Turning your life around is a beautiful journey. You get to really know yourself and what you want out of life. To change your life in a matter of hours it will take a lot of hard work and commitment, but if you follow these steps, it can be a lot easier. And your end result will be worth all the struggle.
Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Step 1
Write out what you’d like to change
We tend to think a lot about what we want to do in our lives, big dreams, future plans, where we see ourselves in 5, 10, even 20 years, the kind of life we plan on living. Sometimes we overthink these plans or we build onto these dreams in our minds, but we rarely do anything productive to put these plans and dreams into motion. 
The first thing we should do is write them down. Write down our goals and dreams and where we want to be in 5, 10, or 20 years. Not only where we want to be, but what we have to do in order to get to these places.
Read Everything You’ve Written
Now that you have thought about what you need to do and plotted it out, read what you’ve written down. Be reminded of what you need to accomplish in order to reach your goals and live the life that you want to live.
Break the Steps on your List onto Actionable Items
What on your list can be accomplished first? What can be done immediately? And what points on your list are not items that can be accomplished, but must come about naturally from accomplishing other tasks. What are those tasks that need to be accomplished? If you want a new job, figure out what you must first do in order to get a new job. Do you need to quit another job first? Put a certain amount of money into the bank before you leave? Do you need a certificate or degree first to receive your dream job? What steps must be taken first to accomplish your goals? Figure those out and break down what you already have written down even further. Create a baby-steps plan, break it down as small as you can, and get to work.
Step 2
Figure out what you can do in the Next 48 Hours
There’s never a better time than the now to get started on changing your life. And you can make massive strides to get on track in just a few hours. You’ve already broken down what you need to do to be where you want to be; now you just have to put that plan into action. Read your list of tasks and figure out what you can do in the next 48 hours. What tasks can be ticked off immediately? Is it something as small as updating your resume, or maybe opening a savings account? Get as many of these things done as you can, because once those are crossed off, you can start working towards the larger items that may take some time and effort to come to fruition.
Stop Waiting for the Right Time to get Started
There’s never going to be a good time. Something will always come up that will force you to give it attention. This doesn’t mean that it should take all of your attention away from your goals. Just remember that there will be bumps and road blocks along the way to improving yourself. It seems like whenever we want to build ourselves up, there’s always something there waiting to tear us down, and we have to remember that it cannot stop us.
Avoid Letting Yourself get Mired Down in Reflection
While you should think about what you need to accomplish, and read your list of tasks and goals everyday, you shouldn’t overthink anything. When you begin to overthink and stress about what you need to accomplish it can lead to inaction. There’s a balance between constructive thought and obsessing. We want to keep our goals in the front of our minds, but we don’t want them to consume our thoughts because that can lead to stress and cause us to shut down. Take a few minutes each day and read your goals and see what you can be productive on working on today, and then leave it alone. Only think about that one topic that you can work on, and don’t let it consume you.
Step 3
Clean Up Your Environment
In order to clean up your emotional life, begin to clean up your physical one. Nothing feels as good as coming home to a clean and tidy house. Begin to clean room to room and throw out things that you don’t need, and things that you are holding on that may be holding you back.
We often hold onto items for sentimental reasons, and often that can be unhealthy. If we hold onto items from past relationships that weren’t positive on our wellbeing, they can be a constant reminder of those times. Deep clean, and simplify your life. You’ll be amazed at how many items you don’t use and how many things you forgot you even owned.
Take Good Care of Yourself
Realizing what does and doesn’t matter is how you can begin to make changes in your life. And when you realize that you matter more than anything else, you can begin to take care of yourself. This means taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health, as well as pampering yourself from time to time.
Make sure you eat right, get enough exercise and don’t bottle emotions up, or seek out unhealthy coping methods. Then enjoy a night out just with yourself. Go to the movies, get a massage, or go spend a day in the mountains camping or fishing. Do something that brings your soul happiness and enjoy the day just being calm without any stress.
Find Support
Once you make the decision to change your life, make sure you have a good support system around you. This could be family, a group of friends, or a support group or counselor. Make sure you have someone there to keep you accountable and encourage you as you make progress in your life. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it sure wasn’t built alone.
Have Patience
You might be able to change your life in a matter of hours, but to see large results, it will take some time and some work. Don’t forget this, and don’t get frustrated and give up. There’s nothing more important than living the most fulfilling life that you are able to, and you can do it with just a little effort.
Getting used to the changes can take some time, so make sure you remind yourself of what you’re doing and why. Don’t revert back to old habits because you are scared or uncertain of the future and where you are headed. Focus on your list of goals and what you need to accomplish, modify them as you go, and enjoy your new life!