A better you shouldn’t be confined to a promise made on New Year’s Day and broken shortly after. Now is the time to reflect on the past, consider who you want to be in the future, and set your intentions to be that person!

But how?

If you’re like most, you’re reading this, wondering how, exactly, you can become that better you. You might feel that you’re too old or too set in your ways, or you don’t have enough time, money or energy.

But the good news is that none of those things stand in your way. If you’re willing to put in a little work, you can be anyone you wish to be. You can break that bad habit. You can change your appearance. You can alter how others perceive you. The possibilities for self-change are limitless.

But you have to stop waiting for “Monday” to find you, and take action this day.

To help you do that I put together a better me list ~

Decide Who You Want to Be

This is the most important step. You can’t make any changes until you know who you want to be.

The thing to remember is that none of us are simply a fixed set of attributes. No one is doomed to forever be the impatient one or the unreliable one or the one that’s always late. No attribute defines you.  We are all better than that.

Everything is changeable ~ it’s are resistance to this change that creates the feeling of permanence or doom as it may be.  Things like jobs and houses and friends are all changeable if they’re destructive parts of your life.  To begin to find a direction, find your greatest strengths. Find out what brings you joy. Make a list of both and look for areas where the two lists intersect.

What are your goals? Write those out as well, and beneath them, write out what skills you’ll need to learn and what steps you’ll need to take in order to accomplish them.

Voila. You have the beginnings of a plan. Decide who you want to be, and the rest of the journey is made all the easier.

Improve Your Health

Exercise and proper nutrition are the most cited of all New Year’s resolutions. They’re also the foundation for many of the other points on this list and personally my favorite topics to talk about.

Properly caring for your body gives you the energy to pursue your dreams, and helps you avoid setbacks that can take you off the path to happiness. A better me can be as simple as committing to getting into the best shape of your life. Keep in mind your best health is not a jean size.  Start small. Move – Take a 30 minute walk every day. Take the stairs at work. Park far away from places you have to enter.

Once you can do that without pain or fatigue, move up to some light jogging, cycling or plyometrics to build aerobic endurance, and maybe even start hitting the gym and making use of weights and/or resistance machines. Hire a trainer, nutritionist and have them hold you accountable to your goals.

Above all, be consistent. Make the time for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day and adhere to a meal plan that works for your particular metabolism.  The motivation of a resolution can help you achieve your goals, but it is consistency and accountability that will allow to live them out.

Be Consistent

It’s not enough to simply plan. Get out there and do it.  They say it takes 28 days to create a habit and 90 days to make it a lifestyle.  So consistency is everything.  It’s doing it everyday and especially on the days you don’t want to.  When you achieve your goals and are well on your way to becoming the person you wish to be, don’t stop there. Keep pushing yourself toward a better life year after year.

Anyone can make a promise to a better me, but only those willing to put in effort will truly find themselves. Start your own journey, hopefully these tips and your amazing tenacity will allow you to start to live the life you’ve always wanted.

Change Your Style

A better you can start with your wardrobe.  Your personal style says a lot about you, and it’s a great place to start in putting your best foot forward.  Whether it be a signature bag, a statement ring or lipstick color- people identify with what you wear!

Not only does style affect how others see you, but it affects how you see yourself. If you find yourself in baggy sweatpants and the same cardigan for days at a time you might want to mix it up and show up for yourself.  (I’m speaking just as much to myself as I am to anyone else) Want to become a more confident person? Start dressing like one! Find clothing that exudes power and accessorize it at will. Want to be elegant? Want to be cutting edge? Well, there’s fashion for that, too!

Use your style to express yourself, to release the inner you that has been hidden by your lounge pants.  Remember personal style matters on your journey to your best you.

Change Your 8 to 5

You spend 8 to 12 hours a day at your job—sometimes more. If it doesn’t fill you up, half of your day is taken up by something that makes you miserable. So why not change things up?  Many people—especially those who have worked in a specific field for many years—think they’re trapped in their profession. Myself included.  Not so! You’re more than a simple list of resume traits and job skills. You’re a living, changing human being capable of being anything. Those traits and skills are within your power to shape. Remember those goals and strengths you wrote down earlier? Bring them out and use them to help you figure out which professional field will be both purposeful and joyful for you.

Start doing your research. Find out what different industries are out there and which ones match your strengths and preferences. Take the Myers-Briggs personality test—it’s a useful personality test that can help you narrow your search. Read “What Color is Your Parachute,” by Dick Bolles, a comprehensive manual for career-changers.

Your best me career can be changed so if you’re not happy, don’t wait. Participate in your new direction with renewed energy and conviction.

Choose your circle wisely

As I get older I am much more selective with who I spend my time with.  Your social circle has more of an impact on your success, health and happiness than your family does. Choose them wisely.

Creating your ideal tribe involves not only being mindful of its inclusion but in letting go of friends that no longer fill your bucket ~ as my kids would say.  Friends that belittle you, cast negativity over you, and pull you into their drama.  Letting go is super hard but doing so goes a long way in designing a better you and a better me circle.  Simply put surround yourself with people who constructively challenge you, who bring you joy, and who you can bring joy.

Be mindful of the new friends you choose. Don’t be afraid to pursue relationships with the people you admire rather than simply those who drift into your life. As in all things, be intentional, and you’ll succeed in designing your best me.