7 Days to Becoming a Better Person

So often we can get caught up with getting ahead of everyone else, making that money,  having it all together, getting engaged first, getting married first, getting the most likes, getting more followers, etc… The trend here is that all of these things are focused inward, on ourselves. This mindset is unhealthy and can leave us feeling empty inside, never fully satisfied or content without own lives.

The great thing about this is that we can turn that mindset around by changing our perspective from “how can I benefit me,” to “let me benefit you.” Because who wants to be someone who only looks out for their own best interests? What fun is there in thinking of how just you can personally benefit from situations all the time, instead of how we can be a benefit to others? Nope. Life is not about focusing on ourselves, it’s about being compassionate to others, looking out for others, and being a blessing to others! This is how we will get to experience the fullness of living a good life. And, you can do so in just seven days 🙂 So if you want to become a more selfless human, take these steps into action over the next week and see how it changes your life:

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Reexamine your priorities.
Before we even begin to change, we need to look inward to see what needs to be changed first. Take your list of priorities as an example: sometimes the only beneficiary on our priority list is ourselves. It’s good to strive for excellence, but at what cost? Friendships? Our values? Reputation? Precious time with family? What or who have you cut in order to get ahead on your list of priorities, and was it even worth it..? If you need to, reevaluate your list and see how many things on there point back to your success. Try to add a few things on there that will motivate others to succeed, too! Now moving on to day one —

DAY ONE: Start thinking about others.
Challenge: Tell 5 people today how great you think they’re doing at life using 2 full sentences. Instead of focusing the spotlight on you, turn it outward to others. Instead, think of ways you can make others know that what they accomplish matters to you! 🙂 Praise others for their little victories, and help them achieve their goals. Don’t try to race to see who gets (fill in the blank) first, because everything happens at a different time for everyone. Praise others for their accomplishments, genuinely. Let them know that they’re supported and loved!

DAY TWO: Be Self-Aware.
Challenge: Make a list of all your qualities – good and not so good. Being self-aware is not the same thing as being self-absorbed. Being self-aware means knowing who you are truly, on the inside, and remembering who you were before (fill in the blank again: kids? work? your career took off? you got married?). Work towards correcting any incidents that happened due to misunderstandings or mistakes, like mending friendships or apologizing first. Take a look at your list and evaluate the cons: what could be changed to turn them into positive character traits?

DAY THREE: Think about your character.
Challenge: Pick 3 things in your life that you wish were different (ex: your job, your financial state, etc.). Now make it a point to only say positive things about those 3 things for the next 24 hours. No complaining! Do you have healthy morals and values that you stick to? (please say yes.) If so, how often do you stick to them? Think about this: you are what you do. If you say negative things and criticize people around you, what does that say about you character? On the contrary, if you speak positively about people/things, what does that say about you? 🙂 Always take time to self-evaluate at the end of the day…make a list of the things that happened as a result of your attitude, actions, and words. Were they mostly good or bad?

DAY FOUR: Listen.
Challenge: Make a phone call to the person in your life you know is going through a rough time and invite them out somewhere. Make their day! Uplift them through treating them to coffee or lunch, or make them a happy mail package. So many people are so anxious to tell others how they think something should be done, or how they feel about something, or what their opinion is – everyone wants to be heard and seen. But how often do you take time to listen when others are trying to come to you? How much do you actually hear? Set an example of being a solid friend and show how much you value others by being there to listen.

DAY FIVE: Be kind and selfless.
Challenge: Volunteer somewhere for one day (at least) – a homeless shelter, animal shelter, library, or beach cleanup. Smile at everyone you see! Kindness isn’t just for fairy tale princesses – It’s a way of being and it’s a lifestyle. You cannot have true kindness and selflessness if you are expecting something in return, nor can you experience kindness if you are guarding yourself from letting others in. Kind actions, done just because, are the ones that leave us feeling the most fulfilled. People remember your actions the most…make sure they’re kind ones.

DAY SIX: Let go of resentment and grudges.
Challenge: Make a list of everyone you have bad feelings towards – whether it be an old boss, an ex lover, an ex friend, or whomever. Now go through that list and say the following out loud: “I forgive you, ____. I will no longer let you have a hold on me or my emotions. I wish you the best with your life. Now I’m going to make the best of mine.” Then throw the paper away (rip it up or crumple it or burn it if you must), and never think of them again. Nothing will weigh you down more than feeling resentful towards something or someone. Knowing that life will go on despite things not turning out the way you thought they would is such a freeing and peaceful feeling. Choosing to forgive someone who wronged you or hurt you means you have chosen to move on with your life, and that you have chosen happiness. Grudges don’t get anyone anywhere except further from themselves. Love others, love yourself, and choose to forgive.

DAY SEVEN: Live with gratitude.
Challenge: Repeat all daily challenges for the next 1-2 months. Being thankful for what you have and not complaining over what you don’t have both have drastic effects on your emotional, physical, and psychological being. When we take things for granted or we forget to be humble, we are often put in situations where things go wrong or are taken away from us with a rude awakening for a self-check. Gratitude turns what you have into more than enough and infuses your life with appreciation. <3

I hope you take the time to complete these challenges if you feel the need to! Even if you don’t feel the need to, it’s always good to do a self-check every once in a while. I challenge you to do this week long challenge, then comment to let me know how it went for ya.