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Top 7 Most Life-Changing Tips


So I have something to confess. I adore self-help books. It's like having a motivational speaker and wise guru at arms reach, whenever you need to be inspired or guided.


Here are my some of my favorite inspirational books:


1. Mans’ Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

2. Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul by Deepak Chopra

3. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

5. A New Earth Eckhart Tolle


Unlike with the advice of a well-meaning friend or relative, if you don’t like the opinion of a self-help book, you can toss it aside or delete it from your Kindle. But if the advice resonates with you, then you can integrate it right away into your life.


The difference between ‘push’ versus ‘pull.' When you pull the wisdom toward you, you are in a frame of mind to accept change and leverage the momentum of will. If someone pushes advice at you when you’re not in the optimum frame of mind, it can be downright irritating or alienating.


So, if you are in an open mind frame, read on to learn the top seven most life-changing tips I discovered from all the self-help books I’ve read over the years.


Top 7 Most Life-Changing Tips


1. The moment you wake up in the morning do 5 minutes of strength-building exercise.


2. Wake up 30 minutes earlier and use that time toward a long-term goal.


3. Focus every morning on working toward accomplishing long-term projects or goals.


4. Get Healthier by:

• fasting 12-14 hours per 24 hours

• eating six different types of vegetables & fruit before instead of in place of treats

• only drinking water and unsweetened drinks

• walking twenty minutes a day


5. Take 5 minutes to contemplate something beautiful


6. Designate the same 30-60 minutes daily to get clean/organized.


7. Tell one person every day how wonderful you think they are, or how thankful you are that they are in your life. (right after you brush your teeth, just before bedtime.)


1. The moment you wake up in the morning do 5 minutes of strength-building exercise.


I do fifty pushups, and thirty-five leg lifts in my quick tone and glow effort. (Read my related article.) Perhaps you want to hang upside down and do five minutes of gravity crunches, or another strength exercise.

*PS. If you have a great strength exercise idea, please let me know in the comments section.

Have these five minutes be a promise to yourself you always keep. It doesn’t matter if you go out for a run afterward, do an hour of yoga, or hit the gym after work: always do the five minutes when you first open your eyes. That way, if life gets in the way of your run, or gym session (like throwing-up a toddler or an unexpected late evening in the office), you have some fitness in for the day.


2. Wake up 30 minutes earlier and use that time toward a long-term goal.


Perhaps you want to write a book, train for a marathon, complete a world-travel trip, learn a new language, improve critical relationships, learn a new skill, read a hundred books in the next year, or (insert bucket list goal here.)


If you sit down, resonate inward, and reflect: what is a long-term goal that will enrich your life, a sense of purpose, joy, or vitality? Do you have it in mind? Perfect.


Now create a basic Excel sheet, or take out a blank piece of paper. Write the date and log your thirty minutes (start and stop time) and what you accomplished. For instance, I always write how many words I wrote at that time. You could write how many miles you ran, how far you came with your world-trip research, or how many sections of Babbel –French you finished.


Start tomorrow morning toward your goal. Thirty minutes at a time. Track your progress daily.


3. Focus every morning on working toward accomplishing long-term projects or goals.


What is the first thing most people do in the morning?


Check out their e-mail. Don’t do this!


I believe the most potent energy we have is in the morning, which means you should use the first hour in the office to work on a long-term project, especially if it requires concentration and creativity. So, don’t schedule any meeting for the first hour of your workday either.


But Heather, you may say, I have a big project that is due tomorrow. I can’t work on that long-term project today. My question is, could you stay one more hour at work today, or get into the office one hour earlier tomorrow to compensate?

Studies have shown that people tend to focus on daily sparks instead of smoldering issues.


Don’t end up battling a forest fire because you haven’t focused on strategic, high-value generating projects.


Believe me when I tell you that you will walk around much more internally balanced when you have spent one hour of uninterrupted time each morning working on a long-term goal of strategic importance.


