Your Action Plan is a monthly to-do list of tips straight from SUCCESS magazine—10 things you can do right now to improve yourself and your life. This month, focus on where you want to go. Do more of the things that move you forward in life, and create a life full of positive momentum.
1. Move forward in life by learning obsessively.
To become a master at what you do, focus on continuously improving every day. That means learning something new even when you’re tired or unmotivated.
Read: 5 Ways to Be Better Than ‘Just Good’
2. Stay humble.
Celebrate your success but don’t let it feed your ego. Keep a list of all the people who helped you get where you are as a humble reminder.
Read: Success Is a Journey, Not a Destination
3. Keep a budget to move forward in life.
While diligent expense tracking is beneficial, each person’s needs may be different, and making room for some small luxuries isn’t always a bad thing—or a bank-breaker. This week, track your three most troublesome spending categories and mark where you can start cutting back.
Read: I Tried (and Failed) to Go a Month Without Spending Money
4. Move forward in life by feeling your feelings.
When life feels overwhelming, pretending that you’re strong isn’t always the best thing to do. Allow yourself to experience the difficult emotions so you can begin to work through them.
Read: How to Know When It’s Time to Change
5. Wake up earlier for a quiet morning routine.
Not everyone is a morning person, but everyone can benefit from the quiet time in the morning before emails and calls start pouring in. Set your alarm one hour earlier this month and see what happens.
Read: What Happened When I Woke Up at 4:30 for 30 Days
6. Just breathe before responding.
Struggling with patience? Start by taking three or four deep breaths. Sometimes all we need is a minute to calm ourselves before responding.
Read: 5 Ways to Be the Patient Person You Never Thought You Could Be
7. Get real about your finances to move forward in life.
Debt is easy to wander into and hard to escape. Take a hard look at your finances this month. Does your spending match your values?
Read: Dave Ramsey Has a Plan for the Rest of Your Life
8. Assess where you’re at now to move forward in life.
Your work doesn’t have to be boring. You don’t have to dread your daily alarm. Write down 10 things that excite you, move you or drive you. Do they align with your current career?
Read: How to Start Over
9. Stretch it out.
If you spend hours sitting in front of a laptop every day, start spending 10 minutes of every hour walking around, stretching your back and relieving your eyes. Give yourself time to refresh.
Read: 41 Ways to Improve Yourself in Just 10 Minutes
10. Move forward in life by finding focus.
Avoid distractions to stay focused on your goals. Explain your dream and vision to family and friends. Set aside time for mind wandering to be more productive.
Read: 3 Keys to Getting Motivated When You Feel Stuck
This article appeared in the June 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine and was updated June 2023. Photo by Inside Creative House/Shutterstock