Article last updated on January 12, 2022
I know that “How to drastically change your life in one month” sounds like a bold claim, but I’m going to prove it to you with the help of personal example.
In fact, I have personally done so and can back up everything I say.
This blog post is not a compilation of vague advice from self-help books. It is a practical and direct approach towards a happier life.
So, if you want to learn how to radically change your life in just 30 days… let’s begin.
Get Clear On What You Want
The first step to changing your life is to figure out exactly what you want.
Are you looking for love? Do you want financial freedom? Are you trying to be a more assertive person? Do you want to start living an exciting new chapter in life?
Whatever goal you’re trying to achieve will determine how you approach achieving it.
There are four fundamental steps when you want to change your life drastically:
- Identify why you want to change
- Define the changes you want to make
- Identify what may hold you back
- Pick your “One Thing”
I’ll talk about each of these four steps, why they work, and how to apply them to your situation.
Before I talk about these four steps, always remember that your level of self-awareness determines the degree of success you have in any endeavor.
If you don’t know where you’re headed or why you want to get there, chances are you won’t be able to get there.
I truly believe that having a strong sense of external and internal self-awareness is a catalyst to making a drastic change in your life and making it permanent.
Step 1: Identify Why You Want to Change Your Life
Your why determines whether or not you’re willing to put forth the effort required to change your life radically.
It’s easier to get started when you have a strong enough reason to change something. It also makes it more likely that you’ll stick with whatever plan you come up with because you want to see results.
So think about why you want to change your life.
Is it because you feel unhappy? Because you want to find someone special? Or maybe you just want to experience some new things?
Whatever your motivation, write down your reasons, for example:
- I don’t want to be a loser.
- I don’t want to work at a crappy job.
- I don’t want people to think I’m dumb.
- I don’t want bad things to happen to me.
Don’t dwell on these things or get sucked into negativity; just write them down and move on to the next step.
Step 2: Define the Changes You Want to Make
Now it’s time to get creative!
Think about the different areas of your life where you’d like to see improvement. What do you want to change?
You will notice that there’s some kind of pull feeling towards one specific area of your life, which is your desire. This is a good sign; if you can pinpoint one thing, you should definitely focus on that.
If you don’t have any idea where to start, here are some ideas:
- Improve your relationships
- Get fit
- Learn a skill
- Save money
- Travel
- Have more fun
- Feel better
- Live healthier
- Start a business
- Quit smoking
- Quit drinking
- Stop being lazy
Write down all the things you want to improve.
Don’t worry about making sense right now; just list everything that comes to mind.
Step 3: Identify Things That May Hold You Back
Most people point the finger at other people (or circumstances) as the cause of their problems. But the truth is, most of our problems are caused by ourselves, and we need to learn to forgive ourselves.
It’s easy to blame someone else for your problems, but we need to take responsibility for our actions.
To change your life, you first need to acknowledge that you have a problem. Accept that you can not control certain aspects of your life.
Instead of blaming yourself, you need to look inward and figure out what you could have done differently.
This step is important because if you continue to blame other people or circumstances for your problems, you’ll never be able to change anything.
Here are some examples of things that may hold you back from changing your life:
- You don’t have enough willpower
- You lack discipline
- You’re too busy
- You procrastinate
- You’re afraid of failure
- You’re scared of success
- You’re unmotivated
- You’re addicted to drugs/alcohol
- You eat junk food
- You steal
- You lie
- You gossip
- You judge
- You envy
The list could be even bigger, but the key is to identify the things holding you back from achieving your goals.
This is important to recognize because you’ll subconsciously start saying to yourself:
- I’m too lazy to make changes in my life.
- I’ve been eating junk food since childhood.
- My family doesn’t support me when I try to change.
- I hate myself because I’m overweight.
- I’m addicted to games/social media/porn.
- I’m surrounded by negative people.
You need to be strong enough to overcome any obstacles that might come up.
If you let this automatic subconscious programming overtake your thinking, guess what your perception of the world will be? You know the answer.
