Have you made any recent changes in your life
Have you made any recent changes in your life
Describe a Recent Change in Your Life
Interview Questions and Answers
Are you working or studying at the moment?
Right now, I am working. I’m a web developer, so my job is mostly to sit in front of a computer and write code all day. It’s not the most exciting job in the world, but it pays the bills, and I like it.
That said, I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills and learn new things. In my free time, I like to read tech blogs, watch videos on YouTube, and experiment with new programming languages and frameworks. I also try to get out and do some exercise whenever possible—it’s not great for productivity, but it’s good for your health!
What does your job involve?
It’s mainly writing front-end code, which means JavaScript and CSS. I’ve also done some back-end work in the past with PHP and Python, but not recently.
I tend to do a lot of client-side stuff these days—making AJAX requests, building web components with frameworks like React or Vue.js, etc.
What do you like best about the work you do?
If I had to choose one thing, it’s how much creative freedom I have. The only technical requirement for my job is that what I write works, so it can be really interesting coming up with creative solutions to problems.
Even if you’re not super creative on the inside, then at least you are free to explore new areas of technology without having a manager breathing down your neck.
Do you think you will remain in the same job in the future?
It’s probable, but I might try my hand at freelancing or starting a company. I’m not sure yet.
What is the most satisfying part of your work?
The best thing about my job is getting to solve little problems every day because it isn’t assembly line production. It’s more like crafting one-of-a-kind items where each piece is different and needs to be customized.
How often do you travel by bus?
Not very often, I prefer to ride my motorcycle.
Do you prefer using the bus or the subway?
Neither, but when I have to, I take the bus. I’d love it if the seats on the bus were more comfortable, though.
What do you think about the number of children riding bicycles?
I think it’s a good thing, but I’ve seen too many accidents from kids being distracted or not looking where they are going. Still, it’s a much better alternative to sitting inside a car for hours on end every day.
What are some common problems related to public transport in your country?
The biggest issue is probably overcrowding on buses and subways. They simply can’t fit as many people as would like to ride them. So many people resort to driving their cars or riding motorcycles, which leads to traffic jams and pollution.
What changes should the government make to the current public transport system? Why?
One change it could make is to improve the urban infrastructure. Maybe they could redesign it so that there are fewer cars on the road, and more subways, trains, and sidewalks.
One frequent complaint is that subways are often not air-conditioned (even during tropical summer days), which can make traveling by train rather tiresome.
Describe a recent change that has occurred in your life
What was it? When did it happen? How did it influence you? Was the change positive or negative?
About six months ago, my boss promoted me to a position of greater responsibility at work. It’s been a lot of extra work, but it’s also been rewarding to see my efforts translate into tangible results.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to have grown in my career, and I’m excited to see what the future holds. This recent change in my life taught me that if you’re willing to put in the hard work, good things will eventually come your way.
How did this change at work influence me?
When I got promoted at work, it was a great feeling. It meant that all my hard work had paid off, and my boss recognized my dedication to my team.
I’m very grateful for the opportunities that have come my way, and I know that I’ll continue to work hard to be a valuable member of the team.
It’s been less than a year since this big step forward, but I can already see the results, which is great. I feel more motivated at work, and because of my commitment to the team, I’m now able to provide much better assistance than before.
Follow-up Questions
Who accepts change more easily, young people or older people?
Young people are more adaptable to change because they have less emotional ties to the past.
Older people may be more set in their ways, but they also have a wealth of experience and knowledge. And this can help them navigate change successfully. They often have strong support networks that give them the strength to face difficult times.
Why do you think that is?
In general, young people are better at dealing with new information, while older people are better at dealing with difficult emotions. These different abilities make both groups of people valuable assets in a changing world.
Why do you think some people find it difficult to accept change?
I think some people find it difficult to accept change because they fear the unknown. Change can be unpredictable and scary, especially if a person is comfortable with the way things are currently.
I also think that some people resist change because they like to be in control. When things change, it can be tricky to maintain control, which leads to feelings of insecurity and anxiety.
