How do you change your life in a year?

You've probably heard the saying: Change is the only constant in life.

No matter what you do, change is going to happen, because that's how life works.

So on one hand, you could say that change is effortless.

I can probably bet that in a year, there will be some changes in your life.

But the direction of that change, whether it's for better or worse, that's up to you.

Whether you spend the year improving a new skill or slipping back into old bad habits, it's really the direction of your change that matters most.

Which brings us to the first point.

If you want to change your life for the better, you must first know where you're going.

In other words: Be intentional about how you want to change.

Your intentions are like a compass, guiding you to your desired destination.

How would you know what route to take if you're not clear about where you're going?

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

So spend some time deciding how you want to change your life in a year.

One year from now, what do you want to be doing?

Who do you want to become?

How do you want to feel?

An exercise I like to do every year is called Current Me vs Future Me.

On one side, you draw your current self, and fill the page with details on who you are, how you feel and what your life looks like right now.

Then on the other side, you draw your ideal future self one year from now,

and fill that page with details on who you want to become and what you want your life to be like in that future point in time.

This helps you visualize your ideal future self, and seeing it laid out next to your current self helps you begin to connect the dots in-between.

You'll start to see what steps you could take to make that future a reality.

Next, you want to put your intention out there.

Write a letter to your future self, detailing your thoughts and what you hope to change in the next year.

A few years ago I found this website called FutureMe, where you can write a letter to yourself, and have it sent to you on a future date.

It's like creating a time capsule, which I find fascinating because it's like taking a snapshot of your mind, in that moment in time.

When we go about life, we don't notice how much we're changing until we look back after a large gap of time.

As we're always living in the present, we can forget who we once were and how we were thinking at a past moment in time.

So journaling, or writing a letter to yourself is one way to measure and become aware of how much you've changed.

So try it out.

Write a letter to your future self, one year from now.

Describe how you're feeling now, all your current struggles and worries, and how you hope to change, who you hope to be one year from now, and how you want your life to look.

Send it out and then forget about it.

A year from now, it'll be fun to read that letter, and see how your life has actually changed.

If you decide to do this, let me know down below because I'm excited to hear your thoughts.

After that, it's time to move towards your future vision.

Make a plan on how to make this change happen.

Then, break down your plan into smaller and smaller bits.

We've talked a lot about breaking down goals before, so I'll leave some videos below.

Instead of overwhelming you with too much info, I'll leave you with one simple concept from Atomic Habits author James Clear.

"Just get 1% better each day."

Instead of focusing on hitting goals by a certain timeline, focus on making small choices and actions in the right direction.

There's a Japanese concept called Kaizen, which means continuous improvement.

Just focus on continually improving—little by little.

In time, those small & consistent changes that 1% a day will compound to amazing results.

Lastly, it's important to have a system for consistent self reflection.

Whether you take time quarterly, monthly, or weekly, you need a system to check in with yourself on a regular basis, to see if you're making the right changes and are on track towards your vision.

It's okay if you fall off or make mistakes.

This is simply a chance to be honest with yourself and remind yourself of your vision and how you wanted to change.

This is also a chance to change your vision if you wanted to.

Nothing is set in stone.

All that matters is that you're moving in a positive direction, towards progress.

So, how do you want to change your life in a year? 

Let me know down below.

In short, set your intention and get clear on your vision.

Then, baby step improvements, and trust the process.

Trust that in time, things will change for the better.

You won't be able to feel it because it's gradual, so be patient, and take care of yourself.

Everything you need is already within.

Thanks so much for watching.

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Sending you so much love.

Bye~