LEARNING TO TAKE NEW ACTIONS THAT LED TO RESULTS

The steps to take to change your reality

I had begun to understand that I couldn’t continue to repeat my old and familiar behaviours and expect different results.  I realised if I wanted to experience the life that I dreamed of I needed to take actions that were in alignment with the type of person I aspired to be and the quality of life I wished to live.

In the past, my usual method of solving problems or creating change in my life was to go out and make things happen.  For example, if I was unhappy at work, I’d go and get a new job (or even change career’s, which I’d done several times).  If I found myself single then I would make an effort to go out more often in an attempt to meet someone new.

However, this gung-ho approach had not worked in the bigger scheme of things. Changing jobs and changing partners was not the solution to the real problem.

Audit and declutter your life

This time, I decided to take a more subtle yet thorough approach.  I took an inventory of my life and then concentrated my efforts on becoming conscious of each and every action I took throughout the day.  I observed how I felt about my environment and the things in it.  I also observed how I felt as I moved through my day.  I took note of the way people, activities, situations, objects and environments made me feel.

Then, I eliminated the activities and elements from my life that I didn’t enjoy.  I minimised time spent with people who didn’t make me feel good about myself.  I eliminated the things from my life that didn’t represent me.  For instance, I gave away clothes that weren’t flattering or were uncomfortable to wear and donated objects that harboured bad memories.

Customise and personalise your life

Next, I began to incorporate and prioritise the things that inspired and uplifted me into my day-to-day activities.  I scheduled time for doing the things I loved.  I found that by consciously taking actions that brought me joy (rather than those driven by will power and discipline, such as going on a diet or starting a new exercise regime) significantly influenced how I felt.

I noticed that by taking actions with consciousness and with awareness, I could think more clearly.  I developed more of a sense of myself.  My inner voice began to emerge.  My day unfolded with ease.

The biggest surprise?  The structure of my day had begun to look a lot more like that of my ideal day.