They say you cannot change your life overnight.
I SAY DIFFERENTLY!
Now that my Mad-Eye Moody impression is over…
Let’s look into what the haters are saying, first and foremost.
In this guide:
The Premise
Society says you can’t change your life overnight. You need to work for it. It takes time. Pain, sorrow, misery, deceit, cries, and sleepless nights.
However, now that I think about it, insomnia changes your life overnight, making you into a zombie for the next day, at least!
The premise is that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to actually change your fundamental self. This premise is true. Society actually is right on this.
Too many of us are looking for a get-rich-fast or get-fit-now scheme. And schemes? They are just that: schemes, tricks, illusions that don’t work in the long run. Whoever loses 10 kilos in a week will inevitably put them back on in the months after.
What actually works is obsessing over the idea of changing, starting from tomorrow.
This usually starts with a very serious, most of the time traumatic, change or event.
A disease.
The loss of a loved one.
A bad break-up.
A big change of location/plans overall.
Quitting a project or a job that you loved.
Being arrested by the police.
It happens. Not to me. Police can’t arrest you in your house for having no social life, luckily!
The big tragedy is, people wait for a tragedy to change their lives. They wait until the very last minute, until despair completely consumes them, to then say, “Starting tomorrow, I’m doing this and that and getting better.”
When in reality, you can start changing your life from this moment onwards. Or yes, from tomorrow onwards (overnight, yeah…) if you’re feeling lazy right now.
The Truth
If you think about it, every single big decision of our lives starts in a Moment Zero the day before. So even though your life is not completely changed in one night, it usually takes a full night of sleep for the new “you” to emerge into the world.
And people always think you need to do this or that to dramatically change your life.
No.
To me, all I know is, it takes implementing 10 long-lasting changes, starting tomorrow, in order to change everything.
-
Walking
Today marks my 68th day of walking 10,000 steps per day. Every single day. Life was not easy this summer for me, with a breakup, challenges all around, as well as a scorching heatwave that lasted for two fu**ing months. The only constant? My walks. Every day, be it hell or high water, I walked.
Walking is the ultimate exercise for the body and mind. There’s nothing like it. It’s easy, as most people can do it. It’s not that hard, as all you need is a pair of shoes. Heck, even slippers work! And it’s rewarding, as it lets your mind ease out.
-
Having fun
I believe our generation lacks having fun. They either have a relationship in which the other is an introvert/not much of a partygoer/weirdo, or are single and therefore can’t/won’t go out alone. That is… crazy, and wrong.
Whether alone or with another, having fun, doing something as simple as going out for a movie on Tuesday nights, should not be negotiable. We are serious enough at work, at home, at those gatherings where you have to be a mini-saint… no. Go out, have fun, eat something, see a movie, play some Counter-Strike at one of those old-school internet cafes. See a concert, a comedy show, theatre, take a blanket and go to the park with a book.
-
Reading books
There’s this thing called Bookster at our workplace—it’s like a huge online library. You select your books, and they get to the office on Tuesdays, and you have a month or so to read them. It saved me hundreds of bucks over these past two years (books are ridiculously expensive now!), and it’s the best thing for my afternoons.
Reading, whatever it may be, is the sole activity that develops you as a human without you having to move an inch. You just take it all in, being in one story now and another when you start a new novel. Even those self-help books are good. Just reading, whatever you like, is a must. Do it constantly.
-
Cook (most of) your food
I love food. However, I seem to be unable to eat as much and as junky as I used to over the last few years. This is a blessing in disguise. Why? Cooking most of your food is a great way to control your health. After all, you are what you eat.
And if you eat bad food every day (stop calling it fast food, it’s not, it’s bad food), you can’t expect to shine like a diamond. No, you will look, smell, and feel terrible. Cooking means you eat exactly what you want and control what goes into your body and mind.
-
Making time for your family
People sometimes make fun of me for going home to my mom’s at the end of the week. For being a momma’s boy. Usually, those people haven’t really talked with their parents for months or years. To me, life proved time and again that, no matter how flawed my family is, be it my very close or extended one, they are the ones that truly care. Making time for them is crucial for a fulfilling life.
-
Being part of your community
I don’t care if you are someone who’s not into doing voluntary work or even saying hi to their neighbours. Being part of your community sometimes can mean just throwing some garbage in the bin if you find it in front of your flat. It can mean helping someone with their groceries from ground level up to the 4th floor. Signing up for some weekend activity. Getting to know the people around you. Don’t be a weirdo. TALK TO PEOPLE.
-
Ignoring the Internet drama
I am so done with the internet, I can’t even believe it. There is just so much unnecessary drama on social media, it’s crazy we are still using those. Why? Who gives a damn? Facebook is a dumpster of crap, Instagram shows you EXACTLY what you told it not to, and LinkedIn now starts to look like a “professional” TikTok.
Don’t even get me started on that last one… Instead, stay away from the phone as much as possible. Do the things from above. Call someone, if you really want to talk to people. Scrolling through the made-up drama of strangers is both pointless and annoying.
BONUS: Set boundaries. You don’t have to listen to people’s crap. If it’s life-altering, then yes, be a listener. But if it’s unnecessary drama, cut them off. Nope.
-
Drinking water
I like sweet wine. And Italian beer. Although I indulge in some of both a few times a month, that’s that. I drink water the rest of the time. Or tea. I am now having my first coffee in three weeks. And purely because I like the milk from this place a block away. Water is fine.
-
Taking a break
Knowing when to stop for a breath is crucial. I’ve had some burnouts recently and they are not fun. I felt anxious, for the very first time since the worst year of my life. Which was eight, nine years ago? Yeah. My point is, taking a break, even for a weekend, from everything, and I mean **everything**, can be the answer to 99% of your issues. Try it!
-
Sleeping well
I made sleep a priority and I’m never going back. I don’t care who you are, where you want to go, or if you’re a gorgeous redhead asking me out tonight.
Ok, maybe that’s my only kryptonite.
When sleep time comes, I’m out and ready for my eight hours. For some time now, this simple habit has been THE MOST IMPORTANT and quantifiable one in my recent life. It just works. Waking up rested is the greatest gift you can give yourself for the day ahead. Before it even starts!
Bonus 11. Biking to work
I can’t bike to work. I don’t own a bike. Yet every morning during my home-office days, I “bike” to work using this:
It takes 30 minutes for me to “go” to work, and then 30 minutes to “come back” at 5 PM. The level of fitness this very simple exercise gave me is incommensurable. If you can bike to work, do it. It’s special.
If you do these 10 things starting tomorrow, in no time you will be in the top 1% without even trying that hard. Good luck!
