When you first dive into the personal development landscape, it can be tempting to want to do all or nothing. While I firmly believe that personal growth is a radical transformation for each and every person who seeks it out, I also believe that personal growth is a lifelong event.
Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post may include affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
In this post, I wanted to offer up 50 ideas for those looking to upgrade their lives. However, reaching your full potential will take some time, but I think knowing where to start to implement change can make all the difference.
While every path is different and unique, many of these ideas can be used by a wide range of diverse people. No matter your lifestyle or personal goals, these methods can and do create change.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at how you can upgrade your life.
50 ways to upgrade your life
1. Start sleeping with your natural circadian rhythm
People advocating for personal growth often claim that waking up earlier leads to more success in life. I completely disagree. While I personally enjoy waking up early (early meaning 7 am to 9 am), not everyone feels as rejuvenated in the mornings.
I think it’s best to find your natural circadian rhythm and sleep with that cycle as closely as you can. Do you like staying up until 3 am and crashing until noon? Do that! Find the sleep cycle that leaves you most rested and excited for your day, and ignore anyone who tells you that you’re “wasting time.”
2. Don’t clutter your schedule
This is the best advice I learned the hard way this past year. I’m overly prone to cluttering my schedule with lists of things to do. If you want to step into your full potential, learn to say “no” to things that don’t serve you.
I recently read Essentialism by Greg McKeown. In his book, he pushes many applicable pieces of advice, but my favorites are:
- Learn to say “No.”
- Understand that life is full of trade-offs.
We often find ourselves agreeing to one too many events, and then we become stuck choosing between the two. If we learn to cut back and declutter our to-do lists, life becomes simpler and more manageable.
3. Know when to take breaks
Going along with that decluttering your schedule mindset, know when you need to step back and take a break.
We live in a society that values “hustle culture,” so that the “rise and grind” mentality is becoming toxic. That isn’t to say that you shouldn’t continue to work hard to reach your goals, but you should never feel like you have to keep striving for them at the expense of yourself.
Do yourself a favor and slow down. Acknowledge when you’re close to burnout, and be gentle. Life shouldn’t be all hustle all the time. Take breaks. It’s okay!
4. Acknowledge and resolve imposter syndrome
Recently, I wrote a few articles on imposter syndrome because it is a common workplace phenomenon that affects our productivity. Imposter syndrome holds us back from success because we lose sight of what we are capable of.
Acknowledge when you may be experiencing imposter syndrome and work to resolve it in the best ways that you can.
5. Get organized
One of the biggest things that set successful people apart from those falling behind is organization. The more organized you are, the more time you will save in the long run. Have systems for your documents, emails, home, kitchen, office space, etc. Keep a record of important information and maintain good organizational habits. You’ll thank yourself later.
6. Declutter your home
One of the best ways to become more organized is to have less “stuff” to worry about. Declutter your space at least once every season. Go through each room of your house and your workspace and cut back on what you no longer need.
7. Declutter your mind
Similarly, set aside time at least once a week to declutter your mind. This can look different for everyone, but I’ve found that even an hour of silent solitude can strengthen the mind. Journaling and meditation are also great options for alleviating clutter within our heads. I’ll talk more about that later in this post.
8. Practice mindfulness
Speaking of the mind, practice mindfulness daily. Mindfulness can look different for everyone (I’ll be repeating this a lot in this post!). Still, essentially, it’s about making intentional choices that lead to your overall happiness and personal well-being.
If you want to learn how to be more mindful in your day-to-day life, I urge you to a similar post that discusses this in more depth.
9. Practice gratitude
Ever since I started creating daily gratitude lists, my life has changed dramatically. Sure, several factors come into play for my overall life satisfaction, but gratitude lists are one of the more monumental ones.
Practicing gratitude is perfect for people struggling to feel satisfied with their lives. While no life is perfect, it is nice to sit down for five minutes and jot down some things you’re grateful for. It’s a healthy way to be thankful in life and seek out positivity to greatly improve your mood.
10. Write down your affirmations
Similar to gratitude lists, writing down your affirmations can change your view on life. It is also a great way to put your goals on paper! And I know it sounds crazy, but when you write down your goals on paper, they’re more likely to be achieved!
11. Create 1, 3, and 5-year goals
When making goals for yourself, try to focus on both short-term and long-term solutions. Plan out goals for 1, 3, and 5 years ahead and keep them somewhere where you can easily be reminded of what you want for yourself.
12. Follow a healthy diet
This may be a no-brainer, but studies have proven time and time again that eating a healthy diet greatly improves mood and cognitive function. Eat your veggies, kids, and keep working towards success!
13. Exercise daily
And while we’re trying to be healthy, consider exercise daily. It doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym every day. Do some yoga, a light at-home workout, or take a walk around your neighborhood to stay in shape!
