Today, I want to talk about the concept of being the president of your own life. That’s right – it’s time to own up. We are about to undergo one of the biggest, most controversial elections in the history of the United States. And yet – as I’ve said time and time again – it doesn’t matter who wins. I’ll say it again: It doesn’t matter who wins. If we expect to see true change in our own lives, we need to stop blaming others and take action for ourselves.
If you’ve ever found yourself blaming others for what’s happening in your life, I’ve got a lesson for you: It’s all on you. I know that may be hard to hear, but it’s the hardest, most absolute truth I can possibly share with you today.
It could be that you want work-related success, or to fix your relationship issues. Maybe you need to lose weight or get healthy in some way. Maybe you need to clean the house or be better about spending quality time with your family.
I could go on and on with examples – because we’ve all been there. We feel like we have changes we need to make and we blame everyone but ourselves. But what happens when we’re really faced with the truth of the matter? Who is the only one capable of making the change? The truth is, it’s you…it’s me…it’s all of us.
Now more than ever, we have to be the presidents of our own lives. We control how we live – we know when it’s time to make a change. No matter who wins this election, creating change in your own life is on YOU.
You want a new career? Go back to school or take the time to sit down and network.
You want to spend more time with your family? You need to make the time to make it happen.
You want to move on from an unhealthy relationship? You are the one who needs to stand up and end it.
You want to lose weight and get healthy? It’s on you to put on the running shoes and hit the pavement, not just today, but every.single.day. until you reach your goal.
So, how do you make it all happen? How can you make these changes? Let’s break it down to get you started.
How to Be the President of Your Own Life
#1. Make a list. Sounds so simple, but lists are often a great way to put things into perspective. Write down everything you want to change – in order of priority. From your career to spending time with your family. When you see it all in one place, it will help you get control of what you need to do to put these ideas into action.
Once you have that list, break it down further. Start with the most important item and write down the steps you need to take to make that change. Once you have it all laid out, put that list in a spot where you’ll see it each and every day. Remind yourself of what you need to do to get it all done.
#2. Start step-by-step. You have your list. You now know what you need to do. The only option at this point – is to do it. So go. Let’s say your change is getting healthy. You know that the first step is actually taking a first step- going for a walk.
Break out the sneakers, throw on some shorts and just head outside. Set the timer on your smartphone for 15 minutes. Walk until the timer goes off and then turn around and walk the other 15 home. Do that every day until you’re ready for 45 minutes and then…try to run. You get the idea. Baby steps in manageable blocks of time.
#3. Pat yourself on the back. Making these changes isn’t easy because change is hard. And, when you start to take those steps toward change, congratulate yourself. Let’s say your change has to do with saving more money and cutting back on frivolous spending. You’ve started doing more cooking at home, you’re staying away from daily shopping and you’re actually sticking to the budget you’ve set. That’s amazing progress!
Stop and take a minute to be proud of yourself and your accomplishments, but at the same time – realize you can do this. You have it in you to make this change. And, no one else made it happen, but YOU.
If you’ve gotten this far through this post, I’m going to guess that you have a change you want to make and you need to turn things around for yourself. If you put these ideas into action, do you think you’re capable of becoming the President of your own life? I know you are, but the question is: Do YOU know you are?
