Buzz
Creating an entirely "new" version of yourself can be an immensely challenging endeavor. However, if you feel like you're not living life to its fullest potential and believe your life is heading in the wrong direction, a comprehensive positive change might be exactly what you need. To completely transform yourself, you must be honest about the person you aspire to become and your current weaknesses. Set both short-term and long-term goals to achieve the desired outcome, seek out role models to guide you on this transformative journey, and periodically evaluate your progress to ensure you stay on track.
Steps
Understanding the Change
Determine if this is what you truly want. Simply ask yourself, "Do I want to make this change?" To undertake such a comprehensive transformation, you need to be absolutely certain that this is what you genuinely desire. Reflect on every aspect of your life and consider whether you want to alter them.
- Evaluate the direction of your life.
- Recognize that your daily activities may need to change.
- Be realistic about the sacrifices required to achieve your desired outcome.
- If you don't wholeheartedly believe you can change these aspects, you are likely to fail.
Assess whether this is feasible. Once you're certain you want to change, you need to evaluate whether you can actually achieve it. Sit down and determine if you have everything required to make a comprehensive transformation in your life.
- You need the ability to change.
- You need the tools to change.
- You need time to change.
- You need the right support to change.
Be honest with yourself. You might think you're already very honest about your personality. If you envision someone completely different from who you believe yourself to be, you'll never understand the obstacles on your path.
- Ask friends what they think about you. If their views don’t align with your self-perception, you’re not being honest with yourself.
- Evaluate your daily choices and the reasons behind them. This will reveal how those reasons have shaped your current situation. To completely transform yourself, you’ll need to base your decisions on different motivations.
- For example, if you choose to stay home instead of meeting friends, analyze the reasons behind it and what it says about you.
Document the results. Set a final goal for this transformation and write it down. The goal should be achievable. It can be broken into smaller parts or represent an overall vision.
Find some role models
Learn from the best. A role model can be anyone: young, old, a friend, relative, stranger, or celebrity. Identify someone who embodies the person you want to become. It could be someone with a style you admire or a demeanor you aspire to.
- If it’s someone you know, arrange to meet and learn from them. Understand how they approach life.
- If it’s someone you don’t know, research everything about them and see how you can incorporate their traits into your own life.
Surround yourself with the right people. Beyond finding a role model, it’s even better to spend time with optimistic individuals. Being around others makes it easier to adopt their behaviors. Seek out people who share similar goals or have already achieved what you aspire to, and invest time in their company.
- For instance, if you want to become more open-minded, spend time with open-minded individuals. If you aim for business success, surround yourself with accomplished entrepreneurs.
- Avoid those who negatively impact your transformation. If you’re striving for a healthier lifestyle, it’s challenging to tolerate someone with a sedentary routine and a fast-food habit.
Find an accountability partner. A partner can help you stay on track, and in return, you can do the same for them. This should be someone you can reach out to whenever you face challenges. Additionally, schedule weekly check-ins (via phone or in person) to discuss your progress.
- Turn your role model into an accountability partner. They understand what you need to achieve your goals and can support you better than anyone else.
Set realistic goals
Establish daily/weekly goals. You already have an "overall goal," now it’s time to break it down. Each goal you achieve should bring you closer to the final outcome. Ensure these goals are achievable and realistic. Share them with your accountability partner.
- "Becoming a kinder person" isn’t a practical goal. Instead, aim for "Perform two acts of kindness for strangers daily."
- Avoid vague goals like "Exercise more." Make it actionable, such as "Work out four times a week."
Adjust your goals. If you’re struggling to meet your goals, revise them. This isn’t about avoiding effort, but ensuring your goals are realistic. Otherwise, frustration will hinder your progress. Sit with your accountability partner to discuss whether you’ve tried all possible methods to achieve your goals. If you’ve given your best and still can’t succeed, work together to set new goals.
- For example, if you aim to study more and set a goal of 6 hours daily, it might be unrealistic due to school or work commitments. Adjust it to 4 hours daily and strive to meet that.
Acknowledge your achievements and keep moving forward. Take a moment to recognize every accomplishment, no matter how small. Each goal you achieve brings you closer to your ultimate outcome. This is a wonderful thing. However, don’t settle too quickly. Celebrate your progress and then focus on the next goal.
Evaluate the change
Recognize when you’ve achieved the result. When you’ve completely transformed, you might not realize it immediately. However, if you take the time to reflect and compare your current self to the final goal you set when you decided to change, you might be surprised. All the small changes have become part of you, and you’ve fully transformed.
Set new goals. Don’t stop here. Treat this success as motivation to become an even better version of yourself. Just as you did before, set an overarching goal and break it into daily or weekly targets. Perhaps you’ve become a more purposeful person—maintain that momentum.
- For example, if you aimed to change your appearance, set goals to focus on this. Commit to shopping once every season and purchasing two entirely new outfits.
Stay in touch with your accountability partner. This will help you avoid slipping back. Continue sharing your smaller goals as well as newer, larger ones with them.
- Offer to help them achieve their goals. Express gratitude for their support and propose lending a hand in return.
