Upgrading Your Life, Step By Step

When we ‘level up’ in a video game, that’s usually associated with a range of virtual benefits we can make use of. From assigning character points in the leveling system, to becoming stronger and more versatile. Of course, life is not a video game, but sometimes ‘gamifying’ our everyday priorities can help us feel a little more motivated and able to track our goals.

Now, this sounds silly, and you’re more than within your right to think so, too. However, there are some worthwhile concepts to keep in mind here. Perhaps, in real life, we could take the time to ‘level up,’ or upgrade our daily experience through a few wise investments of our cash and time. After all, why shouldn’t this work? Every gym session you attend will incrementally increase your physical fitness, which will ultimately help you become in-shape physically. Is it possible for us to manage a few hobbies or actions that enables us to move forward with confidence, especially after the great cultural reset of a coronavirus lockdown?

We think so. In the following column of advice, you’ll find some loving guidance to that end:

When you look good, you feel good. Does this mean you have to wear the best clothes in order to feel like a worthwhile person? Absolutely not, and you will read nothing similar to that erroneous viewpoint here. However, it can help to ensure you’re wearing clothes that help you feel comfortable, and confident, and put together well. 

This might mean taking the time to look for some worthwhile eyeglasses that suit your head shape, as prescription lenses can help you interface with the world with further clarity. It might be that investing in a great pair of sneakers can help you relive your nostalgia for comfort wear in the 90s. You may even find that purchasing body-hugging gym wear allows you to work out in style, confidence, and with even-more enjoyable practicality. 

Do not feel as if you have to wear certain clothing to impress others. Finding style that compliments how you feel inside, helping you express your inner self, can help you feel much more present in everyday life. If that’s not a worthwhile upgrade, we’re not sure what is.

Your body is your temple, and taking a renewed effort to look after it can be one of the most important things you do in life. From exercising to the degree you are able to eating enough green vegetables a day, the way we treat our body is ultimately the way we perceive the world.

Your body is also sensitive to many daily habits that you could improve if you’re looking for a life upgrade. For instance, getting your sleep cycle in check can be a tremendous aid to anyone hoping to preserve more energies throughout the day. From heading to bed at a regular nightly hour to rising in the morning and performing a few stretches at a standardized time, the more you can gain your eight hours each night and stay hydrated, the better you will feel on average.

Life is much easier to deal with if you follow a routine. Those with 9-5 jobs will often be experts at this, but it’s also important to iron out some of the details if you have a chance. 

A routine is not just getting up and showering at the right time, but ensuring you meditate each morning, preparing your meals for the next week (and freezing them in an organized manner), or it can mean preparing your skincare routine every night. This way, the habits you know you should keep on top of become less isolating and unenjoyable, and instead start to fill your life with a sense of responsibility and perspective.

Furthermore, just like following the same route to work each day, the tasks you must keep on top of require less energy output if you know what you’re doing and when you’re doing it. So, if you really wish to become more productive and gain more free time each and every 24 hour cycle, learning the power of routine can be a great benefit.

An easy means of improving your life, starting now, is to be honest, or at least to make an effort not to lie. This can be a very hard task. Many of us tell white lies or mistruths in order to function socially, or to limit the effects of a negative situation, or to try and avoid social faux pas.

Of course, we can tell our colleague their new hairstyle looks great despite it being questionable in your eyes, those kinds of mistruths are necessary for people to get along, and for us to live well.

But being honest with those we’re close to, or especially ourselves, can be important. Do you really wish to purchase the latest fashion styles because you feel comfortable in them, or because you’re trying to overcompensate in some way? Might it be better to find the styles you actually enjoy and wear those, without having to worry about ‘fitting in’ all the time? Furthermore, staying honest can often help you out of difficult situations. If you’re struggling with a past even that has left its mark on you, you’re well within your right to discuss it.

If you’re worried for a family member, avoiding bottling those emotions up can help you start to make real progress in your relationship with them. Staying humble and staying honest can help bring your mindset down to a grounded level, and it’s from there we can see what is most important, and how we can function in the world with care and consistency. To us, that sounds like a fantastic place to start.

When we’re tired of occupying the same position in life, or we need a change, it’s very tempting for us to throw the baby out with the bathwater and invest all our time, energies and finances in a new direction. Yet sometimes, this can leave us feeling rather put-out and tired. It can also prevent us from making thorough and insightful progress due to how intensely we’re forcing the process.

Could it be that setting realistic goals is important to help us upgrade our lives? Whenever we wish for an important change, we can find it incrementally. If you hope to get fit and muscular, for instance, you do not attend one mighty gym session aimed at training each muscle group you have and eating twenty thousand calories that day. Instead, you head to the gym and work out a little, come home and rest. Then, two days later, the same. Over time, you will have set realistic goals that have are specific, measurable achievable, realistic and timely. Over time, progress will be made through this careful setup.

Sometimes it’s not knowing what you want that becomes the important part, rather how you believe you will get there. When pursuing tangible goals through this template, you will see just how quickly a dream can become reality.

Social Curation

You would be (and will be) astonished just how effective great social curation can be when helping you better your life. It’s not uncommon for people to find their life populated with people who simply do not want what is best for them. From unreliable to toxic friends, to colleagues at work we dread to socialize with, or even family members that seem content to belittle us thanks to little pushback over the years, sometimes it can be tiring to feel alone despite being surrounded by people.

So, it can be worth deciding to speak to negative influences less, and to bring people closer to you who are a net positive influence in your life experience. Social curation of this nature can help you feel more positive in yourself. It will also help you work as an ally with those you truly care for. Life is too short to surround yourself with people who provide obstacles. Of course, there’s a difference between a friend who gives you constructive criticism and someone who lambasts you for no reason. Taking stock and seeing just who your true friends might be can serve as a worthwhile yearly practice. It helps you avoid placing your energies where they’re not appreciated.

Life, in general terms, is largely unpredictable. It’s hard to say what any of us will be doing ten years from now, or how happy we will be. However, we can always take the time to focus on goals that keep us on the right path, and help us enjoy the journey of this crazy life. The more we can do that, the more we can feel an improvement over time, and the better rewards and positive experiences we can squeeze out of our yearly plans. With all the templates given in this article, we hope you can find a few measures that help you move forward with confidence, care, and renewed life potential.