Ultimately, it’s important to remember that change is a natural part of life. It’s ok to be scared or anxious about change, but it’s also important to be open to new experiences and opportunities.
What might be some of the reasons why some people keep changing jobs?
There could be many reasons why someone might keep changing jobs, but some of the most common ones could include the following:
How can children be encouraged to find their talent/passion?
One of the best ways to help children find their talent or passion is to provide them with opportunities to try different things.
How can we do this? By signing them up for activities outside of school, like music lessons, dance classes, or sports teams. Or by exposing them to different experiences, like going on family vacations to new places, trying out different kinds of food, or visiting museums and other cultural attractions.
Most importantly, it’s vital to let your child know that you support whatever they decide to do. Celebrate their accomplishments and offer encouragement along the way. Encouraging them will help your child feel confident in themselves and motivated to continue pursuing their interests.
How important is it for young children to be mentored by older people?
Young children need to be mentored by older people because they can provide invaluable wisdom and support that children wouldn’t ordinarily have access to.
Children are impressionable and often look up to older people as role models, so having a mentor provides them with someone they can aspire to be like one day.
Additionally, older people often have life experience and knowledge that children can learn from, which can help them navigate through life’s challenges. Ultimately, mentoring relationships are beneficial for both the mentor and the mentee and provide a valuable opportunity for growth and development.
IELTS Mentor «IELTS Preparation & Sample Answer»
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IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.
Describe an important recent change in your life.
and explain what happened after this change.
Model Answer 1:
We all can be sure of one thing in our life and that is “change”. In fact, it is the changes which keep us going in our life, and I think that starting a new job is certainly one such change.
Yes, I have recently started a part-time job after graduating from university. But, to tell the truth, before I decided to start a part-time job, I was thinking of starting a second Master’s degree because I have always liked the atmosphere of a university. Besides, I always used to think that the higher qualification had, the better would be my prospect for landing a better employment opportunity.
But, then one day, one of my friends asked me to visit his uncle’s stock brokerage firm. The reason, of course, was that my friend wanted to buy some stocks, and he wanted me also to buy some stocks for some kind of future financial security. Luckily, I had some money with me at that time, which I saved little by little from my monthly allowance, and I wanted to put them to some good use. So I bought some stocks there and started to visit the firm fairly regularly to see the trend of stock prices. Slowly, slowly, I started to like the stock market, and after a while, I even got very good at anticipating the stock prices. Seeing my skills in understanding future stock prices, my friend’s uncle offered me a part-time position at his firm with a rather handsome salary. Not to mention, since I had already like the stock market, I accepted the proposal, and I must say that the job brought a huge positive change in my life.
Anyway, because of this positive change in my life, I felt like I was becoming very productive in life. Besides, the change also gave me a lot of confidence and positive energy in me where I could see myself very successful in achieving great financial freedom from an early age.
Sample Answer 2:
I have completed my graduation only a few months ago and within the three months of my departure from the university, I started working in a private company. My new job and my lifestyle changes due to that job is very recent and in my opinion pretty significant as well.
Since I joined this company as a Business Executive, I had to make a shift from my student life to corporate life. That was the main reason for the changes I went through.
Definitely, that was an important and positive change for my life. I had to join a company or organisation to start my career and I was very glad that I was appointed by a big and prestigious company of the country.
I am no longer a student and I do not have to attend classes and prepare for exams. I am now responsible for the job position I have. Many things have changed including my sleeping pattern and dress-up. I now sleep early and wake up early which were pretty opposite during my student life. I have to maintain office time and follow up my job responsibilities that I was trusted with during my appointment. In fact, I am happy with the changes in my life. I have a great vision and big ambition about my career and now I feel that I am on the right track and I will have to work hard to achieve my future goal. All of those realisations came in my mind after I started working for this company. Besides, now I enjoy economic freedom and that’s a major change as well.
Similar Cue Card Topics
Your ability to talk about this Cue Card would enable you to talk about the following Cue Cards as well:
1. Describe a recent important event of your life.
2. Describe a change you would like to happen in your life.
3. Describe a hobby or activity you have started.
4. Describe something you have started recently.
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Describe an important change in your life
Describe an important change in your life.
