When we decide to make a better life for ourselves, we often tend to focus on huge changes (I am SO guilty of this. This isn’t necessary. Big changes are too intimidating for most of us. It can be difficult to take the first step, so small steps to change may work better.

Small changes are easy to integrate into our regular routines. Luckily, accumulating these small changes over several months can completely transform your life!

The secret is to get started as soon as possible.

Try these small changes that lead to big results:

1. Spend 15 minutes each day decluttering your home or office. Decluttering is a bit like pulling weeds. You can’t just do it once and forget about it. Decluttering works best if done each day. Choose a room and set a timer for 15 minutes. See how much you can get accomplished before the timer runs out. In the month of December, I declutter something each day. 
   
2. Create a budget and follow it. Everyone knows they should have a budget, yet few create one. There are plenty of guides online about how to make a budget. Make a budget that works for you and then stick with it. I am old fashioned; I use a good ol’ pen and paper. It works!
3. Eliminate the unhealthiest food you regularly eat from your diet. What do you often eat that you know you shouldn’t? Eliminate the worst offender from your life. Replace it with a healthier food that you would enjoy. I do this with strawberries, instead of buying cookies. I am getting better step by step.
   
4. Eliminate one expense from your spending. What is one monthly expense that adds little to your life but slowly drains your bank account? For me it is magazine subscriptions, I slowly started letting them expire and not renewing them. For you it might be the monthly termite service that you’re not sure how you were roped into or the monthly bill for the alarm system you haven’t turned on in the last six months (I hope you are using your alarm.) 
5. Make a daily schedule. Conscientiousness is the trait most associated with high levels of success. Creating a daily schedule or to-do list is a great start. A short list of the 3 most important things to accomplish is sufficient to change your life for the better. I normally write my daily list in my notes on my phone and in my daily planner.
6. Make a list of things you like about yourself. Keep a notebook and write down one thing each day that you like about yourself. You’ll be surprised how much more you appreciate yourself after a month. I write five things I am grateful for each night. I have been keeping a grateful journal for 5 years. 
7. Make a list of things you enjoy doing. Do you feel that you spend too much time watching TV? Are you bored on a regular basis? Make a list of things you enjoy doing – from small activities to more elaborate. Do at least one of them each day. I schedule my time. If “How to Get Away with Murder” is coming on, I plan my evening accordingly. 
   
8. Make a list of the things that annoy you regularly and begin fixing them. It’s all the little annoyances in life that can get on your nerves. It’s the closet door that won’t shut all the way, the garbage can with a broken wheel, or the screen door with a hole that lets flies in the house. Start fixing those things one by one. I have that list on my phone as well. 
9. Make one goal. Just one little goal is enough to make a difference in your life. Choose something that is challenging, but meaningful, and work toward it each day for the next month or two. What do you want to accomplish? I am constantly setting goals. I will focus on smaller goals this year to reach my larger goals.
   
10. Meditate. I have written about this many times. Many people report that meditation is the most important thing they’ve ever done for themselves. Buy a book about meditation or a watch a few videos online. Make a habit of meditating for 10-15 minutes each day. Try it for at least a month.  It does not take much. Download Insight Timer app and start with one minute.

You can begin enhancing the quality of your life today. You might not notice a change by the end of the day, but you’ll notice significant changes by the end of the month. Make the most of each day and you’ll quickly find your life moving in a positive direction.

Now is the time to start.

Keep me posted

MJA

Your Life-Harmonizing Strategist