Sometimes life looks like a big puzzle, and to make it work, you have to change something.
The video version of “How to change your life in a year with seven creative steps” is at the end of the article.
Everything changes, and it’s okay to want to change your life or make some little adjustments every once in a while. It has been proved by many research that human beings are very capable of adapting to a new lifestyle based on new circumstances. Therefore, I see change as something positive that allows growth and evolution.
At the beginning of 2013, I was stuck in negative thinking, I knew I wanted to change my life, but I didn’t know where to start.
At some point, I wanted to travel abroad, but I never did it before, and I didn’t know how to travel solo. I was afraid of that. At the end of that year, after applying 7 creative hacks I traveled halfway across the world to a country I’d never been to; I didn’t speak a language, I didn’t know anyone there, and, to be honest, I didn’t have a detailed plan of how to start a new chapter of my life in the new country. I stayed there for nine years, built a photography business, and I was published in The New York Times. Following the next link, you can read about my adventurous trip.
How to change your life in a year with seven creative steps.
1 – CURIOSITY
The word curiosity means a strong desire to know or learn something.
How can it help you to change your life? Every day we all have internal monologues where we tend to judge or praise ourselves. That’s when we say: “I love this,” or “I don’t like that,” and so on. Changing the character of those monologues can help to change your life.
In 2013, I complained a lot about my life and repeated the same negative words daily. Then, applying curiosity, I started asking myself questions that began with words like: “Why? How? What?”
- Why do I have the life I have?
- How can I change it?
- What do I need to do to change it?
Those questions helped me to arouse curiosity about myself. I wanted to expand my perception of life and find out what more I could do to change my life. All that led me to the second step.
2 – REPLACEMENT
I replaced old thinking patterns with new ones. I stopped complaining, and instead, I became open to new ideas. I started thinking about ways to change my life.
The second step is replacing negative with positive and destructive thoughts with creative ones. If you look at the word can’t, it’s very easy to replace it with positive. You need to remove one letter – T.
Let’s say you want to change your job, but whenever you think about it, you say: “I can’t change because of this….” Replace the word I can’t, try and say I CAN, write it down, and give your mind a reason to generate ideas about why and how you can do it. For example, maybe you want to travel but don’t have the finances to do that. Replace “I can’t travel because I don’t have money” with “I want to travel to… (for example, to Italy) and add how can I do that.
3 – BRAVERY
It’s not only physical; it’s also spiritual and emotional. That’s very important because to change your life means upgrading it, which requires thinking big, dreaming big, and imagining something you’ve never had before. And to do that, you have to be brave. So, my dear, be brave in imagining the life you want and all the positive changes you want to make.
4 – ADJUSTMENT
Adjusting your lifestyle to the new goals is a necessary step. There is no way you can skip it. In my case, when I said I wanted to change my life and travel, I had to make some adjustments:
- I started learning a new language
- I became disciplined with my finances and saved as much as I could
- I cut down my rent payment by moving into a smaller apartment; to be more precise, it was just a room.
Depending on what you want to change in your life, you will also need to make some adjustments. I suggest thinking about it as a creative investment in your future.
5 – CONCENTRATION
It’s like meditating, connecting to the main idea of a change you want to see in your life. When you concentrate, you direct all your energy to one particular goal you plan to achieve. And where you put your energy, you will see the results. So concentrate on your goals and dreams and let your energy flow in the direction that will generate positive changes.
6 – ACTION
This is one of the most important steps. Dreaming and envisioning a change you want to make in your life is the beginning. Action is the core of all transformation. Sometimes this step feels especially scary, but it’s necessary because nothing will ever change without it. It’s your life, and you choose the intensity of every step in the change process. Be ready to act. And, like I love to repeat: “It’s now or never.” Don’t wait until the stars align and you feel like you are ready to act. Instead, set a goal, make a plan, and act.
7 – JUST ONE
In 2013 my main goal was to travel solo; I didn’t wait for my friends because everyone had a different schedule and lifestyle. I knew that I wanted to travel, and that was my main goal that year, and I did it. Just one. One goal. I dedicated all my attention to one change I wanted to see in my life, which helped me stay more focused. So, if you’re going to change your life in one year, choose one goal and plan all your actions around it.
There is an old saying by Rumi: “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” If you know only one, the first step you need to make to change your life – do it; the next one you will see once you start.
That’s it for today. I hope these seven creative hacks will be helpful and you will make a positive change in your life. Share this article with a person you think might need to read it, and let me know your questions in the comments; I will make sure to answer.
Get ready to be inspired as I discuss how staying curious, being creative, and saying “YES!” to adventures that involve exploring what’s behind the comfort zone helps develop courage, embrace one’s true self, and navigate life’s challenges. Join me in uncovering the power of these transformative experiences and discover how they can ignite your own journey toward confidence and fulfillment.
