Five Easy Steps in Changing Your Life

Recently, I listened to a young man share his story about how his life had changed. I noticed how captivated his listeners were as he talked about how fulfilled he now feels, having given up a life of crime. He had been to prison, but after serving "time," he went to university, now holds a master's degree, and is an influencer in his community.

As I walked away, I thought, "Don't we all want to change something in our lives at one time or another?" We all become dissatisfied with some areas of our lives and decide change is necessary. With the right mindset, diligence, and persistence, you can change, too. 

Here are five steps in creating change in your life that will lead to growth, success, and a new "you."

Step 1: Describe the behavior to be changed

Try to understand the behavior, its original causes, what it looks like, how it developed, and what is causing it to continue. Assess the behavior's severity and how often it occurs.

Step: 2: Examine the pros and cons of the current behavior

Using a sheet of paper, after dividing it into two equal sections with the labels "pros" and "cons," brainstorm the positive and negative consequences of the behavior for each section. What did you notice? Do the benefits outweigh the negative consequences of the behavior? If not, proceed to step three and make a change.

Step 3: Set a goal, describing as precisely as possible what is to happen

Use Use the S.M.A.R.T method to create the goal you want to achieve. This process involves establishing a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-targeted (S.M.A.R.T ) goal. 

Step 4: Create an Action Plan, pinpointing a specific plan for enacting the goal.

An An Action Plan is a sequence of steps or activities that must be performed for your strategy to succeed. It should have three major elements. 

(1) Specific tasks: what will be done and by whom. (2) Time horizon: when will it be done? (3) Resource allocation: e.g., what specific funds, etc., are available for the particular activity.

Step 5: Evaluate the enacted plan

Evaluating the enacted plan means examining your behavior to see if it has changed and if your goal has been achieved. If you achieved your goals during the process, use the steps to replicate future success. If not, adjust your strategy, repeat the steps, and keep working until change is realized.

So, if you want to be like many others who have seen a positive change in their lives, follow these five steps. Tell yourself, "Others have done it; I can do it too. It's possible.