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Tips for a New You

Andy Warhol once said, “They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.”  This simple, yet honest quote seems to summarize the mindsets of many people today.  So often we hear of people stuck in ruts, valleys, and ebbs in their lives, unable to make that transition out of the old and into the new. Sometimes all it takes to get in a great mood is to change something about your life in order to feel good about who you are.

Now, this should be a positive and affirming experience rather than a destructive one, of course. Feeling good on the inside takes feeling good on the outside too, so here are some tips to look, think, and feel your best.

Give it a Try
One of the more obvious ways to make positive, yet effective modifications in your life is to change your physical appearance.  Dying your hair a different color or trying a new style, purchasing a blouse that you would not normally buy, adding some more exotic accessories to your everyday outfit, or painting your fingernails a bright color are all simple, inexpensive, yet helpful ways to feel new and rejuvenated.  Maybe that darker hair color will highlight your eyes, or that pink blouse may make you feel 10 years younger. The point of these changes is to discover (or rediscover) new and interesting qualities about yourself that you either never knew were there or that you forgot ever existed. 

Pampering yourself is also vitally important to discovering a new you.  Getting a massage or facial is often the key to getting into a better mood and reconnecting with who you are.  Other feel-good activities include scheduling a pedicure or manicure, getting your eyebrows done, or, if you’re really daring, taking a day off work and doing nothing but pampering yourself.  Turn off the Blackberry, forget the email, and don’t check in at the office or shuffle papers. Book a day at your local spa or hair salon, sit back, relax, and begin to slip into that new you. 

Be Creative
Sometimes we have to get a bit creative and inventive when we want to get in a better mood or make changes in our lives.  Try driving a different way to work or talking to someone new from an unfamiliar department at the office. Maybe eat at a different restaurant for lunch or with a different group of people. Try renting a movie that you never thought you would like or challenge yourself at the gym with a different routine or skill.  Don’t limit yourself when searching for the new you. 

Think Differently
Thinking differently is one of the more difficult, yet powerful changes you could ever make in your life.  Moods and feelings are so intricately linked to our thoughts.  Bad thoughts lead to bad moods.  Therefore, when a negative thought enters your mind attempt to replace it with a positive one.  You don’t have to think every thought that pops in your mind.  You can CHOSE to replace those negative thoughts with thoughts that are uplifting and positive.  Try daydreaming in the morning before your day begins.  Think of your hopes, dreams, and aspirations.  Think of everything that is positive in your life (could be the fact that you have a job or that you are in good health), write down some of those positive attributes, and refer to them daily whenever negative thoughts creep in.  Start today controlling your thoughts. 

The Challenge
Here is a simple 20-minute exercise that may help you begin your journey to finding that new you.  Clear all distractions (turn off the phone, TV, etc.) and sit down in a comfy chair or at your desk with only a blank sheet of paper and pen in front of you. Set the timer for 20 minutes and begin to write. Make a list of 100 things you want to do with your life, people you want to meet, places you want to go, careers you want to pursue, projects you want to tackle, or relationships you want to mend. Do not sensor yourself. Write down any and everything that comes to your mind.  There are no limits!  Write solidly for 20 minutes and then stop.  Put the list away and come back to it the next day.

After reading over the list again, think about what it says about who you really are and what you really want to become.  The point of the list is not to put together an actual, feasible to-do list, but to open up your mind to the possibilities of your life, the possibility of change, the possibility of a new you.  Don’t be afraid.  Open up your mind and dream.  That new you is just around the corner.  You deserve it!

What are some of your ideas for creating a new you?