Step 4: Pick Your “One Thing”
Don’t try to do everything at once. You might get overwhelmed or burned out.
You should focus on one significant change.
Choose one “keystone habit” to conquer.
You could start doing this today. That will help you progress toward your goal.
A keystone habit is an important habit that creates many other habits.
I like to see “keystone habit” as a lead domino for change.
If you can develop one keystone habit, it will create momentum for you to adopt more positive behaviors.
The Domino effect means that each time you do a good thing, it leads to another good thing.
For example, if you exercise every day, you’ll feel better about yourself. This will motivate you to work harder and achieve more.
Your new mindset will also affect your relationships. If you stop being rude, you won’t want to hang around with people who treat you badly.
Pick your “one thing” based on what’s most important to you.
If you need more conviction, I would highly recommend reading the book “The One Thing.”
Gary Keller and Jay Papasan wrote it. It explains how to pick your “one thing” and why it matters.
In the end, you’ll find that you’re much happier and healthier than before.
Actionable Steps To Change Your Life
So far, we have been talking a lot about theory. Now, let’s talk about the practical aspects.
Your current self must see a better future self in order to change.
That’s why we needed to define our vision first. We had to decide what kind of person we wanted to become.
Now, I’ll give you an action-based list to drastically change your life in one month.
This can be your plan, but it also serves as a guide to implementing an action plan.
Change the way you talk about yourself
When you feel down, you should tell yourself that things will get better.
Don’t ever say that something is difficult because you’ll never succeed if you give up easily. If you believe in your ability to achieve your goals, then you’ll be successful.
Never talk down on yourself. Have self-respect for who you are.
Don’t lower your value or even let other people lower your self-esteem.
Erase inner-negativity
Your inner voice is a pain in the ass. You should ignore it.
You’ve been telling yourself you aren’t good enough for years. Now it’s time to stop believing that lie.
When you take action, you’ll feel confident.
Negativity harms you and keeps you from really living life. You should try to get rid of negativity as soon as possible. Don’t let it ruin your life.
One step at a time
You’ll probably feel overwhelmed when you first start. So that’s why we need to pick one thing.
If you don’t choose anything, you’ll just keep spinning your wheels.
Start with one thing, and it will build momentum.
I remember when I started working on growing my business. I focused on multiple things instead of zooming out and seeing the most important thing.
In my case (and in most businesses), it created the best solution for my customers. Nothing else mattered.
And you know what happened as a result? I got more confident in what I had to offer. And I became happier.
Think big picture. Focus on one thing. Then expand.
Nurture your body and mind
You know this, but it’s worth mentioning. You only have one body and one mind.
You should always move around every day. Movement helps you stay healthy. If you sit down too much, you’ll get sick.
Everyone should prioritize their health because nothing else will work or matter.
Exercise gets your blood circulating, prevents obesity and disease (and other problems), provides energy, boosts your mental state, and makes you feel great inside and out.
This could mean starting a walking routine or joining a gym. Whatever it is, getting active is key!
Processed foods and sugary drinks cause inflammation in your gut, affecting your brain’s health. You may feel more anxious after eating junk food.
Get enough sleep. Really. Without sleep, you won’t be able to function properly. You’ll be tired all the time.
You should aim for 7–8 hours of sleep each night.
If I had to choose between exercise, nutrition, and sleep, I would choose sleep as the most important thing.
Sleep regulates hormones, which affect your moods. Sleep also improves memory and concentration.
Clean your environment
Your environment affects your personality. If there is clutter in your surroundings, you should clean them up.
Declutter your house if you feel overwhelmed by things.
Clutter can cause stress, anxiety, and it takes away focus.
It’s not about how many items you own, but rather how organized everything is.
Organize your space so you can find stuff quickly.
Keep your home clean. It doesn’t have to be spotless, but it should look nice.
The same goes for your digital devices. Keep them tidy.