14. Go out in nature when you can
If you live in a good climate or the weather just happens to be manageable (I live in Indy, most of the year is just grey skies and rain…), it’s always good to go outside and enjoy nature. If you live in a city, seek out a park or some space with trees. Trust me. It is literal happiness.
15. Reserve one hour every day just for yourself
While gratitude lists may have been my most radical transformation, reserving one hour every day just for myself has also made a difference. Setting aside time to care for yourself, listen to your thoughts, and practice introspection is revolutionary.
Unfortunately, this can be hard with a busy schedule or for those struggling with mental health. Just breathe and do what you can.
16. Give yourself one full day off a month to do absolutely nothing
Bill Gates gives himself one full week off all to himself every year. While we don’t all have that luxury, we can use one day off a month to do absolutely nothing. If you’ve got a free day, instead of doing chores or filling your time with events, take the whole day off to sit back, eat good food (I love Chinese takeout or delivery pizza!), and watch movies, read, or take a long warm bath.
17. Have fun with your friends
While alone time is good for everyone at some point or another, you should also reserve time to have fun with your friends. Go out for a night and just chill, have dinner or drinks, and spend time bonding with people outside of your home.
18. Start saving money
One of the things we hear a lot when it comes to success is to start saving money. Of course, saving is very important, and we can all use some financial literacy to help “make money moves.” Don’t sweat this step too much and focus instead on being intentional about your dollars.
19. Get connected to your spiritual or religious beliefs
Okay, not everyone will agree with this one, and that’s totally cool! However, I can’t tell you how refreshing it’s been to become more attuned and connected to my spiritual self. No matter your beliefs, I think there is value in devoting yourself wholeheartedly to your religion of choice.
20. Understand your learning style
If you haven’t already, I have a youtube video on personality quizzes you need to take to know yourself, and learning styles is one of the things I discuss! Knowing your learning style will change your life!
Whether we like it or not, we are constantly learning and consuming information. Knowing how you best retain it is important to ensure your own success. The education system is flawed in many ways, and knowing your learning style might help you understand why you succeed or fail in the traditional school system.
Look, all I’m saying is that it is invaluable to know thyself.
21. Know your love language
In that same video, I also talk about knowing your love language. Your love language will change the way you approach and react in relationships. It can be challenging for couples with different love languages to express their adoration effectively with one another. And even if you’re single, knowing how you give and receive love will change the way you love yourself.
22. Work on bettering your communication skills
Emotional Agility by Dr. Susan David revolutionized the way I work on my communication. While there is still much more to learn, communication is an important skill to hone for pretty much everyone.
23. Learn your leadership style
Whether you’re in a leadership position or not, knowing your personal leadership style can change how you react and respond to challenges in the workspace.
24. Get a few hobbies
It’s no good to work all the time, spend free time doing chores, or constantly distracting yourself with events and outings. Get yourself a few fun hobbies to occupy some of your time and hone your skillset.
25. Make more art
You don’t have to make anything “amazing” to achieve this tip. Making more art will activate the right side of your brain and will encourage creativity. So go for it and don’t hold back!
26. Listen to more music
Music has a beautiful effect on the mind and our emotions. Listen to more music. Involve yourself in tunes that speak to you. Maybe even dance a little. Life is too short not to enjoy the simple luxuries.
27. Cut back on social media
Time and time again, you hear people talking about cutting back on social media or taking a social media detox. The internet and online landscape is a great place for communication and information. Still, it also comes with toxic fantasies, ideologies, and an overwhelming amount of consumer culture that drains your wallet. Take time to step away from social media and be truly present.
28. Cut back on binging TV shows
And since we’re cutting back, consider stepping down from all of the Netflix binges and late-night tv shows. I grew up with a tv always on in my childhood home, and honestly, every show is more or less the same. Sure, I still love movies, and certain tv shows have inspired me or changed my attitude about things, but constant binging is near mindless and (in my opinion) a waste of time.
If the weather is nice, go out! Take a walk in the park! If it’s not? Read a book, bake something, pick up a new hobby! There are better ways to entertain yourself.
29. Read more books
Reading makes you a better-spoken communicator, a more thoughtful person, and enhances your worldview. There’s something magical about reading and learning between pages and pages of a story. Maybe it’s just because I’m an author myself…or maybe it’s something more than that… Either way, you can’t go wrong with reading.
30. Start journaling
If you aren’t sure how to get into journaling, I have several blog posts and an entire youtube channel dedicated to it. Journaling is a beautiful therapy that helps you heal and focus on living intentionally. If you want to learn more, start here.
31. Do yoga or meditation
While I am not consistent in my yoga or meditation practice, both are valuable for increasing mindfulness. If you thoroughly enjoy these activities, keep doing them. And if you’ve never tried before, now is the time to start!
