Do you feel stuck while craving personal growth, wondering how you can level up your life? Well, whether you are looking to develop yourself in your career, need a lifestyle change or a new beginning, it is never too late to reinvent yourself and start afresh.
In this post, we will discuss why you should level up your life and also share strategies and tips you can start implementing today to become the best version of yourself.
What Does It Mean To Level Up Your Life?
The term ‘Level Up’ originated in the gaming industry. I myself went through a gaming phase, back in the day, where the only ‘levelling up’ I looked forward to was in the Tomb Raider Game. ‘Level up’ has now taken on a new meaning in the field of personal development.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of Level Up means: to advance or improve (oneself, someone else, or something) in or as if in a game.
Why Is It Important to Level Up Your Life?
Levelling up your life is important because it allows you to create a better future for yourself and your family. You will avoid being stagnant and live your full potential. Depending on your chosen paths in pursuing personal growth, it can lead to greater self-awareness, improved health, financial security and happiness.
When you expand your knowledge and skills as you level up, you will pay closer attention to your needs, have better relationships, take the wheel on things you can control, and design a life of your choosing.
13 Tips To Reinvent Yourself and Level Up In Life
1. Spend Time in Self-Reflection
I truly believe that the first step to levelling up in life is to spend time with yourself. Daily, we are bombarded with distractions – demands from others, phone notifications, text messages, social media – so much of this adds no value to our lives.
Give yourself a period of time to disconnect from the noise. This is to help you evaluate who you are, what is beneficial to you in your life and the factors that may be preventing your growth.
Inform your friends and family that you are taking some time for yourself and will be offline for a while. Decide on a pre-determined period to do this – like two or three months, longer if you need it. This process will take time, so don’t rush it.
Of course, attend to your duties; take care of your children, go to work, school, do your chores, etc., but remove the unnecessary to focus on yourself.
Avoid using this time of self-reflection to scroll social media or watch television mindlessly. Go for walks in nature, or find a quiet spot at home, take a journal with you and just write. Write about your needs, your feelings, challenges, things you want to change etc. Pour yourself out onto the page. This exercise will give you a sense of direction.
Ask Yourself Some Questions To Figure Out What You Need to Do to Level Up
If you have no idea how to move forward on your personal growth journey, then you need to ask yourself some important questions.
- What are your limiting beliefs?
- What is your ultimate goal or purpose?
- Who is the ideal version of you?
- What bad habits do you need to eliminate from your life?
- Who are the toxic people around you that you should limit contact with or stay away from completely?
- What skill have you always wanted to learn?
- What is holding you back and what do you need to do to get started?
Only you would know the questions that are relevant to your life. But use this time to do some serious soul-searching.
2. Define and Set Your Goals
If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things. ~ Albert Einstein
A goal will give you purpose, something to work towards, and it will keep you motivated. Once you have a vision for your life, design a roadmap and put systems in place to get to your destination.
Determine what is important to you. What are your interests and passions?
Set specific and measurable goals. Instead of saying I want to write and publish books this year, say I want to write and publish two books within the next twelve months. Give yourself a deadline so you know the exact timeframe in which you should work. Then hold yourself accountable and stay on course.
Write your goals down in a journal and also post them in a place where they will be visible to you on a daily basis like on your closet door or on the vanity mirror.
A whiteboard or pegboard specifically for the purpose of posting your short-term and long-term goals is also a good option.
Have A Visual Representation of Your Goals
Use pictures as well – similar to a vision board. Collect pictures of what you envision your end goals to look like and post them near your written goals.
Posting a visual representation of your goals where you can see them every day can be a powerful tool to activate your reticular activating system.
According to this article on Medium.com:
“The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a bundle of nerves at our brainstem that filters out unnecessary information so the important stuff gets through.”
By posting your goals and pictures where they can be seen daily, you are providing your RAS with a clear signal that these goals are important to you. You would then be more receptive to opportunities and resources that you would not have been attuned to before and this can open you up to a world of possibilities.
How To Avoid Becoming Overwhelmed
One of the mottos that I live by is that you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time. My young sons also introduced me to this song on YouTube – One Thousand Steps Starts With One. It is a great reminder that we can accomplish anything if we take it one step at a time.
Do not become overwhelmed with your goals. Break them down into manageable pieces and work on the parts one by one.
A valuable lesson I have learnt from author James Clear in his bestselling book Atomic Habits is, “Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”
The systems that you design towards the goal are what will help you to progress. So for example, if your goal is to write a book, the system could be sitting at your desk at 5 am every morning and writing a minimum of 500 words before you start your day.
So start writing out your goals, mapping a way forward, and then get to work!
3. Work on Your Mindset
To level up your life takes stepping out of your comfort zone, embracing the unknown, trusting yourself and having courage. This requires working on your mindset.
The first step is to believe in yourself! Without believing that you can accomplish what you set out to do, you will become discouraged and can find yourself wanting to quit. If there is anyone who should never quit on you, that person is you! As retired US Navy Seal David Goggins says, you need to ‘callous your mind‘.
Have an unbreakable spirit and don’t let anyone get between you and your goals.
