7 Beginning Steps to Creating a Life You Love
How do you start creating a life you love when you have no idea where to even begin? What if you’ve tried and tried…but nothing ever changes? How are you supposed to create a NEW life when you have no idea how to make it better? How do successful people do it? We all have the same amount of hours in our day. What sets their day apart from yours? Let’s look at how to start creating a life you love by first looking at what most people are doing.
For most of us, the first thing we do when we open our eyes in the morning is roll over and check our phones. Did anyone call? Text? I wonder if I got any emails? Nah… nothing exciting here… Then we are on to scrolling through Facebook, then Instagram, then X, all before we are even half awake. Did you ever wonder how this is affecting your mindset about your day or even your life? Are your daily habits contributing to a fulfilling life or are they the reason you feel stuck in a rut?
After mindlessly spending those first waking moments on social media, take a moment to reflect on how you feel. Do you feel inspired, a little envious, or maybe overwhelmed and discouraged? It’s understandable that the rest of your day may not be as fulfilling as you hoped. People who lead powerful lives they love don’t surrender their minds and energy to others; instead, they invest their early morning hours in self-care and focus on what truly matters to them. By cultivating a morning routine that aligns with their values, they set the stage for a successful day. Just envision the possibilities that lie ahead when you begin incorporating some of these empowering habits into your life!
Throughout my life, I have often found myself feeling stuck in a rut. Allow me to share a glimpse of my journey. As a stay-at-home mom with a bustling household and lacking organization or routines, I found myself constantly struggling just to keep up, let alone create a life I could truly cherish. Days seemed like an endless repetition of the same “Groundhog Day” movie, and this continued even after most of my kids had grown and moved out.
Perhaps you’re not a stay-at-home mom like I was, but do you find yourself feeling trapped in a life that doesn’t align with your true desires? Do you ever catch yourself staring out the window, daydreaming, and wondering, “How did I get here?” If so, let today be the new beginning you’ve been searching for. Together, let’s explore those crucial first steps toward transformation.
Let’s dive into how to start creating the life you love.
Number 1. Start the night before!
This is a game-changer that I can’t stress enough. If only I had implemented this years ago, I would have made much more progress in my life and endured far fewer struggles. I’m here to help you avoid making the same mistakes and wasting valuable time and energy. So, take the time to plan out the following day, the night before. Lay out your clothes, and shoes, get your lunch together, write down your goals, and create a to-do list. Have everything ready to go so that you can focus on building your new habits in the morning.
We all know how mornings can go with lots of chaos and activities. You don’t want to spend your morning time looking for everything. Organizing will save you HOURS of your life spent looking for misplaced items. It will also save you a lot of stress that can trickle down into your day making you feel like you are falling further and further behind. Have you ever wondered how much time you’ve spent searching for things in your life? How much stress has it caused?
Ok, let’s get into number 2 of how to start creating a life you love with your morning routine. So you can start your day happy and feeling like you are on your way to creating that new life!
Number 2. Rise and Shine Early!
Starting your day out early allows you to wake up more peacefully instead of jumping out of bed all stressed out because you’re late again! It also allows you time to start practicing your new habits. And if you followed habit number one then you should already be ahead of your day!
I spent most of my adult life “Winging it!” My poor thinking was that winging it was freedom. I can do what I want to do when I want to, and not have to live by any man-made time restraints. When I look back I realize yes, I could do whatever I wanted. But life around me was actually dictating my time, not me! Have you ever thought like this? I wish I was free to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Well, actually, you ARE doing that now. We all are. It’s just that successful people are spending their time in a purposeful way.
Start thinking about how you want your life to look. Dream about it. Really picture how you would like your life to look in 5 years or even a year from now. Do you still want to be exactly how you are today? If not, it’s time to cultivate these new habits and embark on the journey of creating the life you desire.
Jumping right into number 3 of how to start creating the life you love.
Number 3. Prioritize your to-do list
Having a to-do list is a great way to think about all the things that need to get done today or in the future. But our to-do lists are often huge and at the end of the day, we flop in a chair exhausted but still feeling defeated because we haven’t completed our extensive list. If this resonates with you, consider a powerful alternative: The Master List. Creating a Master List is a game-changer, and I wish I had known about it earlier!
Make a list of all the things you need to get done. I use this Time Management Sheet to understand exactly how much time each task will take. So many little things linger unfinished, gnawing at us, but it’s challenging to find time amidst pressing priorities. These unresolved small tasks accumulate, contributing to a sense of defeat. Now, imagine having a Master List where you jot down every task and idea that crosses your mind, organized into categories like long-term projects, short-term, next week, or tomorrow.
Then pick 3 things that are the most important that you need to do tomorrow and focus ONLY on them until they are accomplished. Then you can focus on the other things on your to-do list. As new things pop up in your mind that need to be done put them on your master list in the category they belong. Use this master list to build your daily list. But remember that the first thing in your day is to just focus on those TOP THREE tasks. These tasks will take center stage in your focus and efforts until they are accomplished. You can use this Daily Planner or you can create your own.
Successful people know how to prioritize their daily responsibilities and follow through with dedication. By creating this clear hierarchy, you regain control over your day and your choices. You decide what you want to accomplish, and you set your priorities accordingly.
Embrace the power of planning, and remember, it’s entirely within your control. If unforeseen tasks come up before you’ve completed your top three, it’s perfectly acceptable to say “No” and maintain your focus. You have limited time, and your primary focus should be getting ahead, not succumbing to distractions. Wow, so far just these small changes are going to make BIG changes in your life! You can do this! If you want to dive deeper go to How to Organize Your Life By Creating Routines
Which brings us to our next step of how to start creating a life you love number 4
Number 4. Stay motivated!
