Heraclitus, the famous Greek philosopher, said: “There is nothing permanent except change.”

The world, from its creation, has undergone countless changes, and it is still going; nothing stays the same for a long time, no matter how hard we try to keep things the same.

Take, for example, your neighborhood: if you compare it to last year, you will definitely find a lot of differences from its current state; whether it’s a new house that was built, whether they had some trees cut, something should have changed over this year.

As things change, so are people; even if we think we are the same as we were comparing ourselves 3 or 4 years ago, this is not an accurate perception. We do change, but we are, for some reason, taught that change is not always good and that we need to stick to our current scenario.

Change is something that people tend to argue with; some of us love it, while others think that change is challenging and intimidating.

Change, according to its etymology and definition, implies making either an essential difference, often amounting to a loss of original essence or a substitution of one thing for another.

Although it can be something intimidating, it is imperative for those who want to improve and thrive. Change is about *adaptation*; whether it’s professional, personal or social. Change sometimes begins with something not good, but it ends up having positive outcomes -for many reasons, which we will explain in future articles.

After a very interesting, overwhelming, and full of new experiences in 2023, I decided that change is good, especially when we embrace it and are positive about it. Also, I realized that in order to move forward, we need to change something that we thought we would never change.

1. Our Perceptions and Beliefs

The way we perceive things enables us to act accordingly, which means that our actions are driven by the way we understand things. Our perceptions are formed and are mainly established based on our experiences. However, sometimes those perceptions can hold us back and do not let us move forward or they make our lives more difficult in specific situations of our lives.

For instance, one of your beliefs may be that in order to be the best employee, you have to be the last to leave the office or as a good friend, you should always change your plans when one of your friends is having a bad day.

So, you act according to your beliefs. In the long run, though, you probably feel tired of having to leave the office that late and you eventually don’t get any credits for it or probably you shouldn’t have changed your whole day for your friend’s bad day because you ended up having to do more errands the next day, which ruined your schedule.

In order to understand whether or not to change your beliefs, take a piece of paper and write down which beliefs are those that make your life difficult or do not make you happy. Then, this is a starting point for change.

2. Our Inner Dialogue

What we say to ourselves and how we talk about ourselves can play a huge role in our well-being and how happy we are. No matter what we are talking about, whether it is our job, our relationship, or our friends, using words and phrases that are not supportive can relatively impact our mentality, self-esteem, and self-confidence and become an obstacle to moving forward.

In order to shine this year, make sure that you treat yourself with kindness. Change the way you think and the way you talk and reproduce to yourself. Take some time and reflect on the phrases and words you use during your inner dialogue and then decide whether those thoughts take you where you want to go.

Also, have this trick in mind: if you wouldn’t say that to your best friend or the people you love, then do not say that to yourself. Imagine what you would tell them to support them and do the same when you address yourself and your thoughts.

3. Our Focus

If you focus on the problem, you will find a problem; if you focus on the solutions, you will find a solution.

What is focus? Focus is deciding and choosing one stimulus among others around us. Focusing on this stimulus means getting closer to it, discovering its capacities and aptitudes, and researching it more in detail.

Focusing doesn’t mean not paying attention to other stimuli; it means choosing a specific reference point.

However, focusing on one thing at a time is important because it can help us do things that we couldn’t do even if we don’t pay that much attention. This way, we have clearer insights into the matter we are focusing on and, therefore, find better solutions and achieve good results.

For example, if you find it difficult to get along with a colleague at work and you keep focusing on their bad character traits or to their bad behavior when you have to collaborate with them, then you focus on the problem and not only don’t you solve it, but it’s more possible to create one more. Try instead and change your focus on how to make your relationship with this colleague if not good, at least bearable. Focusing towards the solution, can open a world of possible solutions which you wouldn’t even imagine

4. Our People Around Us

People around us are people who define our perceptions and our actions, and usually, they can drive a lot of our decisions. This means that we influence and we are influenced more people than ourselves.

Surrounding ourselves with people who challenge us intellectually or emotionally can help us grow personally or professionally. Be around and spending time with people who have diverse perspectives and experiences and their mindset is close to ours, broadens our horizons. For this reason, it is important to have people around you that support you, and make you feel comfortable expressing yourself without feeling suppressed or unmotivated around them.

5. Our Habits

People tend to stick to habits and routines that are formed according to their everyday lifestyle. This means that those habits influence our life, and consequently, our actions and mindset as well as our overall health and well-being.

Changing habits can be really challenging. However, changing habits shouldn’t be overwhelming and stressful. Not all habits are bad and not all habits should be changed. Habits that waste our time though can be changed.

For instance, if you spend far too much time scrolling on TikTok, think what is the thing that could make you happy doing instead being on your phone? The answer can be whatever you want it to be but always keep in mind that even 15 minutes of your time can make a big difference for your personal growth and well-being.

This year, make a promise to yourself that you whatever you choose to do, it will get you one step towards the life you want to live and start changing what doesn't work for you.

It may take time but, you do have a brand new year to do so!