[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]
Life is filled with numerous desired as well as sudden events. People are to form different habits in different parts of their life and changes in life are inevitable. I would like to talk about a great change in my life that I consider as one of the best things to happen in my life. I was quite idle and highly inactive and liked to sit idly always. Now my idleness has been removed.
Before my admission to the university, I was affected by inactivity. I felt that I have been made to sit idly. My parents, relatives and friends started terming me as the King of idleness. They were true to a great extent. Even my mom had to feed me in this matured age as I was reluctant to take my foods by myself. So, I turned into the laughing object for all and I, in fact, did not care about the issues. My mom also helped to complete my school and college home works. I was also dependent on my siblings for some of my tasks like I asked them to have some chocolates for me from the superstores or sometimes I asked them to bring some books for me. But if I wanted, I could have done the works all by myself. My laziness did not allow me to do the things. But when I was in my university, I had to change my idleness and lifestyle.
I needed to do all the things by myself. Living in a dormitory does not allow the students to keep their parents with them for the household chores. Everyone here needs to do their own work. I had to clean my clothes, at times make my coffee as well as clean the room. Often my parents came to visit me at the dormitory and they were surprised to see me doing the necessary things for me that I could not do at home. When a student is at university level, s/ he comes to a point where there are fewer chances to rely on others. When a student enters into a graduate level, s/he becomes capable of taking care of them. They do not need someone else to depend on for the daily activities. Rather, relying on others sound weird at this stage. So, for me, the changes were required as I entered into my university.
The effects of the change were wonderful. When I used to rely on others for my purposes, I experienced a combined reaction from them. Some of them criticised me for being lazy and I got hurt with the negative criticism. Some others were of the view that my parents are caring me much which will have a detrimental impact on me in later stages. But some of my relatives and friends were sympathetic to me and tried to defend me in such situations. But when I changed, I mean removed my laziness from my life, everyone seemed to be happy about me. They were happy as I did all my necessary things by myself. In fact, I was too lazy and I became dependent on others. Everyone, especially the family members of mine, helped me greatly in providing all the necessary supports. They never declined with any of my demands. But now, I am able to complete all of my necessary things all alone. My life has greatly been changed.
Removing the idleness was the best ever change in my life and I was happy with that. Now I am in my third year of graduation and able to do all the necessary things for me. I do not need to be dependent on someone else to do my homework or assignments. I am able to do everything, alone. I can now move from place to place, alone. I can ride on public transports and sometimes I cook for me as well. The changes are positive for me and I am able to cope up with every situation once which was impossible for me. The removal of idleness from my nature has made me a self-reliant man. I am now confident to perform all the tasks for me and even I help others in their needs. All these are shaping me into a new form. I love the change!
Sample Answer 2:
Before hosting the annual sports event organised at my college by the authority, I did not know that I can speak so nicely. Speaking in public was an important change in my life. Thank you for the question and I think I should share the entire event with you.
The event was organised marking the annual sports completion in the college. I did not want to attend the event showing some excuses. In fact, I was shy in nature and liked to keep my emotions secret. But some of my friends urged me to host the event. I agreed finally and successfully performed the role of host. It was the very experience for me to speak in public. And it brought confidence inside me which was helpful too.
To be honest, I needed the change. Often I had to read loudly in class. Most of the teachers asked me to read loudly for my lucid voice. But feeling shy, I was unable reading louder. I thought what the other students or people will think of me and my voice. But hosting this event, all the shyness was gone. In the beginning, it was difficult. But later, I handled everything smoothly. This was a great change to me and helped me a lot in my real-life.
The earlier barriers to public speaking with me were gone. I started talking smoothly with people of different strata of the society. Moreover, it also helped me to grow in the college. Before removing the shyness, I could not participate in activities where public speaking was involved. Even if someone asked my name, I started feeling a sense of tremble in my mind. Various types of baseless fears occupied my mind. But once I started talking standing on the dais, I felt that all the nervousness was melt in the air. I felt courage inside my mind. And now I am able to handle even the worst situations.
