10 Life Mantras – How I Changed My Life And Became Exactly Who I Wanted To Be In 6 Months

My story wasn’t much different from some of yours.

6 months ago I was completely and miserably unhappy.

I lived in a place I didn’t want to be.

I worked at a job that was stressful and becoming less fulfilling by the day.

I ate whatever/whenever and worked out seldom, if ever.

I didn’t laugh. I didn’t get excited.

Weekdays were chaotic and weekends were ruined by the anxiety of a new week quickly approaching.

I dreamt of having a better life someday. Of heading out on a massive quest to “find” happiness that I wasn’t yet ready to start.

Then, something happened.

I decided it was time to make a change. I knew I needed to make a choice and to hold myself accountable.  But for change of this scale, I needed help taking that first step (and many more as it turns out!)

In mid-September I contacted, in my opinion, one of the BEST people I could have on my side during this transformation.

Jenny Blake is someone who has also transformed her life into exactly what she wanted and hasn’t looked back since.  More importantly, she knew what questions to ask and buttons to push to get me moving.

For the past 6 months I have realized some great “life mantras.” I’ve also made some major transformations myself.

Starting with one that came just about 1 week after Jenny and I spoke for the first time.

I quit my job and moved my family across the state.

Once I had left the job that stressed me out so much and the city I didn’t want to be in, it was game on.

10 Life Mantras I Lived By To Change My Life In 6 Months:

1. Anything Is Possible!

How cliche is that?! But it’s so true. Yes, some people are naturals at certain things and can pick up on them quicker. But if you want it, I mean REALLY have a passion for achieving it, then you will. There’s absolutely nothing stopping you from taking a first step towards your dream right now. Then, take another and combine your steps. You’ll achieve your dream quicker than you ever thought imaginable.

2. Momentum Is Transferable

When many of us think of our “ideal selves” there’s usually more than just one aspect that we want to change (i.e. I’d like to be financially independent, but I’d also like to lose 20 lbs.)

Therefore, when we think about transforming into the overall person we want to be we get overwhelmed and end up not making any move at all.

By focusing on one aspect we’d like to change and successfully accomplishing that, it benefits our whole dream.

When I started to help more people on C&WS I felt I had taken a step up the “achievement ladder.”  I used that momentum and confidence to start on my next goal: to be more physically fit.  Confidence I had gained on my blog gave me what I needed to start working out 5 days a week.  3 months later and I’m still at it with no letting down in sight.

3. Simplify Your Life

We’ve all heard some version of the saying, “It’s much harder to simplify our lives than it is to complicate it.” And although that statement is true, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try anyway.

Simply put (pun intended), if you have less crap, you have less to maintain and worry about. If you’re maintaining and worrying less, you’re spending more time doing the things you love with the people you love.

If that’s all your doing, you’re happy. Period.

4. Eat Healthy And Be Fit

Again, such a common thing we hear yet so many of us truly refuse to follow it.

Almost 3 months ago, I went vegan. Cold-turkey tofurkey and I haven’t looked back. Yes, I could still be eating healthier (more raw foods/less processed) but it’s a massive life change for me and I feel great about it.

Eating more consciously not only makes you feel better physically and mentally, but also ethically. When you feel that good about yourself, you make more improvements to your health because it only feels right. Again, confidence and strength built when you care about your body carries over to everything else you do in life.

5. The Most Important Person To Listen To Is Yourself

Take a look at some of the choices you’ve made in the past. Education, career, family, whatever. Were those choices truly yours or were they options someone else gave you that you chose from?

For about 26 years I lived a life of choosing from a list. College, career, where to live, etc. I thought I was living my life but every time I truly wanted to do something I thought would help me grow as a person, I was turned down. Told it was irresponsible, impossible, probably wouldn’t work.

Until about 6 months ago, that is. Then I started listening to myself. I did what I felt was right in my heart. When I quit my job I was told by my boss and the CEO that I was making a mistake. I was looked at skeptically when I told some family I was moving back to small town Idaho after “making it big” in the city.

But none of that mattered because I knew I would succeed. There’s no way in hell you can fail when you listen to yourself.