We can get so wrapped up in our daily lives and trying to finish everything on our to-do list that we can forget to dream and envision our futures. The most successful people are always envisioning their dreams and aspirations. That sure wasn’t me! I don’t know about you but I was so busy being “Free” HA HA that I could barely keep up with life! I was dreaming alright…daydreaming! Living in that fantasy world of, it’s all going to magically turn out all right, if I just keep wishing. I’m sure you know how that ended. My biggest problem was I really had no idea what I was doing and it showed.
You don’t have to do everything on your own as I did. You can surround yourself with optimistic people. We’ve all heard the saying, “You are a combination of the people you surround yourself with most” If you surround yourself with negative people who are always complaining about work, relationships, being broke, etc… it can affect your mood or even your motivation to create that life you want.
But this is where listening to some motivational podcasts, reading or listening to audiobooks, reading blogs, or watching motivational videos can be very helpful in keeping you inspired in your new life. Who are the people out there getting it done? Which people get you fired up for your new life? It can be fun to meet new and inspiring friends. So get out there and meet some now!
Number 5. Rest and refuel
Most people that are super busy (Even if they aren’t necessarily successful) will not take the time to rest so that they can refuel. They just crash in bed or on the sofa watching TV and call it rest. This was me! So exhausted from my long day of “Freedom” doing things when I wanted, all willy-nilly but not actually accomplishing very much at all. I was so tired and blah feeling like it was just another day of my life that sucks. Then I would turn on the TV and escape into someone else’s life! And eat junk food….I wonder if you know how THAT turned out?
But rest is something different altogether. Rest is about relaxing, enjoying the scenery, taking a peaceful gentle walk, listening to the birds outside, watching the sunset, holding hands with your significant other and just talking. You need to actually rest and let your body and mind be at peace so it can recover and refuel itself. And of course good quality sleep. By implementing the previous habits, you’ll find yourself heading to bed with a renewed sense of “I got this!”
Number 6. Self Care is a priority!
Most of us already know about several things that are related to self-care like resting, eating correctly, and exercising. But self-care can also involve your environment and the way you dress. We need to prioritize self-care because how we treat ourselves is going to show up in our performance in life.
For the longest time, I just wore frumpy T-shirts, baggy pants, or even worse… my pajamas! Being a stay-at-home mom I just didn’t really care what I looked like. I was tired most of the time and I didn’t feel like doing all that upkeep every day. And besides, I was living that “Freedom” life, remember? What it really was is that I didn’t care about myself at all. I could call it whatever made me feel better at the time but the truth was I just wasn’t happy and it showed. Have you ever felt like this?
So let’s take some time to look over your wardrobe. Are the clothes in your closet reflective of who you want to be? Start replacing one or two things at a time. Build a versatile wardrobe with just a few pieces of quality basics that you can mix and match. You can check out a list of wardrobe ideas HERE. What about your hair? Skin? The way you carry yourself? Are these in line with who you want to become?
You don’t have to do everything at once but start thinking about what you like to work on in the near future. Creating the life you want is a journey not just an end game. It is a day-by-day, step-by-step, habit-by-habit, choice-by-choice process in which you achieve more and more success all along the way. Each day expanding your life on the way to reaching each of your larger goals.
Successful people understand that we do not just one day arrive and boom! Success! We made it! But instead, they understand that we build on each success. Once we have achieved one goal or habit, there is another one to reach for. Each day you create a new habit and reach your new goal you are becoming more and more successful. Make sure you take the time to get these foundational principles solidified into your new habits.
Number 7. Circadian Cycle
Let’s start with the Definition of the circadian cycle: The natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavioral changes that the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle. Circadian rhythms are mostly affected by light and darkness and are controlled by a small area in the middle of the brain. They can affect sleep, body temperature, hormones, appetite, and other body functions. Abnormal circadian rhythms may be linked to obesity, diabetes, depression, seasonal affective disorder, and sleep disorders such as insomnia. Circadian rhythm is sometimes called the “Body’s clock.”
The body’s clock is a good place to start. The body loves habits and repetition. I can just hear the old me saying, “Oh no! That sure is going to ruin my whole “Freedom” life if I have to live on a schedule!” What I didn’t know was that when I finally started creating my life on purpose everything changed! That’s why I want to help you do the same and not waste as much time as I did.
I know these habits and repetitions can be a bit daunting to create in the beginning but rest assured once you have established them it will make your life a lot easier. So make a nighttime routine. Add in your self-care like oral hygiene, skin care, and a clean bed that is fresh and inviting. Make sure the room is dark enough or even cool enough.
But above all else make sure you go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Your body will love you for it and repay you back by waking up when you want to and helping you fall asleep at night. And it’s pretty hard to create a successful life if you are tired and run down all the time.
So make your nighttime routine a priority, and don’t forget to take time to plan out your day for tomorrow. Do you have everything ready to go so that you can focus on building your new habits in the morning? I know you can do this!
Every choice you make and every habit you build will determine how successful you eventually will become. Unlike the old me who believed in winging it through life and calling it Freedom. Today I am living like successful people who know that self-discipline is always worth it. But even though it was hard at first they made the effort and were willing to invest in themselves. The question for you is… are YOU willing to invest in yourself and start creating the life you’ve always dreamed of?
Resources in this Post:
- Time Management Download
- Daily Planner Download
- Wardrobe Ideas
- Lancaster Pa weekend getaway – Quiet Brook Oasis
If you are ready to start then click on the box below and sign up for a free 5-page starter toolkit. Let’s Do This!