Eliminate all unnecessary apps. Unnecessary apps slow down your phone and, more importantly, slow down your mental capacity.
There are plenty of distractions online so make sure you cut those distractions off.
Use a productivity app such as Freedom. Freedom allows you to block distracting websites and apps from accessing your internet connection.
Freedom also gives you an easy way to manage your schedule. You can create daily tasks, set reminders, and even use the calendar feature. I use it almost every day.
Say goodbye to negative people
People who are negative or complain about everything are not the best people to hang out with. You should avoid them because they make you feel bad.
And this is not only for the people around you, but also for people online.
Negative people drain your energy. They bring you down.
If you are in some online communities, try to limit your interactions with these people.
Try to spend less time on social media sites where negativity thrives.
Be objective and see if the whole community is negative. If it is, ask yourself what is stopping you from leaving that group. Usually, it is just some form of habit and nothing else.
In real life, avoid people who constantly complain. Be honest and objective with yourself.
This is where people usually lie to themselves to keep these relationships going.
Let go of other people’s opinions
Related to negative people, letting go of other people’s opinions is important if you want to drastically transform your life in one month.
Other people’s opinions are often based on emotions. They don’t always reflect reality.
An important thing to understand here is that it is based on their emotions.
When someone is truly happy, he will share his happiness with others.
When someone is sad, he will share his sadness with others.
But when someone is bitter, he will spread bitterness everywhere.
And when someone is angry, he will spread anger everywhere.
You need to learn to ignore these emotions.
Don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Don’t listen to anyone telling you how to live your life.
It is not your job to please everyone.
Your job is to grow and become happier and healthier. As a by-product, you’ll please the right people.
Decrease social media use
Social media can be a great tool to connect with people and grow a business.
But, I’m going to say that most people are highly addicted to and abusing it.
Even I struggle to control my scrolling. I consider myself very disciplined. I want to check in too much!
Social media is very distracting. It takes away your ability to focus and will cause you to procrastinate.
You compare yourself to others. You feel bad about yourself. After you give up social media, you’ll notice a huge difference in your work and mental state.
You should stop using social media because it makes you feel bad about yourself.
What kind of benefit do you have from looking at pictures of other people’s vacations?
Take control of your time
I have already mentioned an online tool called Freedom to help you manage your time and focus.
But there are other ways to take control of your time.
For example, you can use the Pomodoro technique.
The idea behind this technique is simple: every 25 minutes, you get a 5-minute break.
During these breaks, you can do whatever you need to do. For example, you could go for a walk, meditate, read, etc.
After 25 minutes, you start working again until the next 5-minute break.
This technique helps you stay focused and productive throughout the day.
It doesn’t matter how long you work. What matters is that you finish each task before moving on to the next one.
The Pomodoro technique has helped me tremendously.
Another technique that helped me is called Parkinson’s law. This states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.
So, if I set aside 30 minutes to complete a task, I will do it within that timeframe.
Without setting boundaries, I would never finish anything.
It takes discipline and planning to make sure everything gets done. But if you do it right, you can change your life in one month.
Build up your support system of friends
Having friends is important. Friends help us cope with stress; they motivate us, and they cheer us up when we are sad or depressed.
Friends also provide us with emotional support. If you don’t have enough friends, you might find it hard to deal with certain situations.
If you’re having trouble making new friends, try joining groups on Facebook, Reddit, Slack, or Twitter. There are many different groups out there.
Some are related to hobbies, interests, religion, sports, politics, etc.
You can join any group you like. Just choose the one that suits you best.
By joining groups, you can meet new people and make new connections.
And remember that not everyone wants to talk to strangers. So, if someone doesn’t respond to your messages, just move on.
There are plenty of groups out there. Don’t let rejection discourage you from trying again.
You can even form your own group and set expectations for what you would like to achieve as a group.
I have formed a small group with three other friends and me with the main focus to grow together but not push each other unnecessarily.
They are unique, smart and ambitious.
