I've never liked that saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". It is defeatist.
To my mind it is never too late to make a change and re-invent yourself.
If you find this hard to believe, just watch the YouTube video clip of the amazing woman called Paddy who—at the age of 79 (she turns 80 in July)—decided she was going to relearn ballroom dancing and let the whole world know about it.
She walked up that stage on Britain’s Got Talent, her dancing partner Nico in tow, faced the judges, including the caustic Simon Cowell, and blew everyone away with her amazing salsa moves. I could not count the number of times people were caught on camera saying or mouthing “Oh my god!” as she was being twirled, tossed and flailed about! In the end, she not only got a standing ovation, but the “golden buzzer” which sent a rain of golden confetti on the stage.
In a way, there is a Paddy in each of us. Whether it is improving your health, your appearance, your weight, your career or your relationships with people—the lesson is constant: It doesn't matter whether you are 18 or 80. You can become the best version of yourself at any time.
But where do you start to becoming a better you?
Sort out your habits and let go of those that no longer work for you. We tend to hold on to habits because they are comforting and familiar, but when they become self-defeating we need to let them go.
Are you always late for work? The answer may seem obvious but get up early! It is so much easier to seize control of the day when you start it positively. Do you always love to do things at the last minute? Make it a habit to beat the deadline and save yourself from unnecessary stress. Practice healthy habits daily, each chance you get and open up to rewarding life experiences. You may also consider talking to a life coach to get a fresh approach to hard-to-break habits.
Focus on the present. When you feel like you could fall back into old patterns, move forward with a positive focus in mind. Always aim to improve. With the right mindset, you are sure to succeed in re-engineering various facets of your life.
When was the last time you learned something new? Whether it was taking that short course to help you at work, or picking up a new hobby from friends or colleagues—don’t stop learning. Empower yourself with new skills or knowledge.
Visualise success—whether it is getting a job you really like or improving your interpersonal relationships. Imagine the process of reaching your goal. This helps you focus your attention and energy on the steps you need to take. It also helps reduce anxiety.
Always carry a healthy attitude in life. Get rid of self-limiting thoughts like “I can’t”. These are distractions you don’t need. Leave judgment and negativity at the door.
Challenge yourself. Try something new or do something you’ve always wanted to do. Do you like to travel or cook? Find out what makes you click.
Take control of the things that influence your life. If you want to successfully re-engineer your life, you need to take control of what and who you expose yourself to. Say yes to healthy life experiences and no to people or places that don’t add value to your life.
Set realistic goals and follow them through with affirmative actions. When you take positive steps towards what you want, you are one step closer to your goal.
Finally, commit to your goals. The reason why we fail to achieve our goals is lack of commitment. Make a plan and follow it through. Start now, don’t procrastinate. Start somewhere, anywhere. Just taking that first step could spell the difference between failure and success.
With the right mindset coupled by hard work there is nothing in life that you can’t achieve.