If you find it hard to have faith in yourself, you will have to do deep introspection and determine who or what implanted limiting beliefs in your mind. Once you discover that, realize that those beliefs are not true, abandon negative self-talk, and work on reprogramming your mind.
Changing your mindset will help you to be better able to navigate the waters of life, and be more resilient knowing that you can do anything that you set out to do.
4. Invest in Your Mental and Physical Health
As with a positive mindset, good mental and physical health is crucial to living a happy and meaningful life. If you are struggling with any mental health challenges at this time, seek help. Find a therapist, free counselling services that may be available in your area, or even talk to a trusted family member or friend.
Examine the foods and drinks that you are consuming. Alcohol, for example, can create or worsen existing depression and anxiety. Processed sugar-laden foods have been shown to contribute to mood swings and depression. Work to eliminate foods that may be contributing to emotional instability and poor mental health.
As for your physical health, we know that exercise is important for optimal performance, energy, cognitive clarity and overall wellness. It can also reduce the risk of illness, boost your self-esteem and improve the quality of your life. Find forms of exercise that you enjoy doing and incorporate them into your lifestyle. Of course, seek the advice of a medical practitioner before embarking on any exercise program or making dietary changes.
If you are financially able to go to a gym or hire a personal trainer, then by all means, go for it! If not, there are tons of free resources and videos online that can help you get in a good sweat at home. As well, incorporating walks around the neighbourhood, at a savannah or on a nature trail is a wonderful way to get in your daily steps and breathe some fresh air.
Grab your favourite human, be it your spouse or best friend, and go out in nature and get some sunshine.
Also, remember to get regular check-ups at the doctor. Visit your dentist or ob-gyn as needed and for those of us over 40, remember to do the recommended annual physical exams – pap smears etc.
5. Prioritize Self-Care
Taking care of yourself is one of the least selfish things you can do, in my opinion. Don’t feel guilty for taking care of yourself first – it is not a luxury, it’s a necessity! You can’t pour from an empty cup and when you take care of yourself you can take care of others.
Some self-care activities are:
- Getting enough sleep
- Taking a relaxing bath
- Meditation
- Spending time with loved ones
- Reading
- Taking a dip in the ocean
- Listening to music or a podcast
- Going for a professional massage
- Spending time with yourself (take yourself on a date, for example)
- Preparing a delicious, wholesome meal that you love
For more ideas on how you can practice self-care in your life, see this article from Good Therapy on 134 Activities to Add to Your Self-Care Plan.
6. Cultivate Positive Habits
Negative habits can hold us back and prevent us from levelling up in life. Sometimes they give us a dopamine hit, a rush of pleasure and we become addicted to the negative habits. Then they become hard to break.
The best time to let go of those habits that do not serve us is now! It may not happen overnight, but making today day one is a start in the right direction.
If you need help to overcome a particular behaviour, find a professional and start working on it.
Do all within your power to change attitudes and habits towards a positive outcome. If for example you know you like to eat a box of cookies every day and it is contributing to your weight gain, stop buying the cookies. Remove them from your home and find a healthier alternative that you can snack on.
Yes, it may not be that simple, but I believe we all have the answers to what works best for us. We have to actively seek them out.
Some good habits to work on are:
- Keeping a clean home – the state of your environment affects your mental state
- Decluttering
- Daily exercise or movement
- Following a morning routine
- Developing time management skills
- Practising good grooming and hygiene
7. Read To Level Up Your Life
Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a bibliophile. I love books and reading.
There are so many benefits to reading and it is a must in the journey to level up your life.
Reading helps to improve your vocabulary, and writing skills and boosts your creativity inspiring new and innovative ideas.
Good fiction can transport you to new worlds when you need a break from reality or to relax and relieve stress.
Non-fiction books like how-tos, memoirs, personal development and spiritual books can bring much value and offer a new perspective and outlook on life.
For any difficulties that you may be facing, someone has written a book about it that may help you see a clearer path forward. If you want to learn a new hobby or skill, there are many individuals who have shared their expertise and experience through their writings.
You don’t have time to sit and read a physical book? Audiobooks have changed the way we consume information from books. Now you can listen to a book while you do a mundane task, wash the dishes or fold laundry and elevate your knowledge and therefore your life.
Invest in yourself; read more books!
8. Build Your Skills Through Continuous Learning
Continuous Learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.” ~ Brian Tracy
Continuous learning is the ongoing process of learning new skills and advancing your knowledge on any given topic. You can level up and learn almost anything, whether it be cooking, bushcraft, foreign languages, stocks and trading, affiliate marketing or humanitarianism. All that matters is that it is something that is important to you that would help to further your goals and improve your life.
Among other things, lifelong learning can help you:
- develop skills
- advance in your career
- discover new interests
- build your character
- open up to new opportunities
- become more confident
- contribute to your personal and professional growth
In this digital age in which we live, we have access to a plethora of platforms and modes of learning outside of the traditional classroom settings. These range from books, podcasts, video tutorials, and online courses. Even if extra funds may not be available for you to pursue a new form of learning at the moment, there are tons of free resources on the internet.