Sasa is a famous Serbian fitness YouTuber and owner of an apparel company, Stefan is the owner of a video editing agency, and Dragan is an automation architect.
Either find or create your own support system of friends. It is vital to have at least one friend you can count on.
Accept the doubt
Self-doubt is a natural part of any major life change. Use your strength to overcome those doubts.
Divorce, downsizing, retraining after a business folds, and other life changes may seem like failures. But some good can come out of them.
We fall many times before we learn to stand. A good way to conquer self-doubt is to work on your mental resilience.
When something goes wrong, or your vision of how you want life to be doesn’t work out, try not to think about it.
Instead, ask yourself: How could I improve it?
Having a mindset of improvement helps you accept things that happen in your life.
Being curious and open-minded allows you to see opportunities where others miss them.
This mindset gives you the confidence to keep moving forward despite setbacks.
Focus on your future happiness
Big changes aren’t always easy. When the going gets rough, focus on your long term happiness.
It’s a cliché, but it’s true: you can only control what you can control.
The rest of life will take care of itself in time.
You can decide what kind of person you want to become, what kind of relationships you want to build, what type of career you want to pursue, and so much more.
Don’t worry too much about the short term. You’ll get there eventually.
One month is a very short period, and imagine if you stick to your plan. What will you accomplish?
Give as much as you can
Giving is something that I was always taught was important, but I didn’t know the power until recently.
Ideas are not worth anything unless someone does something with them. Sharing your ideas makes you an idea man.
My recommendation is to become an action guy instead of an idea guy.
Giving is the act of creating value for another person.
If you put in the right amount of effort, you’ll receive back far more than you gave.
Giving is one of the most powerful ways to change your life quickly.
Doing good deeds for people around you will make you feel better.
Think of your abilities, what you have to offer, and what skills you have.
Then permissionlessly give all you got.
You have a talent and a gift, so you shouldn’t waste it by keeping it inside.
Summary on How to Drastically Change Your Life in One Month
All in all, big changes are possible, and they’re also achievable within a month.
It all starts with your self-awareness. Once you understand what you want and why you want it, you can start planning your path towards achieving it.
Get clear on what you want become within one month.
A strong sense of external and internal self-awareness is a catalyst to making a drastic change in your life and making it permanent.
- Identify why you want to change your life: Your why determines your actions. It should be something that drives you to achieve it. If you don’t know your why, you won’t be able to sustain the change.
- Define the changes you want to make: What exactly do you want to change? Become happy? Be successful? Start a business? Learn a new skill? Define it.
- Identify things that may hold you back: Now that you know what you want, identify what may hold you back from achieving it. This step is crucial because it will drag you down if you fail to address these issues.
- Pick your “one thing”: The last thing you need to do is pick your “one thing”. Choose the one thing that creates your domino effect.
Then move on to actionable steps to drastically change your life in one month.
- Change the way you talk about yourself: When you change how you talk about yourself, you change how you think about the world around you.
- Erase inner-negativity: Inner negativity is not serving you at all. It’s holding you back from making positive changes.
- One step at a time: Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Focus on one task that is the most important.
- Nurture your body and mind: You have only one body and one mind.
- Clean your environment: Get rid of clutter and junk; these things are just distracting you from focusing on what matters.
- Say goodbye to negative people: Negative people drain your energy. They are toxic to your transformation and quality of life.
- Let go of other people’s opinions: People’s opinion does not define you. Only you define yourself.
- Decrease social media use: Social media is great when used properly. However, too much of it can be detrimental to your health.
- Take control of your time: Time is our most valuable asset. Use it wisely. Use the Pomodoro technique and Parkinson’s law to maximize your productivity.
- Build up your support system of friends: Friends are there for us during good times and bad times. Nurture those relationships.
- Accept the doubt: Doubt is a natural part of the human experience. Accepting it is key to change.
- Focus on your future happiness: One month is a short period, and your future self will be grateful for the changes you made today.
- Give as much as you can: Give more. Give your talents permissionless. Create opportunities for yourself.
