Do you wish for your life to be different? Do you expect changes to your life if everything around you remains the same? In order for positive changes to occur, some changes have to take place. You can’t expect a flower to flourish in the same environment that almost killed it; however, if you made changes to the environment, the flower could still bloom. Similarly, with a few minor changes in your life, you can look forward to personal growth. I am going to share 10 ways to change your perspective in 2020…

1.Attitude of gratitude

Instead of expressing complaints or unhappiness, try to find reasons to be grateful. If you search long and hard enough, there is always something to be grateful for. Make it a daily ritual – many people do this before they go to bed at night but nothing stops you from doing this each morning. A little effort to change your perspective, can and will go a long way.

Ask yourself: What or who is that something, that you are grateful for?

2. Let go

What are you holding onto? If you continue looking back, how can you move forward? Regardless of what was said or done, or how it made you feel, if it occurred in the past and cannot be undone, let go. What matters most is right now and what you do right now, will determine what happens in the future.

Ask yourself: What is it that you’re holding onto and how can you accept the reality and let go in order to move forward?

3. If it doesn’t make you happy, move on

Think about the environment you’re in and your daily routine. Has it been making you sick? Maybe continuous visits to your GP isn’t the solution. Maybe it’s the environment that you’re in that needs to change. Some environments are toxic and really bad for your emotional well being, to the extent that your health is affected. It’s important to surround yourself with positive people and a positive environment.

Ask yourself: Are you happy where you are and with what you’re doing and if not, what are you going to do about it?

4. De-clutter

Is there just too much around you at home and at your office? Are you waiting for someone to tidy or setup your living or workspace? Why not take ownership and create the space you want that will encourage you to be productive and creative. Life is too short to be content with things just the way there are – if you don’t like where the frame is hanging, move it and if you don’t like the frame at all, get rid of or replace it.

Ask yourself: What can I do to improve my home and work space?

5. Focus areas

What are your main priorities in life? Do you just live for the day and take each day as it comes or do you have a plan? Is it a plan or an intention? Make a list of the things that are most important for you to focus on – call them goals and then list them in order of priority.

Then list actions for each – what will you do and by when and continuously measure the progress of each. Dedicate your time and attention to the people and things in your life that truly matter most to you and watch those areas in your life flourish.

Be realistic when setting those goals. You’re more likely to achieve 3 goals if you set yourself 3 goals, opposed to setting 10 goals and not achieving any of the 10. It’s easier to focus on 3 than on 10.

Ask yourself: What is it that deserves your time and attention most?

6. Don’t give up

Once you’ve set yourself goals, don’t give up if they don’t work out the first time. Take a step back, assess and evaluate where you went wrong. Think about how you will do things differently the next time. It’s a process and even the slightest improvement is progress. Have an open mind, think outside of the box and throw the box aside if it works better that way for you! Don’t focus so hard on what others are doing that you don’t allow yourself the freedom to try it your way.

Ask yourself: What could you have done differently?

7. It’s okay to be different, change your perspective

Embrace your imperfections. Accept who you are. Don’t compare yourself to the filtered and highly edited images of those you see on social media. Your views and opinions are still your own, regardless if it isn’t the popular choice. No need to fit in – own it! Be authentically you, with all your flaws – what matters is that you’re being true to yourself and not pretending to be someone you’re not. Don’t be afraid to express yourself and your individuality. Learn to say NO, don’t be a crowd pleaser.

Ask yourself: If there was absolutely anything you could do, without the fear of being condemned, what would it be?

8. Practice kindness

No matter how awful you feel, someone else is feeling worse. No matter how much you have lost, someone else has lost more. No matter how sick you may feel, someone else is more sick than you are. Be humble. Each day, practice kindness. Do a random act of kindness, to make someone feel better, when they least expect it. Whether it means giving your time or money, or hugging someone in their time of need for consolation, do it.

People will remember you for how you made them feel, they won’t remember the car you drove or the house you lived in – it could be the most expensive, but it means nothing, if you didn’t treat people with kindness.

I’ve been sharing someone random acts of kindness on my Facebook Page, to inspire others to do the same or similar: click here to view my Facebook page.

Ask yourself: what can I do each day or week or month to practice kindness?

9. Take care of yourself

If you don’t, who will? Not just your health, which of course is of utmost importance, but do also pay attention to your emotional well-being as this affects your health. Do you have balance in life? Do you make time for yourself to do the things that are important to you? Do you love yourself? What are your best qualities? Are you using it to the best of your ability? Don’t be overly focused on earning a living that you don’t make the time to actually live.

Ask yourself: What can I do to take better care of myself?

10. Minimise the scrolling

Be selective about what appears on your social media news feeds. Does it add any value to your life? If not, unfollow. Be in control of what you see on your feed as this can make or break you. Instead of scrolling endlessly to find content that actually appeals to you, get up and do something constructive and spend quality time with those that matter to you.

Ask yourself: What’s not adding value on my news feed?

I hope these 10 ways to change your perspective, has given you some food for thought. It’s easy to complain and to blame others for things that don’t go the way we would like it to. I am sure you can think of many people who play the blame game.

What’s not always easy, is to find our true purpose in life. What is it that gives our lives true meaning? What makes us feel good and appreciate life and each other?

Those are the things we should be investing our time and effort in.

Forget what happened in the past. Forgive whoever did you wrong. Believe that the victim can become the victor, prove that to yourself most of all. In the end, all that matters is the quality of our lives, how happy we are and how happy we make those around us feel.

What will you do differently in your life to change your perspective?

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