With the holidays vastly approaching, there's naturally going to be an influx in spending,
gift-giving, and gift receiving. However, I don't want you to lose sight of your
financial goals, and the things in life that actually matter to you,
just because your favorite store is preparing for their largest sale of the year.
So instead of buying things you probably don't need and
using the holidays as an excuse to do so. I'd like to offer you
some food for thought. Here are 12 ways to upgrade your life without new stuff.
Number one: Choose your mood.
For most of us, it doesn’t cross our minds, in the midst of our daily grind,
to consider our mood and the impact it has on our life. So I challenge
you to upgrade your life by making a commitment to think about your thinking.
When you're conscious of how and where your thoughts go,
and how those thoughts determine your overall mood, and how your mood can shape your life.
You'll quickly realize that your mood is 100% up to you.
Something many of us forget, including myself,
is that we have a choice in how we will react and respond to negative events or triggers in
our lives. And if you choose to be upset, to hold on to the past, to blame others,
then don't act surprised when your life starts to match the quality of your mood.
So instead of reacting irrationally every time something doesn't quite go your way.
Take a moment and let yourself feel and process before choosing to act or react.
Number two: Give back to your community.
Giving back doesn't always mean monetarily. Especially if you're not in the financial
position or can't afford monetary donations. However, that shouldn't stop you from
donating your time, your skills, or your knowledge to help those in your community.
Now, why is this important and how does it benefit you?
Spending time enriching your community is a great way to broaden your perception of the world.
You'll also gain a unique sense of purpose by serving those around you.
On top of that, the fulfilling feeling of giving back,
volunteering your time, and contributing to society is unparalleled. So I want to encourage,
especially if you aren't already, to explore new ways that you can give back.
Number three: Invest for your future.
This in my opinion is an opportunity to upgrade your life, that many people forgo
simply because they don't take the time to learn about investing. The average person will
spend the majority of their working career either not investing because they don't know what they
don't know, or they will only invest a small percentage into their company-sponsored 401K.
Now if you have no idea what it means to invest your money,
then I highly want to encourage you to check out Wealthfront.
They quite literally pioneered automated investing services and they make it beyond
easy to get started with not only investing but also learning about investing because
regardless of what I tell you today, I don't want you to put your money into something you
don't understand. Which is why I'm encouraging you to learn from my friends at Wealthfront.
Truth is, they're very upfront with showing you exactly how and where your money is being
invested. Plus they’ll build you a portfolio based on your risk tolerance, so you don’t
have to worry about doing the research or picking investments, but that's not even the best part.
Investing is not only an opportunity for you to upgrade your life and build wealth for your future
but you also have the opportunity to invest in companies that are socially responsible.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
Now, if you want to be a socially responsible investor,
then definitely explore Wealthfront's Socially Responsible portfolio. This lets you invest in
what you believe in most. Things like renewable energy, gender diversity, minority empowerment,
animal welfare and so many other important topics and businesses, and you can do this
without losing sleep or confidence in the fact that your money is supporting what you value.
I feel like I'm a spokesperson for Wealthfront, but in all seriousness this is a great opportunity
to help upgrade your life, especially to get on the right foot stepping into the new year.
So if you're interested in learning more or if you're ready to start investing now,
all you need is $500 and a few minutes to open an investment account and they take care of the rest.
I'll leave my link down in the description below
for you to check out. And thanks to Wealthfront for sponsoring this video.
Number four: Increase your sense of adventure.
An easy way to upgrade your life is by adding a bit of spontaneity
to your life. This slight shift in your behavior will stretch you beyond your rote, regimented,
predictable daily routine. That has quite frankly has kept you living a very stagnant life.
Now there's nothing wrong with that if that's what you enjoy,
but I want to make sure you know that there is so much out there, for you,
that you are missing because you've shut yourself off from exploring.
See, fear will cost you more than you want to pay and for many of us,
fear is the very thing that is holding us back from increasing our sense of adventure.
I mean how can you grow and become the well-rounded person you're meant to be and need
to be without stepping out of your box and doing things, going places, and meeting new people?
Remember, if you live in a box, that’s as big as your life will get.
But if you step outside of those walls, despite how shy and uncomfortable it makes you.
Your life will grow in ways you never thought possible.
Number five: Change your eating habits.
I'll keep this one simple and straightforward. Be strict about the food you consume. Don't eat
anything received through your car window, or anything with ingredients you can’t pronounce.
Because here's the thing. Your life will reflect what you consume.
If you flood your ears with music that carries a negative tone with demeaning lyrics, then your
mind will eventually adapt and submit to those beliefs and ways of thinking.
