If you really want to change your life, say hello to these 7 new habits

You’re at a point in your life when you really want change.

Maybe you’re stuck in a rut, or you’re unhappy with your job, your city, or your relationship. 

Or perhaps you just have a different vision for what you want your life to be like.

Are you really serious about wanting to change your life? A lot of people say they do, but they don’t understand something important.

Transformation doesn’t happen from a stroke of luck or a one-off burst of motivation. It calls for the cultivation of healthy, positive habits.

I’m living proof of that — as you’ll discover below, I went through a pretty massive transformation in my life. 

So if you really want to embrace change, then it’s time to say hello to these 7 new habits. 

1) Regular exercise

I know, I know. Exercise is hard, and sweaty, and basically, it sucks.

Well, at least that’s how I used to look at it, back before I got into the habit of exercising. And I imagine that’s how you might feel right now too.

I used to be the biggest couch potato, spending most of my day at the computer at home or sprawled out on the couch.

My muscles were nowhere to be seen, and my health wasn’t terrible, but it definitely wasn’t at its best. 

Now, I go to the gym 3-4 times per week. I regularly receive compliments from people about how fit I look, and I feel more energized than ever before.

How did I do that? Honestly, it was a long process. I made small changes, first starting to do 10-minute at-home workouts, then getting a personal trainer at the gym.

Eventually, I learned enough to continue on my own, and as I started seeing progress, I increased my goals for cardio speed or the heaviness of my weights. 

This is an incredibly important habit because health is the foundation of happiness in life, and your body is the vehicle of everything you experience. 

2) Mindful eating

You’ve probably already heard people say “you are what you eat”. I had no idea how true this is until I finally cleaned up my diet.

I did have some pretty strong motivation… I had some health challenges that were starting to get pretty uncomfortable.

So I booked a call with a nutritionist and had an open conversation about what I was putting in my body.

And that’s when I realized… my vision of my ideal life was to be energized and have a life full of adventure. But the food I was eating was more suited for someone who would end up obese and spend weekends exhausted at home. 

That’s when I decided to eliminate all the processed food and junk I was eating. 

And I opened a subscription with a healthy meal delivery company. I feel amazing every time I open up a meal, knowing I’m giving my body the fuel it needs to run well and help me live my best life — without even any effort on my part.

So whether you like to educate yourself and cook food yourself or you decide to do something like me, take a good hard look at what you’re eating, and make sure it supports your vision for the life you want. 

3) Consistent learning

No matter what your vision for your life is, you’ve got to do some learning to get there.

Because if you already knew everything you needed in order to have that life, you’d already have it!

I’m a writer now, writing pieces that help people change their lives. But I wasn’t always. I started off in a completely different field, feeling unfulfilled and knowing I wanted more. I decided I wanted to be an author, but I knew nothing about it.

So I committed to learning. Every day, I read articles about writing, took online courses, and most importantly of all, I practiced writing. I kept at it, day in, day out. 

There were many days when I felt like I wasn’t improving. But looking back now, those tiny bits of daily learning added up.

Today, I love what I do, and I wouldn’t have got here without the habit of consistent learning. 

And I continue to learn, every single day. It’s not something that ever has a “finish line”. Now I have new goals for my life, and I’m doing everything possible to make sure I’ll reach them. 

4) Expressing gratitude

Gratitude is a mighty game-changer. It might sound like a simplistic concept, but the impact is profound.

I recall days when everything felt gray. I was unhappy, unfulfilled, and I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. My life was a constant struggle, and I had lost sight of what was going well. 

One day as I was scrolling on Instagram, I watched a reel by a manifestation coach on the importance of practicing gratitude. 

But it wasn’t the way you’d think. Instead of writing down 3 things you’re grateful for from today, she suggested writing down 3 things you’re grateful for about tomorrow — as if they already happened. 

I thought, what the hell. Let me try it. 

And I’m not going to lie — my life did not change overnight. But it definitely reshaped my perspective. I began thinking about what it is I wanted from each day, and then having that in mind, I started going after it, even on a subconscious level.

And pretty soon, with consistent gratitude and action, my life started looking very similar to what I wanted it to be. 

5) Staying organized

The next habit is very underestimated, but if you really want to change your life, it’s imperative.

And that’s staying organized.

Let’s start with the basics: keeping your home tidy. I’m not saying you have to become Marie Kondo, or make your home look like an IKEA display.

But keep it organized enough so that you can find everything easily. This helps you because you don’t waste time looking for everything.

And, when your surroundings are organized, it can help you feel more organized psychologically too — at least that’s what I find.

Next, equally as important is to stay organized in your life. There are dozens of way to do this: some people like to use a paper agenda, others use a calendar app in their phone.

I even know someone who keeps everything in his head. It’s up to you — as long as you can stay on top of your appointments, deadlines, and commitments. 

6) Goal setting

This is personally my favorite habit for changing your life. And if you approach it with the right mindset, it’s incredibly fun!

This is where you get to take your vision for your ideal life and break it down into actionable steps.

My favorite method is to work backwards. Think about your end goal: for example, let’s say one of your goals is to take a trip to Bali.

What’s the last step? It would be staying in a villa or similar place in Bali. The step before that? Checking into it. Before that, transportation between the airport to the villa. And so on and so forth, until you get to booking your trip and saving up enough money to it.

But you can of course plan chronologically, or in any other way. The most important thing to remember is that you break down your goal into bite-sized actions.

And, you can support this habit with all sorts of fun tools, like vision boards, affirmations, and meditating about your dream life. 

Have fun with it — but make sure to actually put in the work too!

7) Self-care 

And finally, as you work to change your life, make sure you don’t neglect this important habit: self-care. 

If you’re ambitious like me, you might get into a flow where you put your all into changing your life.

And as you start to see the first effects of your efforts, your drive just gets stronger and stronger.

I remember there was a long period where I didn’t watch any movies, didn’t spend almost any time with my friends, and practically forgot about all my hobbies because anything that wasn’t working towards my goals felt like a waste of time to me.

And it almost ruined the transformation I was trying to bring about.

Because it made me pretty exhausted. I would start to have periods of time where I was too exhausted to do anything at all, and couldn’t seem to get back to work.

So now that I’m wiser, I make sure to regularly schedule time for self-care. It can be as simple as enjoying a quiet cup of coffee without the distraction of my phone, or something bigger like an afternoon reading a book in my favorite park.

Keep in mind that self-care doesn’t always mean spa days or luxury. It’s taking time to do things that nourish you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

It keeps you balanced, energized, and ready to come back and face challenges with fresh motivation. Basically, it’s the bedrock to a fulfilling, happy life. 

Say hello to your new life

Now you know the 7 key habits that will help you really change your life.

As I shared insight into how I changed my own life, I hope I’ve inspired you by showing you that any kind of change is possible.

I mean, I used to be someone who was insecure, spent most of the day at home, and too shy to go after anything I wanted.

And today, I’m living the life of my dreams, with a fulfilling relationship, a job that I truly love, tons of fun and adventurous experiences, and I’ve found my own way to give back to the world.

Now I want to help as many other people as I can achieve the same transformation. Are you ready to be next?