Being aware of who you are, your circumstances, and where you desire to be simply isn’t enough. Reaching the point of self-awareness is, indeed, an important milestone for you to reach, but nothing changes in this space alone. If awareness is step A and where you desire to be is step C, you’ll notice that more work needs to be done to get there. In order to reach your desired destination, you must become aware, learn, and then apply what you’ve learned.
It’s easy to do nothing with your life; all it takes is putting forth no effort. Nothing changes. Your life will either stay the same or worsen over time. It is an acceptance of defeat. You will, however, have a thought of what if from time to time. What if things could be better? What if I did something about this life that I’m displeased with? What if I worked on myself?
I’d encourage you to not let these only be passing thoughts. Embrace these thoughts, sit with them, and give them strong consideration to explore further into becoming a real possibility of reshaping your life. Remove the blinders and become aware. Be honest with yourself about where you are, where you would like to be, and who you would like to become.
As you start to embrace the possibility of change, you’ll need to avoid the trap of this becoming a fairytale by not putting forth effort to bring these ideas to life. However, you shouldn’t just dive right into change. In many cases, you can’t. So what should you do? What happens next?
Learning what it takes to make the transformation you desire is imperative. Understand what it takes to improve yourself. Learn the necessary skills, take the courses, read the required books, network with the right people. Become invested in the learning process. The learning phase should become a permanent part of your journey, as it is an ongoing process. You shouldn’t, however, remain here. Remember that learning about the changes you desire to make isn’t the goal. The goal is to actually make the change. Become the change.
Through awareness and learning, more and more people tend to stop at each step before reaching the most important step, which is applying what you’ve learned. Being knowledgeable alone is pointless if not put to use. Applying what you’ve learned is the only way change can take place. It shows that you care and are taking things seriously.
Action is the difference-maker. Awareness remains and the learning continues as you push forward. You’ll notice as you evolve that you’ll become even more aware and that you’ll need to continue learning as you grow. Once you turn on the switch to change, it cannot be turned off. Growth has to continue as the world around you does the same.
Pausing to become self-aware and desiring growth are thoughtful acts, but they aren’t enough on their own. It simply means that you are aware that you want more. Nothing is done about it until you make a decision to act on it. The first action to take is to learn about what it will take to make the change you crave. You’ll need to understand that you are embarking upon a new lifestyle; an improved you. With knowledge comes the application of what you’ve learned. Put your knowledge into action and witness the transformation in your life. Continue to work at it. Always work towards improvement. Awareness, learning, and the application must all become intentional, considered, and consistent acts. Allow the three to work together, gradually reshaping how you think, live, and who you become.