Everyone needs some speciality in life. It is a kind of signature for them. This is a mark that lets the other people know about you. I needed the change badly. My friends had understood the necessity and they helped me to get rid of the trouble. It was completely a mental state that crippled me though I had huge potentials. Now, I am able to do all the things accordingly and also can deal with lots of people. Reading texts loudly in the classroom is not a problem for me at all. Actually, the teachers are reluctant now to ask me for reading as nobody else gets the scope to discuss anything when I read loudly. It was really an important change in my life.
More Ideas for this cue card topic:
Change is the word of the day. Everything changes in terms of time and situations. Often the changes bring positive aspects and few of them might prove inappropriate. But change occurs and there are no specific time periods for them to appear. It may appear at any time of life. The cue card wants to know about an important change of the candidate. Here are some certain clues for them to get insight and develop their own answers.
1. After falling in love with Maria, there were some massive changes in my life. And most importantly, I gave up visiting the bars. Before the transition, I used to drink heavily. I do not know why I did so and I cannot explain it. But with the counselling of Maria, I am now able to give up the habit and have not drunk a drop of alcohol for last six months. It was a great change for me.
2. I did not know how to manage my works and other necessary things. But my recent job has taught me to be sincere. Now I do not make any late to attend any of my appointment. I can keep everything in order and perform my duties accordingly. Moreover, I am able to do all the tasks on time and deliver them. This is a great change in my life.
3. Parenting is hard if someone does not have the idea about it. In fact, I have changed myself to take care of my child. I have cut some of the bad habits. Before becoming the father, I used to spend unnecessarily but now I spend only to meet needs. I also used to spend more times with my friends and now I budget all my times for my family. This is a great change in my life.
4. I had a habit of spending too much time on social networking site and it was completely unnecessary. Chatting with unknown people was fun to me. But after a certain time, I realized that I was wasting my time. So, I stopped using the social sites regularly. It was a positive change and I invested the extra moments in some productive works.
5. Taking regular exercise is good for health. And I am experiencing the benefits. Before taking the exercises, I did not have an idea that how positive it could be. I have a very good health now and become less tired in my workplace. The exercises have increased my stamina too.
16 Things You Can Do to Change Your Life in 2022
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“How do I change my life?” If you’re asking this question, remember that the one constant thing in our life is change. The more we resist it, the tougher our life becomes. Instead of avoiding it, ask how you can change your life to work with the changes happening around you.
We are surrounded by change, and it is the one thing that has the most dramatic impact on our lives. There is no avoiding it because it will find you, challenge you, and force you to reconsider how you live your life.
Change can come into our lives as a result of a crisis, choice, or chance. In any situation, we are all faced with having to make a choice – do we make the change or not?
We cannot avoid unexpected events in our lives. What we can control is how we choose to respond to them. It is our power of choice that enables us to activate positive change in our lives.
Acting on our power of choice provides us with more opportunities to change our lives for the better. The more opportunities we create to change our lives, the more fulfilled and happier our lives become.
There are specific things that you can do to change your life
16 Ways to Change Your Life This Year
If you’re wondering how to change your life, here are the best tips to change your life.
1. Find Meaning
“How do i change my life?” Spend some time trying to sort out what is important in your life to make a life change.
What is it that you want to achieve in your life? What are your dreams? What makes you happy?
Your meaning in life gives you purpose and sets the direction of how you want to live your life. Without meaning, you will spend the rest of your life wandering aimlessly with no direction, focus, or purpose.
2. Create a Dream Board
When we were children, we would daydream all the time and think of how to change our lives. We were skilled at dreaming and visualizing what we would be when we grew up. We believed that anything was possible.
As we grew into adults, we lost our ability to dream. Our dreams became hidden once we started to feel like achieving our dreams was impossible.
A dream board is a great way for you to start believing in your own dreams again. Seeing your dreams every day on a dream board brings them life. It will also act as a daily reminder to refocus your energy and direct it toward what you really want to achieve.
