7 Principles to Join the Top 1%: Transform Your Life from Within

Principle 1: Nothing in my life will change if I don’t change myself first

I’ve realized that the life I am currently living is merely a reflection of my decisions, habits, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts. Therefore, if I want to change anything in my life — having more time, reducing stress, earning more money, improving my relationships, or getting in better shape — I must start by changing myself first.

The life I’m living now is one that I have created through my own choices. In the past, I had it the other way around. I waited for external circumstances to change before working on myself. I waited until I finished school to begin improving myself. Many people try to create a better life by improving their external conditions, but they don’t change themselves. That approach will never work because the life we are living is a product of our own decisions, habits, thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. So, if we want a new and better life, we must first improve ourselves.

The good news is that changing ourselves is something we have complete control over. For example, if I want more free time, I might need to change some behaviors — perhaps learning to say no more often than yes, or planning my day better to become more efficient. I may need to overcome fears of missing out or challenge…