Simple Ways to Improve Your life

Listen to this episode to learn small, simple things you can do to improve your life. Leveling up your life is easier than you think!

Show Notes

Episode Summary:

What if we told you that you could improve your life by doing small, simple things that have a big impact? Leveling up your life can be easier than you think! In this episode we are sharing small things that make a big impact on your life.

In this episode:

Talking Point 1:

In our very first episode we discussed three types of life you can live, the caged life, the comfortable life and the inspired life.

Our goal is the inspired life.

• As a teacher, you exist in a world that is full of expectations.You want to help your students while also supporting your family and friends. It is easy to lose yourself, to fill everyone else’s bucket while leaving yours empty.
• You deserve to find your own happiness and fulfillment in your life.
• It is easy to get stuck in a rut and to accept the ordinary or mundane. That is not where life’s magic happens. Life’s magic happens when you are feeling alive, joyful, and empowered.
• What are you doing when you feel most alive and joyous?  What gives you the most energy?  Consider how you can bring some of those elements into every day in small ways.

Small things, done repeatedly, have the power to make big changes.

• A slow trickle of water can create a canyon.
• One small rolling rock can start an avalanche.
• Choosing to take small actions can build momentum that will help you to continue a journey that will result in increased happiness.
• This is not about perfection, it is about small steps that add up to progress.

Talking Point 2:

The following are some suggestions of small, simple things than you can implement to start building momentum towards living your inspired life.

1. Smile at someone. They will likely smile back. Smiling increases our mood-enhancing hormones and decreases our stress hormones.
2. Add fruit or cucumbers to your water bottle. You’ll drink more and stay hydrated. Good hydration increases our overall energy and our ability to think clearly.
3. Text a friend just to say “Hi” or wish them a good day. Positive relationships increase our happiness and even our life expectancy!
4. Give a compliment- you’ll benefit from a good feeling as much as the recipient.
5. Look out at a beautiful vista in nature and breathe. You will relax and feel calmer.
6. Every day, congratulate yourself for one thing that you did well. Success builds more success.
7. Laugh more. Tell your students a stupid joke. Joke around with a colleague. Laughing reduces stress.
8. Use the mindfulness feature on your smart phone or watch. It literally takes one minute!

Talking Point 3:

Here are a few more ideas, these take a bit more time or effort, but are worth the investment. We’ve talked more in detail about many of these ideas on this podcast.

• Engage in an activity that you love. No time for your favorite hobby? Try spending just ten minutes. Play one song on the piano. Make a sketch. Do a few yoga poses. Read a few pages. Something is always more than nothing and engaging in a passion increases our happiness.
• Ask yourself, what is one small thing I could do to care for myself right now? Then do it. If you don’t care for yourself, who else is going to? Like Miley Cyrus sings, “ I can buy myself flowers.”
• Make plans to do something fun with a friend. You’ll have something to look forward to!
• Spend a few minutes journaling- it helps you to develop self-awareness.
• When you feel overwhelmed, get out of your head and into your body. Take a short walk. Immerse yourself in water. Dance in your living room for five minutes. You’ll feel more at peace and calmer.

If you feel stuck, change your routine.

• Taking a different route to work, cooking something new, or talking with someone you don’t know well can open up creativity and new ways to solve a problem.
• When you feel yourself doubting that you can do something, challenge it. Come up with at least one example that whatever you are doubting is not true. Look at the evidence that proves you can do something. Your experiences in the past will give you strength for the future.
• Choose something in your life that is no longer serving you and let it go. This might be as simple as an article of clothing or a household object, or as complicated as a relationship. Letting go of things that no longer serve you will open space for better things.

Recap:

Life is not about perfection. It is about moving in the right direction. You don’t need to up end your entire life to improve your life. You just need to focus on small, positive actions that add up to big momentum.

A special shout-out

We’d like to give a shout out to all of our listeners, Thank you so much for listening, we are grateful to you. We want to particularly note our international listeners, Ghana, Barbados, Mexico, United Kingdom, Australia, Costa Rica, India, Phillippines, Turkey, and others.

We weren’t expecting to find international listeners, but you are very loyal listeners and we are so grateful to you! We’d love to know more about you, drop us an email at inspiredtogetherlearning.com and tell us about yourself and where you are listening from.

Quote:

“I always tell people if you want to know the secret to happiness, I can give it to you in one word: progress. Progress equals happiness.”

Tony Robbins

Related Episodes/Blog Posts:

Episode 1 The Inspired Life

Blog: 20 Things You Can Do to Make Your Life Better

Connect with the Inspired Together Teachers Community:

 Download our FREE resource: The Inspired Teachers Guide to Taking Back Your Life.

Website: https:www.inspiredtogetherteachers.com

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 More About Inspired Together Teachers:

Are you a teacher struggling to balance your best work with your best life?

If you are dedicated and caring but often overwhelmed and exhausted, join us at Inspired Together Teachers. We’ll give you inspiration, strategies and tips that help you navigate life’s challenges as a stronger, more confident, and more joy filled person, both in and out of the classroom.

Inspired Together Teachers will give you practical tools to experience more of what matters most in your life.

Co-hosts Paula Schmidt and Michele Vosberg are award winning educators with the experience and skills to help teachers thrive in life and work. They’ve taught at all levels, worked with thousands of teachers, and conducted workshops around the world. They are also the authors of the #1 best-selling book The Inspired Teachers Journal: A Weekly Guide to Becoming Your Best Self.

Paula and Michele would love to have you to join them on their quest to lived inspired lives.