I have listed some platforms that offer free online courses in my previous post on Online Courses For Stay-At-Home Moms. As for books, there are free books online at Project Gutenberg, Open Library and of course many free tutorial videos on YouTube.
9. Surround Yourself with Positive People
One of the most important things you can do on your level-up journey is to surround yourself with positive people. If you haven’t done it before, become aware of the people you allow into your life and your personal space.
There are many persons that we encounter who may not have our best interest at heart or may be self-serving, manipulative and toxic. Keep away from these people as much as humanly possible. Removing them from your life can create space to bring in healthy and supportive relationships.
If you are on the social scene, go to places where you will be able to network with the kind of people you would like to interact with. An example would be attending workshops or seminars to meet like-minded individuals. If you are a stay-at-home mom, find communities online where you can meet people who share your interests. If you can afford it, join a mastermind group.
As you build yourself, find a mentor. A mentor can be someone in your community that you admire or a successful entrepreneur in the field that you want to go into. It can even be your grandma who teaches you how to meal plan and budget like a boss!
In the absence of a mentor, find a person that you appreciate, even if you never met them, like an author or online personality who you can learn from as you progress on your path.
10. Eliminate Time-Wasters
It is easy to spend hours mindlessly scrolling Instagram, Tik Tok or Facebook for entertainment purposes. We walk away no more enlightened having wasted hours of life that could have been better spent.
Time is our most precious resource. If you want to level up in life, you have to become more mindful of how you spend your time and use it wisely.
This does not only apply to online activities, we need to analyze the time we spend on offline activities as well that may not be beneficial. For example, agreeing to go to a pub or bar after work for drinks due to peer pressure when you would rather go home and work on your ebook or e-commerce store. These are the decisions that you would have to make that would be in your best interest.
Evaluate your time spent on social media, low-quality socializing, unnecessary errands, and unimportant tasks and make changes in these areas. You have more control than you know!
11. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Stepping outside of your comfort zone again has to do with changing your mindset. But it can also be a chicken and egg scenario. For example, you can work on your mindset to overcome a limitation like a phobia or you can take the plunge and just do the thing only to realize that the fear was all in your head and there was nothing to worry about.
So commit to trying something that you may be hesitant about. Explore a new adventure, and test your strength and resiliency.
For example, go scuba-diving with an instructor, take an introductory flight in a light aircraft, try a program like Andy Frisella’s 75 Hard or do a 30-day no-alcohol challenge. Do it as a commitment to yourself. You’ll never know what you are capable of unless you put yourself out there.
If you are still reluctant to get started, see if you can get a friend or family member to share the experience with you.
12. Develop Your Image – Dress For Success
One of the most valuable lessons I have learned about personal style and appearance I learned from author Mitch Horowitz. In his book, The Miracle Habits: The Secret of Turning Your Moments into Miracles, he shares how he found a style that was all his own and gives his take on the importance of being true to yourself – not trying to conform to someone else’s standards.
I love this chapter in the book as it emphasizes self-acceptance and owning your uniqueness which I think are important in the quest for personal transformation.
Part of discovering your primal self involves cultivating the right outer appearance — one that you are comfortable with and that speaks to who you really are, or wish to be. ~ Mitch Horowitz
Medium.com
Value your own standard of beauty and style. If you don’t know what is your style, go to a platform like Pinterest and browse different fashion genres and aesthetics to see what combinations sing to your heart and bring you a sense of joy.
Check out YouTube tutorials on grooming, hair and makeup if those are the areas you want to work on and find what suits you.
This can be a gradual process. Make changes one at a time to see how you feel. Eventually, you will craft the appearance and style that you truly want to embody and level up your image.
13. Build Something for Yourself and Leave a Legacy
I credit blogger, Adam Enfroy with embedding the concept to ‘build something for yourself’ in my mind. It is actually a profound idea in that it can actually make your life about more than you. In building something for yourself you can leave a legacy. That something can be a blog, an e-commerce business, a publishing company, a clothing line, a catering business, a book, paintings….anything your heart desires.
In building a legacy, you can set an example for your children. They can see what focus and hard work entails and the results they can bring.
Working towards building your own mini empire, gives you a sense of fulfillment and purpose. It is definitely a big step in the level-up journey, but it can be done. Believe in yourself and make it happen!
Your potential is limitless. You are unique, valuable, capable, and worthy of the dreams in your heart. Most of all, you have what it takes to transform and transcend whatever challenges you face. ~ Marie Forleo, Everything is Figureoutable
Conclusion
It is never too late to make a fresh start, reinvent yourself and level up your life. By setting goals, working on your mindset, developing healthy habits and investing in yourself, you can make dramatic changes in a positive direction and become the person that you want to be.
It is a process that takes time, so be gentle with yourself but remain committed and consistent and you will see results! Take the first step today towards a happier, purposeful and more fulfilling life.
I always look forward to reading your blog . It is so inspiring. Makes me want to do better. Thank you and keep up the good work . You motivate me.
Thank you so much for your kind words and for being a part of my community. I look forward to continuing to inspire and motivate you as we learn and grow together.