3. Set Goals
Once you know what is important in your life and what your dream life looks like in the long run, you need to take action and set your long-term, medium, and short-term goals. Acting on these goals will enable you to achieve your dreams and change your life.
Remember that your goals may change. Always be flexible with setting and achieving your goals as things in life change, and your goals need to reflect these changes. It’s the small steps that you take that create the momentum when you’re learning how to change your life.
4. Let Go of Regrets
Regrets will only hold you back in life. If you spend all your time thinking about the past, you will miss the present and the future.
You cannot change what you did or did not do in the past, so let it go. The only thing you have control over now is how you choose to live your present and future life. Each time you experience a negative thought about your past, challenge it.
If you want to have some fun and visualize letting go of your regrets, try writing down each regret on a piece of paper and then burying it in your backyard or burning it in a bonfire with friends.
5. Do Something That Scares You
This is all about you choosing to step out of your comfort zone and see limitations from a different perspective.
Public speaking is one of the most frightening things anyone can do. I was petrified of public speaking; however, I knew that I wanted to be a motivational speaker. So I joined Toast Masters to overcome my fear of public speaking.
My first speech was terrible. My knees were knocking, I broke out in a sweat, and I couldn’t stop shaking. But I did it, and the feeling of completing the speech was better than I ever expected. I chose to keep going, and now I earn a living as a motivational speaker.
Make a list of scary things that you would like to do but are too afraid to. Start small, put a plan in place, and then go do them. Never stop doing scary things if you genuinely want to avoid complacency and comfort and change your life.
6. Start Living a Well-Balanced Life
Our health does not remain the same. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual state changes as we get older. What we can control, however, is how we feed our minds and our bodies.
Living a balanced and healthy life builds our resilience to the physical changes of our body. Exercise is the best way in which we can attain a positive and optimistic attitude toward life.
Living a healthy, well-balanced life with lots of exercises is a lifestyle choice that will give you a happier and more fulfilled life. Exercise is an incredibly powerful tool that will improve your life and help you feel good.
If you’re wondering how to ensure a well-balanced life, take a look at this guide: The Ultimate Guide to Prioritizing Your Work And Life
7. Face Your Fears
It’s easy to ignore our fears and hope that they will go away. Unfortunately, it does not work like that.
If you want to change your life, learn to master your fears so they can’t control you any longer. Whether it’s a fear of failure, loneliness, or the unknown, it can stop you from living your life to the fullest. We know when our fears are controlling our lives because we feel discontent and unfulfilled.
Once we face our fears we take back our power to choose how we want to live our lives and when we do this we change our lives forever.
8. Accept Yourself
The only person who is going to change your life is you! To create that change, you have to like yourself.
There will be times in your life where you will face rejection, and there will be people who will not like you or your choices. Accepting who you are and loving yourself despite adversity helps you to move forward in your life.
Find your courage, love yourself, and step out and do something crazy. Don’t worry about what anyone thinks or whether it is the right thing to do. If it feels right, act on it and go create the life you love.
9. Live in the Moment
Many of us tend to think that the grass is greener on the other side. Often, we get to the other side of the fence and find that this is not so.
The motivation to change our lives comes from our desire to be happy. We are often so busy focusing on our pursuit of happiness that we miss the joy of actually living in the moment.
Our desire to have happiness in our lives is a desire of a future state, not of the present. We become so consumed with all our problems in the present that we miss the precious beauty of the moment.
Sitting on the beach eating ice cream with your best friend is a moment of happiness. Appreciating and showing gratitude on a daily basis is experiencing happiness at the moment. Helping those in need brings us joy and happiness.
This is what living your life in the moment is all about – don’t miss these moments because you are too busy focusing on your pursuit of happiness.
If you want more tips for this, take a look at this article: How to Live in the Moment and Stop Worrying
10. Experience the Joy of Learning
Each time you learn something new, you gain more knowledge, and with more knowledge comes more confidence.
Learning new skills helps us to be more adaptable in new situations. It also encourages us to be more creative and innovative in our thinking, and we are, therefore, more comfortable with the unknown.
