Change Your Life For the Better in 19 Steps | Lifestyle Tips by Antoaneta

11 min readMay 9, 2019

Do you want to be happy?

I’m sorry, I know that this is a silly question but please humour me and give me an answer. You don’t have to speak it out loud, merely stating it in your mind is good enough.

Would you like to lead a happier, safer and more fulfilling life? Do you want to go to bed in the evening, excited for the upcoming day and wake up in the morning, full of energy and ready for anything?

If you answered positively to any of the questions above, then you’ve come to the right place — this article is just for you! Today, I’ll be sharing with you a few quick and simple tricks that will help you:

It’s actually quite easy … at least in concept. Putting it into practice, however, can be a bit tricky. But don’t worry — I’ll also explain why that is. Stay with me until the end, and all will be revealed!

Change your life for the better Tip #1 Self Evaluation

First things first. Before you can start making changes, you need to figure out what actually needs changing. So, grab your pen and paper. Use whatever writing tools you prefer, but sit down and do it! This is crucial. Having the pros and cons of “being you” in front of your eyes will serve as your very own guide to self-improvement. How does that work? Keep reading, and you’ll find out!

Change your life for the better Tip #2 Real change comes from the inside

In order to achieve meaningful and lasting results, you need to be sure that you really want to work towards improving yourself. Realising your desire and need for a change is crucial — you are the only person in the whole world with the power to truly change yourself.

Change your life for the better Tip #3 Go the extra mile

We live in a world filled with possibilities, yet we’ve got limited time to work with. This means that, if you want to take your life to the next level, you’ll need to become a master of efficiency. Once you learn how to tune out distractions and focus on what really matters, you’ll suddenly have a lot more free time on your hands. And what should you do with your newfound free time? You should try out new things, that’s what!

The key to being exceptional lies within going further than everyone else. Simply doing “enough” just won’t cut it. Instead, try to always spend your time doing something more. Explore new topics. Pick up new books. Try out new hobbies. Learn new things.

Change your life for the better Tip #4 Read more books

You can’t open a book without learning something

If you really want to change your life and be successful, reading more books is absolutely the way to go! Books can provide you with new knowledge, ideas, inspiration and motivation. Reading will also make you a better conversation partner, as you’ll be able to discuss a much broader array of topics with your friends and business partners. And if you’re short on time and just can’t seem to spare enough hours to get any reading done, there are also audio books! I’m a huge fan of audiobooks myself — I like listening to them while going through my morning routine, while having breakfast and during my commute.

If you’re looking for interesting books to expand your library, I’d recommend:

Rich Dad Poor Dad — Robert Kiyosaki
Money: The Top 100 Best Ways To Make And Manage Money — Ace McCloud
Business Secrets from the Bible — Daniel Lapin
The New One Minute Manager — Kenneth Blanchard
Eat That Frog! — Brian Tracy
Key Person of Influence — Daniel Priestley
The 4-Hour Workweek — Timothy Ferriss
Keys to Success — Napoleon Hill
How to Be Brilliant — Michael Heppell
The Millionaire Next Door — Thomas J Stanley
MONEY Master the Game — Tony Robbins
Unshakeable: Your Financial Freedom — Tony Robbins
The Intelligent Investor — Benjamin Graham
The Wealthy Barber — David Chilton
Secrets Of The Millionaire Mind — Harv Eker
Think and Grow Rich! — Napoleon Hill
I Moved Your Cheese — Deepak Malhotra
How to Persuade and Influence People — Philip Hesketh
Legacy — James Kerr
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People — Stephen R. Covey
Finding My Virginity — Richard Branson
24 Assets — Daniel Priestley

I’ve also written an article about the importance and benefits of reading books regularly, which you can find here.

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Change your life for the better Tip #5 A healthy mind in a healthy body

If you want to be happy, you need to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself will help you in a variety of ways — you’ll feel better, you’ll look better, you’ll be more confident, you’ll be more sociable, you’ll have an easier time making business arrangements, you’ll be more productive, you’ll be healthier … I can keep going like that until the end of the article. You get the point — taking care of yourself is important.