32. Drink more water
You are 70% water… you’re probably not consuming enough.
33. Travel more
Travel (aside from books) is one of the best ways to boost your awareness of the world around you. We all lead unique and beautiful lives, and it’s important to attempt to learn from one another when we can!
You don’t even have to leave the country to travel. Visit a place you’ve never been to in your city or even the city over. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars just to live and experience the world.
34. Put more effort into your education
Look, it’s likely that the traditional education system did you dirty. Now, it’s up to you to educate yourself in ways they didn’t. Head to the library, go online, or take some free college-level courses if you have the time (and yes, free online courses do exist!). Teach yourself about taxes, financial bearings, medical skills, digital literacy, or sex education. Teach yourself what the schools should have taught you.
35. Pick up new skills
As an ever-evolving creature, it’s only natural that you’ll continue to hone and pick up new skills. Be intentional about it when you can! Learn calligraphy, karate, bookbinding, crochet, or tennis. The world is your oyster.
36. Discover your ikigai
Ikigai is a term that we associate with “purpose.” Here’s a super useful graph below for reference, but there are several resources to help you discover your purpose in life.
Granted, “purpose” is such a strange term. Sometimes, your only purpose is to be like 22 in Pixar’s Soul, ya know?
37. Recognize your mission
Your mission is a balance between what you love and what the world needs. What’s yours? How can you act on it?
38. Make a career plan
No matter who you are, having a solid career plan with 1, 3, and 5-year goals can shape your life direction.
39. Let go of perfection
Perfection is not achievable. Life is messy, and therefore, you should expect things to go astray. Take a deep breath and try again. In the words of the great philosopher Hannah Montana, “Nobody’s perfect.”
40. Understand that “happiness” isn’t the goal
In the past, I spoke about toxic positivity on my youtube channel. One of the ideologies that really grinds my gears is the idea that “happiness is the end goal.” Everywhere you see quotes like “This item will make you the happiest human alive,” “if you do x, y, and z, you’ll achieve happiness,” “I’m so happy now that I’ve done [blank] and you can be too!”
I’m not a fan of the “pursuit of happiness” culture. Sure, you should always try to find ways to increase happiness in your life, but it’s not a definitive goal, and you shouldn’t be afraid to face negativity. Have you seen Pixar’s Inside Out? Sometimes you need sadness to feel alive.
41. Use mistakes as lessons
Each failure is a lesson learned. Remember that.
42. Practice being kind to yourself
The greatest gift you could ever give yourself is kindness. Be gentle, and don’t criticize yourself for failure.
43. Invest in slow living
If you want to learn more about slow living, I have a blog post that explains it in greater depth. My advice to you is to cut back on the non-essential and focus on just being. We live in such a fast-paced world. Sometimes it’s nice to just slow down, stop, and enjoy the view. (I feel like I’m quoting another Pixar movie…I have no regrets).
44. Stop impulse buying
Just… don’t do it. Be intentional with your money and give yourself a solid 24 hours before making any large financial decisions.
45. Understand your limits
Everyone has limits to things like workload, extroversion, sleep, etc. Learn yours and trust yourself to say “no” when necessary and step away from activities that are holding you back.
46. Control your anger
I included this one simply because Dr. Susan David made a good point in her book, Emotional Agility, that we will inevitably get angry from time to time. However, controlling our anger and assessing our emotions before we react will save us valuable time and prevent missteps in communication.
47. Work on your appearance (looking better makes you feel better)
You don’t have to invest hundreds of dollars in looking like Beyonce. Actually, what I mean by this tip is to focus on dressing yourself up each day. When I put on makeup and a nice outfit before work, I feel more motivated and content with life. Try it out and see how your mood changes!
48. Make more home-cooked meals
This is a great way to boost your kitchen skills while also saving money. Sure, you’ll have to do all those dishes afterward, but nothing really compares to a fresh, home-cooked meal.
49. Find a creative outlet
This is kind of like finding a hobby…except instead of finding a way to entertain yourself. You’re searching for a way to be creative. Try painting, scrapbooking, sculpting, or crocheting.
50. Never give up on things you want
My last piece of advice to you is to NEVER give up on things you want. Follow your dreams. All too often, I see people who let their dreams fall aside. Don’t do that. Believe in yourself and keep pushing. You never know how close you truly are to your full potential.
If you like this post, check out some similar posts of mine below!
Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know your favorite tips!
You can also email me with questions or concerns you may have at info.amelia.wilson@gmail.com
My new book, Witch in the Water, is available on Amazon!
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Disclaimer: All of the views and opinions in this post are solely my own and are not sponsored. This post includes affiliate links, meaning I earn a commission through links at no cost to you.
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