Reading is a great way for us to learn. To fully embrace the joy of learning, pick up that novel you’ve heard so many people talking about. Once you find the genre that interests you most, devour as many pages as you can.
11. Change Your Beliefs
Your habits create your identity. No one is born with a set of beliefs. All beliefs are learned over time through experience. The more you repeat a particular behavior such as writing things down or making your bed every day, the more you reinforce your identity.
The actions that you decide to take tell you the kind of person you are. Only you can change your life. If you have beliefs that are holding you back, you don’t have to make radical changes. Small meaningful changes are the keys to improving in life.
12. Erase Negativity
First of all, let’s admit that it’s finally time for that voice in your head to shut up.
Sure, it’s been through a lot of stuff. And of course, it remembers every single disappointment and failure. But it can’t see the future, so you can’t let it play a part in how you perceive what’s to come.
When the voice says, “No, I can’t,” unleash your inner actor and find a way to tell that voice “Yes, you can”. After all those years of thinking you’re not good enough, it’s time to stop. Build your confidence slowly. Set small goals and take on tiny challenges that allow you to build the confidence it takes to tackle the monster ones.
Negativity harms you and keeps you from really living life. It doesn’t matter whether someone dealt with you unfairly or not. Harping on injustice (outside a brief period of venting) destroys your life and erodes precious time you could use to really start living. It’s best to decide or plan how to remedy the problem at the root of your negativity — and then take action to remedy it. Whatever you do, don’t stay in a negative or gloomy funk for long.
13. Take Stock of the Good Things and Be Grateful
You might not have the most challenging job, but in a troubled economy you do have a job — so that’s a blessing worth counting. And even though your romantic life might be as exciting as a trip to the dentist without Novocaine, remember that the good friends and great family you do have are special gifts, and their love will help see you through hard times.
One of the best ways to take stock of what you do have is to start a gratitude journal. Every morning write exactly what you are thankful for on a daily basis. Then at night, write about what went well in the day. Focus on the positive and you will attract more of it.
Recognize where you are lucky and you will create a sense of optimism that will spread into all other areas of your life.
Most people have heard the expression “taken for granted”. Too often we take so many blessings in our lives for granted. We fail to take stock of the many good things. Instead we focus on the handful of items that are unpleasant or despicable. If you take a few minutes to make a list of the positives in your life, you’ll soon see that:
Take stock, be grateful, and start living.
14. Find Your Zen
To live a peaceful, happy life – and I mean truly live it – sometimes you have to do things that are totally against your nature.
That means if you’re carrying around grudges that are filling you with anger, it’s time to let go and forgive those who have wronged you. The negativity harms no one but yourself, and letting go will be sweet freedom from pain that’s simply unnecessary.
So how, than, do we forgive someone who damaged us and our lives?
15. Surprise Yourself
One of the best ways to jolt yourself out of a disappointing life is to do something completely different.
Even if you think you might be terrible at it, give something new a try.
Whether it’s signing up for a ballroom dancing class or trying kick boxing, horseback riding, singing lessons or gymnastics, doing new things challenges us mentally and physically, and sparks a new interest in living by giving us a new reason to get up in the morning to a day that’s fresh and full of possibilities.
Many people are afraid of trying anything new. Others feel as if there’s nothing new worth trying. And then there’s a whole different group of folks who say they “hate surprises.” What they’re all saying is they hate change and prefer structure. Structure is good; however, most people would be pleasantly amazed at how trying something new will add a real spark to their lives. Try something new, surprise yourself, and start living.
16. Revisit that Bucket List…or Rather, That LIVING List
If you have a list of things you want to do before you die, don’t sit around waiting for a reason to do them. Try to find one thing on that list that you can accomplish if not today, then tomorrow.
If your list includes an exotic adventure, but you’ve been waiting around to become part of a couple before you take that tropical vacay because you don’t want to travel alone, rethink the plan. Maybe you have a good friend who’s been feeling the same way. And who knows? The love of your life could be planning the same vacation right now, and will be sitting on the same beach when you arrive.
The thing is, you’ll never know unless you go.
