17 ways to finally build the life you love in 2017!

CoupleÕs high-fiveHow was your 2016?

If you’re like most people, you had some ups, some downs, muddled through and did OK. But is OK really good enough for the rest of your life? Do you want more? Do you feel you deserve more?

Well, the good news is that 2017 is the perfect chance to make a change, break through the obstacles and problems that have been holding you back for so long, and finally make the existence you’ve always envisioned a reality. Whether you want to lose weight and get in better shape, improve relationships and find the love of your life, or just get that promotion at work and improve your finances, there is a specific formula for achieving the life you love!

Here are our 17 ways to finally build the life you love in 2017! (We’ll start with the first 8 and cover the next 9 in part 2.)

1. Have fun!

You have to enjoy the journey or else it will all be a monotonous drag, and that includes achieving your goals and changing your life. So make sure you smile, laugh, surround yourself with good people, and sing along to your favorite song and dance a little, and that positivity will inject joy and energy in everything you do.

2. Get motivated by positive, not negative thoughts.

The mind feeds off the words “I can” and other positive affirmations, so much so that it will actually change your physical response. Too often, people who are trying to make a change in their lives or reach goals are motivated by negative thoughts like, “I’m too fat,” “I don’t have a love life,” “I’m never good with money, etc.” Holding those thoughts in your head over and over will only derail you from where you want to go, since it’s like running backward.

3. Focus on one thing that fires you up.

Did someone say you looked fat at the Christmas party? Did you lose that promotion at work to someone less qualified? Are you turning 40 soon and you don’t like where you are in life? Choose one thing that makes you more than a little angry and use that fire as fuel to keep motivated! Sometimes it’s good to be gentle, compassionate, and kind with yourself…but sometimes it’s healthy to get a little pissed off to give yourself a jump-start!

4. Think long-term and big picture.

Success and achievement aren’t always linear, so you’ll have ups and downs along the way. Instead of reacting negatively to every obstacle and setback, “zoom out” and take a big picture view of your life and what you’re trying to accomplish. It’s all a process, and the little daily habits you change will make a huge positive impact over time!

5. Forget perfect.

Guess what? You’ll never be perfect, so set that impossible goal aside and instead focus on just being better every day, every week, or every month – which includes appreciation and enjoyment for what you already have and what you already are! By the way, if you think people want you to be perfect, they don’t (they just want you to be real); and if you think others appear perfect, they’re not!

6. Start by doing one small thing (and then another).

Momentum is everything in life, and once you’re a permanent fixture on the couch, it seems excruciating just to get up and do anything. So instead of saying “I’m going to run 5 miles tomorrow,” and never getting started, focus on doing one small thing, like push-ups and sit-ups during the commercials, learning something new for 10 minutes every morning, or changing one meal to something healthy every day. Stick to it, and very soon it won’t be hard to do more and more…BOOM! You have momentum!

7. Take responsibility.

When you stop blaming other people and circumstances for the outcome of your life, you’ll have removed the first barrier to changing your life. In fact, when you take full accountability and responsibility for your life, you’re automatically empowered to control your own destiny!

8. Set a plan.

This is where the rubber meets the road, as they say – when you’re going to take all of the wishing, dreaming, and hoping and transform it into tangible action that will really change your life. And SMART, FOCUSED, and CONSISTENT action is all it takes to break through and finally achieve the highest and best version of your life. The first part of setting a plan is defining your goals – very specifically, including measurable quantifiers and timelines.

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We’ll cover a lot more about goal setting, follow-up and how to put your wonderful and life-changing plan into place in part two of this blog!