6. Failure Is An Impossibility

Which brings us to our 6th mantra: When you’re doing what you want, what you love, there is no possible way you will fail.

Yes, you may make mistakes and you might regret some decisions, but as long as you’re chasing after your dream it’s all growth.

When I put my notice in, I actually didn’t even have a job lined up. I had one interview but that didn’t matter. Because this new job opportunity was my ticket. Not a ticket to success like I have treated other jobs in the past.

It was a ticket to my new life. To a place I knew I wanted to be. A place I knew I could live a better life and fulfill my dream.

Whether I got the job or not, I wasn’t going to fail because the job wasn’t what mattered.  Doing what I knew was right was.

7. Fear Is An Illusion

When something is brand new to you it’s scary. I always asked myself, why is it so easy for some people to stand up in front of a crowd and talk and so ridiculously scary for me?

It’s not because they are better than me. It’s because they have a different mindset.

They see an opportunity to shine. I saw an opportunity to look stupid and forget my words. If you think of something outside of your comfort zone in that way then you’re guaranteed to be fearful.

But this feeling isn’t fact. It’s an illusion and assumption you’ve embedded in your brain.

Continuing to challenge yourself and do bigger things minimizes that illusion.

For example, I hiked Mt. Rainier the day after I quit. If you’re unfamiliar, Mt. Rainier is one of (if not the) deadliest volcanoes in the world and I hiked it with one friend and a snowboard. But it wasn’t scary to me at all.

Why?

Because I had just done the scariest thing I ever had to do to date. I had sat down with my boss, my mentor, and told her I was leaving to chase my dream (in her head she heard stupid dream.)

Coming out of that conversation, I felt like I could climb a mountain, literally. And I did without any fear what.so.ever.

8. The Big Picture Is Just That

When you see a painting, how to you look at it?

Do you see the overall colors, contrasts, and images and make a call of what it is you’re looking at?

Or do you move into it?  Your nose touching the canvas and studying each brush stroke, slight color changes, and making a determination that way?

I really hope, for your sake, that you choose the former. Life should be this way as well.

When you have a massive dream, something brand new to you, it’s easy to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the overall purpose.

Remember to take a step back now and then and look at the bigger picture. Don’t get overwhelmed by how many brush strokes you still need to take, just focus on the one right now.

9. Comparing Yourself To Others Can Be Deadly

Don’t get me wrong, comparing yourself to others is essential for success in my book. I’ve gone my entire career comparing myself to those higher than me, those who I want to be like. For the most part, that’s been one big contributor to my success in the “business” world.

But at the same time, you have to stop and realize that you are you. There is a very fine line when comparing yourself to others that is easy to cross.

You can compare yourself to a mentor and feel great when you learn new things, but you can also feel like a worthless P.O.S. if they’ve achieved certain things you’re nowhere near achieving.

Remember, some people are just naturally talented at certain things and don’t have to try too hard. That doesn’t mean you can never do it, but it may take time.

If you’re comparing yourself to someone and don’t allow yourself this exception you may end up giving up on your dream completely.

10. Now Is The Only Time That Matters

I’ve talked a lot about living in the now quite a bit in my last two posts so I’ll be brief here. But this is a mantra I have only recently picked up on. Quite possibly one of, if not the, most important one.

As a society we are too caught up in the past or the future and spend too little time in the present moment. If you think about it, this is quite simply the most overlooked flaw of our society today.

The current moment is the only time we can do anything. The only time we can succeed, only time we can fail, only time we can choose the outcome. Yet, we’re so focused on past outcomes and future planning.

Choosing to be more mindful of the present moment will take away any fears you have, anxiety you feel, and give the task at hand your undivided attention. The perfect recipe for success.

Challenge:

I have a short challenge for you this week.

Although I feel these are all super important to everyone, I encourage you to make a list of your Life Mantras. Mantras that have proven successful in your life.  Things you have learned.

Something you can go back to every now and then to be sure you’re still following them or believe in them.

To your success in life,

 

 

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Tagged as: be the person you want to be, jenny blake, life mantra