The Bottom Line
You have a choice to make as to how you want to change your life. Choosing to act on these 10 things will help you get started on how you can change your life as you seek to improve various areas of your life. Do the things that will change your life. Go at it with a positive attitude and remember that change takes time. Life starts when you decide to change your life forever! Now that you know the things to do to change your life, what will you start doing today?
How to Change Your Life Completely in 10 Powerful Steps
It’s totally possible to learn how to change your life and live your dreams – it might not feel like it could be that way, but it’s true.
If you look around, there is always someone in the world who grew up in a similar place, time, and situation as you, who managed to change their life for the better.
I’ve made considerable changes in my life more times than I can count. And whether I was changing my perspective, career, or the country I lived in, I learned one thing over and over again: To truly change my life I first needed to change myself.
Easier said than done, right?
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How to Change Your Life
Step 1. Decide to Change Your Life
It may sound obvious, but this is perhaps the most difficult part of changing your life.
During my travels, I’ve had many conversations with people who’ve told me that they want to make significant changes in life, but they never seem to happen – why is that?
Because it’s tough to change your life . Really tough.
In fact, changing your life may be the most challenging and uncomfortable thing you ever do.
In a moment of enlightenment, a friend of mine said, «Oh my God – if I want to change my life, I have to change my life.»
At first, this can be very scary.
In other words, changing your life means making some tough decisions. So, how badly do you want to change your life? And what are you willing to do – and to give up – to make it happen?
Once you decide to change your life come hell or high water, suddenly, almost anything is possible.
Step 2. Learn to Embrace Discomfort
If you want to learn how to change your life completely, be prepared to say goodbye to your comfort zone. The very essence of growth is to move beyond what you’ve experienced before.
You have to break new ground.
Billy Cox, Jimi Hendrix’s bass guitarist, once said, «Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are to your comfort zone.»
So, get into the habit of stepping out of your comfort zone at every opportunity. For example:
Embrace change at every turn.
Step 3. Identify Why You Want to Change Your Life
When working out how to change your life, it’s often easier to start by determining what you don’t want before exploring what you do want.
So, write down the aspects of your life that you don’t like.
Don’t dwell on these things or get sucked into negativity. Just write them down and move on to the next step quickly.
Step 4. Define the Changes You Want to Make
Now it’s time to get creative: How do you want to transform your life? Perhaps you’d like to:
Whatever it is, as soon as you think of an idea, there may be a voice in your head that tells you all the reasons why your idea is ‘stupid,’ ‘unrealistic,’ or ‘will never work.’
Don’t listen to that voice. That voice is afraid of change.
Anything is possible. Take it from Madonna who once said, «No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.»
Step 5. Identify Things That May Hold You Back
Next, identify any habits, recurring thought patterns, or people that could hold you back from making life changes. For instance:
If you’re struggling to see what could stop you from transforming your life, consider asking for help from a close friend or family member that you trust.
Be aware of potential pitfalls before they arise. But again, don’t dwell on the bad things – just write them down and move onto the next step.
Step 6. Choose Your «One Thing»
When learning how to change your life completely, it’s important to remember that this process takes time – it won’t all happen at once.
If you try to change too much in one go, you’ll likely become overwhelmed, burn out, and then revert to your usual way of operating.
So, conquer one thing at a time.
Here’s what to do: Focus on one significant change, like moving to a new city or changing jobs. Or choose one ‘keystone habit’ to conquer.
A keystone is a middle stone in an arch that holds all the other stones together. Keystone habits encourage the development of other related habits.
In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg suggests that exercise is a powerful keystone habit:
«Typically, people who exercise, start eating better and become more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. Exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.»
Another example of a keystone habit is practicing gratitude.
A 2003 study by Emmons and McCullough found that keeping a daily gratitude journal can increase our sense of well-being, improve our sleep, help lower symptoms of physical pain, and – get this – improve our willingness to accept change.
What significant change or keystone habit will you focus on first?