If you blindly consume and follow the media without taking the time to learn and explore
for yourself, then your life may start to reflect those half-baked thoughts as well.
See, the same thing is true with the food you consume. If you're always
eating junk or processed foods, that will eventually disrupt your
long-term health and steal away years of potential memories and experiences.
So I challenge you to change your eating habits and make it a priority of yours
to maintain healthy eating habits for the sake of your mind and body.
Number six: Break a sweat daily.
Let me take a moment to remind you of the importance of eating right, because the food
you consume has a direct impact on the health of your mind and body, however, just eating right
isn’t enough. Diet and exercise go hand-in-hand. And I challenge you to break a sweat daily.
Quick lessons for you. Regular exercise releases chemicals in
the body called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain
that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body,
making you feel happier and energized throughout the day.
So if you're looking to upgrade your life without new stuff. Then get up and get moving—you can run,
walk, do yoga, play tennis, jump rope—it doesn't matter. As long as it's something
you enjoy and it makes you break a sweat that's all it takes. But remember, consistency is key.
Number seven: Practice forgiveness.
I’m not sure who needs to hear this, but I hope it reaches you.
Forgiveness is not just about saying the words “I forgive you.” It’s about making a conscious
decision to let go of negative feelings you feel towards the person who wronged you.
I think we oftentimes make the mistake of thinking that forgiveness
is for the other person when in all actuality, forgiveness is for you.
Forgiveness is a choice.
And when you choose to deploy compassion and empathy,
rather than anger, resentment, and hostility. Your life will feel different.
Now in no way am I implying that forgiveness is easy.
In most cases, it’s not. But what I know is true, is that when you do forgive. You’ll
begin to radiate with such energy and light that gives your life an upgrade.
Number eight: Call your loved ones.
Good relationships matter – especially with family, and if you don't see your family
members that often. I want to encourage you to give them a call and chat for a few minutes.
Now if this isn't something you normally do, then it might seem awkward at first but trust me,
cracking a joke every now and then with mom or dad, or listening to your grandparents,
or whoever, tell stories has a way of making you feel better in the end.
So consider trying it out and let me know how it goes.
Number nine: Ignite your creativity.
I dare you to think slightly more out of the box. I dare you to try something new.
I dare you to think of the ways you can add a touch of innovation to each day.
See, many of us live life by habit, rather than living our lives
on purpose. What do I mean by that? We tend to be more comfortable in what we know,
so we stay in our lane and never challenge ourselves, but our lives and businesses can
only grow as much as we grow ourselves. So, again, I dare you to think slightly more out of the box.
I dare you to ignite your creativity. You just might surprise yourself.
Number ten: Show an act of extreme kindness.
The only thing I want you to take away from this conversation on kindness
is this, and you might want to write this down.
1. Kindness releases feel-good hormones 2. Kindness is good for your heart and mind
3. Kindness reverses stress
4. Kindness improves relationships—both with yourself, people surrounding you,
and the person whom you helped 5. Kindness is contagious
So I challenge you to do something nice for someone.
Not because you expect something in return, but out of the goodness of your heart.
See, "Kindness is free to give but it's priceless to receive."
Number eleven: Pay yourself first.
Can I keep it real with you for a second? I know the holidays are literally right around
the corner. They'll be here before we know it. As a matter of fact, just the other day my wife
was telling me how excited she is to start playing Christmas songs. But here's the deal.
I'm not in a position to tell you how much money you can or can't spend during the holidays.
That's between you and your bank account. But one
thing I do ask is that you commit to the habit of paying yourself first.
Far too many people, spend more money than they have to spend on a regular basis.
Leaving themselves in a very vulnerable position, financially, month to month.
So my encouragement to you, especially if you're serious about upgrading your life, is to get
your finances under control and start building your savings. It's just something about having
money saved in the bank for a rainy day that makes life feel like it's running a whole lot smoother.
Financial worry and stress start to fade and you begin to walk with this pep in your step,
and a smile on your face because you're no longer
carrying that weight that comes with not knowing if you'll have enough money.
Number twelve: Be outrageously giving.
Something I've grown to learn over the years,
especially after getting my finances under control, is that money is a tool. Kind of
like a knife. It can either do a lot of good or it can do a lot of bad.
The key however is learning how to use that tool so you can be the most effective with it.
Something I want to encourage you to consider or reconsider
is how you’re using money in your life. Are you doing a lot of good or are you doing a lot of bad?
I hope you enjoyed this conversation and if you did
comment below your thoughts and what part resonated the most with you.
Keep growing, keep learning and always stay true to you.
I’ll see you in the next one.
Peace!