Changing your life for the better can be hard. It’s not just a matter of making and then sticking to changes. Sometimes it’s hard to even figure out what needs to be different. If your answer to the question of what you want to change is somewhere along of the continuum of something to everything, what you might need to do is start with action instead of contemplation. Making a change of any kind can be just the spur you need to really examine your life and how you’d like it to be different. You can start by choosing just one of the items on the list below to give yourself a taste of how things could be.
Learn Something
Thanks to the internet, it’s never been so easy to learn something. Right now, you can find a video in a matter of minutes that will explain to you how to pitch a tent, teach you the Arabic alphabet, or show you how to cook a three-course meal. There are free courses online that can teach you everything from how to start your own business, to principles of astronomy, to basic calculus, and much more. Choose something that interests you right now and go learn something you didn’t know.
Do Something New
All of the items on this list might count as doing something new for you, but this one is specifically about choosing something for no other reason than because it is different. Maybe it’s walking down a street you’ve never been on before, buying a fruit you’ve never tried at the grocery store or reading a book or watching a movie in a genre that usually doesn’t interest you. What the new thing is doesn’t matter so much as getting out of your comfort zone does.
Lower Your Expenses
One of the areas where people tend to be the most eager to make changes in their lives is with their financial situation. However, knowing where to start can be intimidating. You do eventually need to have thorough overview of your finances and a good plan, but you can begin with just one small thing. If you have student loans, look into a student loan refi, which can offer lower monthly payments. This is a quick way to start saving money.
Move
Nearly everyone is capable of moving a little bit more than they already do. Online, you can find videos for chair yoga that don’t require you to get up from your seat. Try walking around the block on a work break or doing some gentle stretches while you’re waiting for something to cook in the microwave.
Talk to Someone
A common complaint is that people don’t talk to each other any longer, so make an effort to change that. Ask a neighbor or your bus driver how their day is going. Compliment the person behind you in line at the grocery store. Say hello to those you see daily in your life but have never talked to before. This kind of community connection can be invaluable over the long term.