Step 7. Set a SMART Goal
Here’s the deal: If you want to succeed, set a SMART goal:
For example, instead of saying, «I want to start a business,» set a SMART goal like:
«I will start a dropshipping business (Specific) and land my first sale ( Measurable ) within one month (Time-bound and Achievable). I’m committed to this goal because I want to earn more money, empower myself, and learn something new (Relevant).»
Then, treat your smart goal like a compass. If you lose your way, keep returning to your SMART goal to stay on track and change your life.
Step 8. Prepare for the Storms
«All great changes are preceded by chaos,» said the spiritual teacher and author Deepak Chopra.
To put it another way, you may get stressed and tired of trying all the time. There may be voices in your head that say things like, «you’ll never change,» «I’ll do it later,» and «what’s the point anyway?» And there may be people in your life who try to influence you to stay the same.
Bottom line, there are tough times ahead.
So, if you really want to change your life for the better, prepare for the storms before they hit.
For example, you could join an online community committed to achieving the same change that you want to make, this way you can access additional support when you need it. You could also create a vision board to remind you of what you’re working towards.
You can also remove things that lead to bad behaviors to stop yourself from slipping into bad habits. For instance, if you’re trying to improve your diet and fitness, you could remove all unhealthy food from your home.
Although no tactic can replace your inner motivation and drive, you can help your future-self to ride out the storms until clarity and motivation return.
Step 9. Get Your Friends and Family on Board
No one does anything great alone.
When learning how to change your life for the better, don’t forget that you need others’ support.
What’s more, you also need to manage people who actively hold you back or discourage you from changing your life. As the author John Eliot said, «As soon as anyone starts telling you to be ‘realistic,’ cross that person off your invitation list.»
Look, many people instinctively won’t like it when you start to make changes in your life – but it doesn’t mean they’re bad people. Remember, change is scary, uncomfortable, and unnerving.
Still, if you want to transform your life, you may need to protect yourself from people who unconsciously try to pull you back into your old self.
As a result, changing your life can often mean changing your friends.
Keep in mind this quote from the motivational coach Steve Maraboli: “If you hang out with chickens, you’re going to cluck and if you hang out with eagles, you’re going to fly.”
Whatever you do, don’t forget that the people you spend time with have enormous influence over your life.
Step 10. Go the Distance
Let me be frank: If you’re trying to figure out how to change your life in 30 days, you’re going to struggle to make a meaningful change.
The most successful people think long-term.
Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, said, «Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.» In other words, Gates isn’t thinking in days, weeks, months, or even years – he’s thinking in decades.
So, strap yourself in for the long-haul and be patient.
Also, focus on the process, not the results. Here’s what I mean: If you want to climb Mount Everest and all you think about is summiting, you’ll never make it. Forget about summiting and focus on the training, preparation, and climbing that can add up to years of work.
If you take it one step at a time – one keystone habit at a time, you’ll get there in the end.
FAQs for How to Change Your Life
How do I start changing my life?
One of the easiest ways to start changing your life is to think about and decide what you don’t want your life to become. Then, you can look into what needs to change (e.g., new job, new relationship, new eating habits) to avoid that outcome. By eliminating negative aspects, you may get closer to the life you want—even if you’re never able to define exactly what that is.
Why is it important to change your life?
Ultimately, you have the best chance of changing yourself—and getting the life you want. While it isn’t easy to change your life, making changes to aspects you control gives you the best chance to get the life you want. After all, you get only one, so you might as well put in the effort to make it the one you want.
Summary: How to Change Your Life for the Better
Learning how to change your life for the better is relatively simple. However, actually changing your life – and changing yourself – is much more challenging.
If you want to know how to change your life completely, here are 10 steps to follow:
Finally, don’t wait to get started – start now.
What changes in life do you want to make? Let us know in the comments below!
Источники информации:
- http://www.ielts-mentor.com/cue-card-sample/1242-ielts-cue-card-sample-287-talk-about-a-recent-change-in-your-life
- http://www.ieltscuecard.com/2016/05/describe-important-change-in-your-life.html
- http://www.lifehack.org/310325/10-things-change-your-life-forever
- http://www.oberlo.com/blog/how-to-change-your-life