Posted on July 16, 2022.

In my many years of professional life coaching and training life coaches, I have observed certain key areas that truly allow people to live a better life.

01: Recognize That Change is Good

Change is good and change is inevitable. You can’t create new beginnings in your life without change and change that leads to new beginnings can be exciting, but it also can be scary. You fear change because of the unknown or because you run the risk of failing. You hear thoughts in the back of your mind telling you to resist the change. It sure is easier than putting yourself out there. However, change is good because without it, a better life will never happen.

02: Start Making Better Choices

You can change your life in 3 words. Are you ready for them? MAKE BETTER CHOICES! Scientists hypothesize that the average person makes thousands of remotely conscious decisions daily. Each day you are faced with choices and all of them have consequences or repercussions. So, make them work for you and not against you.

03: Establish Personal Boundaries

Personal boundaries aren’t like a fence or a “no trespassing” sign. They’re more like ground rules in the game of life. They’re challenging to navigate, but setting them and communicating them is essential for your health, well-being, and safety. Boundaries give you a sense of say-so over your personal space, body, and feelings.

04: Imperfections Aren’t Weaknesses

While each of us have our own collection of scars, scratches, and mismatched parts; you shouldn’t view yourself as broken. Your imperfections shouldn’t be looked upon at as a collection of flawed weaknesses that rob you of confidence and happiness. You’re setting yourself up for suffering if that’s your focus. You’re an imperfect person living in an imperfect world and that’s perfectly normal. A better life doesn’t require perfection.

05: Rewrite Your Mental Story

Everyone has a story and everyone’s story can change, including yours. Everyone has awful things in their past, including you. Sometimes you need things like mercy and forgiveness to move forward. Sometimes you need to let go of things you can’t change. Sometimes you assigned the wrong meaning to an event in your past through negative assumptions. You can’t change the past, but you can absolutely change your view of it.

06: Change Beliefs, Change Behavior

Good and bad behavior stems from your beliefs and your memories. In other words, you do what you do because you believe what you believe. Experiences in your life pass through this filter of beliefs and memories. If your beliefs are positive and healthy, then positive and healthy thoughts will occur, which will produce positive and healthy emotions, that will result in positive and healthy behavior. If your beliefs are negative and unhealthy, they will produce negative and unhealthy behavior. It’s a simple mental path, and it all happens in a flash. Experiences filter through beliefs that produce thoughts and emotions that lead to behavior. Changing your beliefs will change your behavior.

07: Manage Your Habits

A large portion of your day consists of things triggering your behavior which seeks some type of reward. These are called habit loops and they’re imprinted in you all the time. Your habit loops take root in you because your mind or body believes you need the reward or payoff. Even though the outcome you seek may be good, the behavior you think is needed to achieve it may not be good. It’s like someone thinking they need a cigarette to calm down.

08: Create Your Confidence

Confidence seems to come easily to some, while others struggle with it. However, confidence is a mindset that can be slowly developed. No one is born with confidence. It’s not a personality trait. Confidence isn’t given to you from the outside world either, it forms on the inside of you. Confidence is a very achievable mindset, if you work on it.

09: Obstacles are Normal

Problems, setbacks, roadblocks, troubles, difficulties, challenges, obstacles, whatever you want to call them, happen all the time and to everyone. You’re not being singled out or unfairly picked on. It’s a normal part of life, like it or not. Yes, obstacles are normal and they are inevitable. Your response to them… is optional.

10: Prioritize Your Values

Let’s talk about the most important thing you’ll ever have. Is it money? Is it love? What about happiness? No, the most important thing you’ll ever have is good values. Yes, good values. Now I realize that you may have never really thought about values or even know what I’m talking about. Well, a value is a principle you think is more important than anything else. Values are non-negotiable guideposts that help you make decisions and keep you going down the right path. It’s important to take the time to set your core values. You’ll be so glad you did.

These are proven building blocks to a better life. They’re powerful, practical, and they facilitate truly sustainable growth and change. These are the best of the best insights I could ever offer you.