How to Begin to Change Your Life Today

Most people have at least one aspect of their life they would like to change. They may want to repair a relationship, address low self-esteem, lose weight, improve their financial situation, or change some other aspect of their lives.

The desire to change is not unusual, but actually making the change is quite another story. So why is it that so few people actively work on changing their lives for the better?

I believe the answer falls into one of two categories. People don't change because:

1. They don't know how.
2. They know how, but find that trying to make the change is too hard.

Let's start with the first category. Some people are dissatisfied with some aspect of their life, but don't know what to do about it. An example may be a grown woman who has a difficult relationship with her mother. She may want to improve the relationship, but not know how.

The specific action steps will depend on the issue, but the key is to figure out a strategy that will make the desired change possible. There are many ways to go about this, such as:

• Talking to other people who have successfully made the desired change
• Reading how-to books or articles about the issue
• Listening to advice from a coach or an expert on the topic
• Using personal experience to think through what has and hasn't worked in the past

Now let's move on to the second category. Some people know what they need to do to change their life but think it's too difficult to do, so they don't even try or they try and then quit. An example may be a person who wants to lose weight. They know they need to watch what they eat and exercise, but they don't stick with the diet or exercise programs they start.

The key to changing your life, once you know what you want to change and you know how to make the change, is to make a firm commitment to change.

The commitment is the hard part. If you're not really committed to making the change, you're likely to quit when you run into obstacles. You may recognize a few of these obstacles to change: not enough time, not enough money, too tired, too busy, too disruptive to other family members, takes too long to see results, takes too much effort, or the granddaddy of them all: it's just too hard!

You can read all the books in the world and take all the seminars you want, but change won't happen if you're not fully committed to it. Here are some ways to stay committed to a change that you really want to make:

• Remind yourself daily of why you want to make the change
• Write down the benefits of making the change and the drawbacks of not making the change
• Anticipate obstacles in advance, so you're prepared for them when they arise
• Track your progress - this provides positive reinforcement and keeps you accountable to yourself
• Reward yourself when you achieve the desired change and let your success motivate you to make any additional changes in your life

I think, at the end of the day, what it really comes down to is: How bad do you want it? Hopefully I've given you some food for thought on how to change your life, now it's up to you to make the changes! 

© Kara Lane, Champions of Powerful Living. All rights reserved.

Kara Lane and her husband, Rick, launched http://championsofpowerfulliving.com/ to fulfill their mission of providing personal development products and services to help people live their best life and reach their full potential. In addition to checking out their products and services, don't forget to subscribe to their monthly newsletter and receive a free copy of James Allen's classic, "As a Man Thinketh."

Kara is also the author of "Wake Up to Powerful Living: 12 Principles to Transform Your Life!" In this book, she explains how 12 proven principles can help you create the life you desire. In her companion workbook, she provides questions and exercises to help you apply the principles to your life given your unique circumstances. You'll find the book, workbook and CD (in both physical and digital formats) at [http://store.championsofpowerfulliving.com/]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kara_Lane

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6297254