Drink more water — we’re made up of about 60% water! Dehydration, however minor it may be, always has negative consequences. Difficulties concentrating, lightheadedness, headaches, sores and even bad mood have all been linked with dehydration!
Sleep more — a minimum of 7 hours of sleep every night. No exceptions!
Fix up your diet — limit your carbs (and especially sugar) intake, cut down on junk foods and prepare as much of your food at home as possible

Change your life for the better Tip #6 First Impressions Matter

We’re always told to never judge a book by its cover… yet we almost always do. And no matter how hard we try, we’ll always form our initial opinion of those we meet based on the way the act and look.

If you want people to accept you well, you might need to make a few wardrobe adjustments. And before you start pointing fingers, I’d like to remind you that I am by no means a fashion expert. I am, however, a business owner that has dealt with all kinds of people and attended countless meetings and conferences over the last 17 years. I’m speaking from experience.

Obviously, you’ll want to start your day with a shower. A lot of fitness resources would recommend cold showers, but, in my experience, that’s not a must. I might be having a case of “sour grapes” here, as I’ve been trying to incorporate cold showers in my routine and failing, but you could also take that as a sign that they aren’t 100% required. Either way, a shower will ensure that you start your day off on a fresh and positive note! Furthermore, you’ll want to:

Look after your teeth — always brush your teeth at least twice per day!
Look after your hair — brush and comb your hair every day. The longer it is, the more time you should spend on it.
Look after your posture — spending all day on the computer can be devastating for your posture. Look up the various types of pelvic tilts and get to work!
Don’t buy fake brands — a well-fitted simple outfit looks much better than a random combination of fake brand items! Not only that but keeping in touch with a good tailor can also make for a much more affordable wardrobe.

Change your life for the better Tip #7 Spend more time with your family

Spending time with your family is really important. It will do wonders for your mental wellbeing and helps you better appreciate what you have.

Change your life for the better Tip #8 Be more social

Be more social — be more open with those around you. Go to events, theatre performances, workshops, conventions. The benefit of this is twofold — this will not only improve your social skills and become more confident in a variety of environments, but it will also allow you to build invaluable connections. In our day and age, finding people that you can “click with” is difficult enough, even if you are an extroverted, outgoing type. If you limit yourself to the confines of your home, you will have an incredibly difficult time expanding your personal and professional circle.

Change your life for the better Tip #9 Give Minimalism a try and think before you buy

Don’t spend money on things that you don’t need. Think before you buy. Often times, we buy things that we don’t need without even thinking about it. We see something new, or something shiny, and we think “I just *have* to have that”, only for the item to end up in the back of your closet gathering dust for the next year and a half!

Change your life for the better Tip #10 Focus on the positives

Yes, bad things happen. No matter how hard you try, something, somewhere, will always go wrong. You can’t control everything, and sometimes things are just out of your hands. When this happens, however, you need to remain calm. Don’t beat yourself up over things that are in the past!

Change your life for the better Tip #11 Enjoy every moment

I used to get often upset and aggravated. Now, I know that if you really want to change your life, it’s all up to you. You can do that all by yourself! Don’t get upset and angry for insignificant reasons. Realise that, after every bad thing, a good one will come along!

Change your life for the better Tip #12 Travel and explore the world

I view spending money on holiday trips and vacations as a worthwhile investment. It’s not just a way to relax away from your everyday worries and surroundings, but also an exceptional opportunity to learn more about the world — to experience different cultures and meet people from all walks of life! Being well-travelled will dramatically change you for the better. You will suddenly start noticing numerous details in day-to-day conversations, behavioural patterns and body language, all the while becoming more tolerant and appreciative of what you have.

