Most people are shocked at the amount of clutter that once took up so much space in their homes. The key to staying clutter-free is doing a maintenance purge every three months.
Make a Will
There are too many working adults don't have wills. That's a sad fact when you consider that it only takes about 10 minutes to make one, and all the forms, instructions, and other guidelines are available for free at hundreds of websites that offer free legal help. Make a will, make copies of your will, lock it away in a safe place, and review it at least once every two years.
Give Your Brain a Rest
Choose one time each day to meditate, do yoga, stare at the ceiling, pray, zone out, or just rest your mind. This is not a nap. Naps are for sleeping and resting both brain and body. This effort should be focused on regular mental relaxation. Consider reading up on self-hypnosis or deep forms of meditation if you really want to dig in. It helps immensely to have a fixed location for your zone-out session.
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