Change your life for the better Tip #13 Invest in yourself

Always learn new things. We’ve got social media, we’ve got YouTube, we’ve got books. You can learn new skills anywhere, even from the comfort of your own home! What I’d recommend here is a combination of this tip and the ones above — get started with something new at home, where you can go at your own pace. Over the course of a month or two, study the subject and build your competence. As soon as you are confident that you’ve got a firm grasp of the basics, start attending events and workshops, related to it. That way you’ll be able to both socialise with like-minded people and improve your knowledge!

Change your life for the better Tip #14 Ditch the bad habits

Stop doing things that you know you shouldn’t do. Yes, it’s that simple. Go through your negative habits and eliminate them one by one.

If others can do it, then so can you!

Change your life for the better Tip #15 Fear is the mind killer

Don’t be afraid of trying things out. Yes, starting something new from scratch can be intimidating, especially if you’ve no previous experience. But that’s the only way to learn new things. Believe me, I’ve been there. When I first came to London, I didn’t know the language, and I barely had £500 to my name. I was alone in a foreign land, surrounded by people that I could barely understand. But I didn’t let my fears get the better of me, and I managed to pull through. And so can you!

Change your life for the better Tip #16 Reflect on your experiences and analyse your progress

Each and every experience you go through, be it good or bad, can teach you something. But acknowledging that and learning from your experiences is entirely up to you. That’s why I set aside a couple of minutes every evening for reflection. I go through the events of that day, I think about the conversations that I’ve had, the meetings that I’ve attended and the things I’ve seen. I ask myself what I did right and what I should try to improve. And every day, I manage to find a little detail or two that I can work on!

Change your life for the better Tip #17 Enjoy your victories!

Reflection is important, but appreciating your success is even more crucial! Every week, set aside 30 minutes for self-evaluation. Take a look at your progress, think about what you’ve learned, how you’ve improved, and savour it. Always take the time to enjoy how far you’ve come. I’d even go as far as saying that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others, but that holds other dangers — you don’t want to get too full of yourself. Instead, I’d urge you to be reasonable. If you’re comparing yourself to someone who has had a lot more time or opportunities to achieve what he did, you shouldn’t feel bad. Be proud of who you are!

Change your life for the better Tip #18 Say “NO” to Plastics

In our day and age, plastic pollution is a very serious problem. Not are plastics extremely harmful to nature, but to our own bodies as well! Sure, throw-away plastic bottles, coffee cups and food packaging might be lightweight and convenient, but they come at a heavy price! All of these items contain dangerous chemicals which will, over time, leech into your food and water and find their way into your body. If you’re looking to make the change to reusable and eco-friendly items, I’d recommend:

The environment needs your help!

Change your life for the better Tip #19 Turn a greener leaf

Solving your exposure to pollution, however, is sadly not as easy as eliminating plastics. We spend the majority of our daily lives, surrounded by toxins and dangerous chemicals. They’re everywhere around us — on the street, at the office and even in our food and water. And these chemicals affect our bodies in numerous ways, from messing with our hormonal balance to causing a variety of health issues. If you’re truly serious about improving your life, you’ll want to try and limit your chemical exposure as much as possible. This can take a variety of forms — from watching what you eat and how you clean your home all the way to changing your shopping habits! If you’d like to learn more about leading a greener lifestyle, I suggest that you read my article on the subject here.

In closing, I’ll leave you with one last tip — Change doesn’t come quickly, and it isn’t easy.

Change, on the deepest, subconscious level is a scary thing — it’s a leap into the great unknown. Our brains are incredibly efficient and will tend to reject the change. After all, the things that you’ve been doing so far have worked out well enough — you’re alive, you’re (hopefully) in reasonably good shape, and you aren’t in any immediate danger. As far as your subconscious mind is concerned, you’ve got more than enough to survive as it is. Why would it want to change that and put you in a risky situation along with a variety of unknown factors? If you really want to change your life for the better, you will need to wage war with that part of your mind. This war can only be one by calm and persistent, by taking one step and a time and ensuring that you don’t burn yourself out. As I often like to point out in my articles — Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither should the new and improved you. Take your time and enjoy the ride!

Originally published at https://lifestyletipsbyantoaneta.com on May 9, 2019.