Hey there parents: this insight is for you too! You have long-term goals as a parent and homemaker also, like teaching your child to read, spending high-quality time together, or working on a home improvement project.


4. Get Healthier by:


Fasting 12-14 hours per 24 hours

• Eating six different types of vegetables & fruit before treats

• Only drinking water and unsweetened drinks

• Walking thirty minutes a day


Numerous studies have stated the health benefits of fasting regularly. Give your system a break by not eating during a twelve to fourteen-hour interval, say from seven at night until nine the next morning.


Now, I know everyone will tell you to cut out junk food, sugar, fat, meat… but I disagree. Stop focusing on what you should refrain from, and start focusing on what you should do first, which is eat nutrient, fiber-rich vegetables and fruit.


Research studies have revealed that it depletes our willpower muscle to refrain from that raspberry chocolate fudge cake.


So I say, don’t resist!


Instead, eat the cake! But first, eat a plate of crunchy cut-up vegetables and fruit then indulge away and enjoy every bite of chocolate goodness.


Why will this help?


With fiber-rich food in your stomach, your body won’t spin into as deep of a sugar high and crash. You will be less likely to crave a second piece of cake. And you will have gotten nutrient-rich food into your tummy too. Meanwhile, your willpower hasn’t been exhausted for the day, so when it is time for your daily walk, run, or trapeze session, you will go.


If you hate exercising, then you won’t do it. So find an activity that you think is fun and you look forward to doing. And if you are one of those people who hate every type of exercise, then walk every day for 30 minutes.


There is no need to put on workout clothes or even sneakers. One thing I learned living in Europe is you can walk miles, pain-free, in cute ballet flats and a dress.


According to the American Heart Association, walking at a brisk pace can reduce your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes the same as running if you stick with it thirty minutes a day, five days a week!


Still, need an incentive? Go ahead and take your glass of coffee or wine on the walk with you.


5. Contemplate something beautiful for 5 minutes


Beauty is food for the soul. Boost and protect your emotional and mental health by observing something you find beautiful for a full five minutes each day.


Five minutes doesn’t sound like a lot. But wait and watch how those 5 minutes bend and expand. I love to revel in the smell of my rose hedges and lavender during these five minutes as I make a bouquet. I like to search out inspiring photographs via Unsplash, or new art via Ted talks such as the series ‘Object of Desire’. Make it a game to search for beauty via all five senses. Perhaps for your five minutes, you will meditate on the sound of the rain, the smell of homemade brownies, or the feel of hot water against your skin.


These five minutes of mindfulness will develop an attitude of wonder and appreciation. By consciously directing your attention, even for five minutes, you will build your inner serenity, strength, and happiness. Don’t believe me? I dare you to try it.


6. Designate the same 30-60 minutes daily to get clean/organized.


We always complete the clean and organize between 18:30 and 19:30, but choose the time that works best with your schedule. During this time, we still follow the same flow: kitchen clean-up, pick-up, vacuuming, bathroom bleach spray-down, and laundry. (Link to my related article.)


The advantage of an evening clean is emotional. It is satisfying when there are a full twelve hours where the home stays clean after you finish your efforts. My tip is to listen to a book on your phone while you clean and organize, or to a favorite educational podcast. My favorite audiobook service is Audible.


Note: You may have a fabulous cleaning person and a sparkling house. Lucky you! Use this time to organize your clothes for work, pre-prepare your meals for the next day, and think strategically about how to manage your time to achieve long-term wins.


7. Tell one person daily how inspiring you think they are, or how thankful you are that they are in your life. (right after you brush your teeth, just before bedtime.)


This is a new goal of my own that I haven’t integrated into my daily life as much as I want to, yet. But I’m going to start today!


We live in a society that is self-focused. I’m not judging; I’m just saying it how I see it, folks. I am guilty of self-focus too. Yes, we may ‘like’ things and give compliments, but I believe these are a bit too surface to resonate with individuals on a soul-satisfying level deeply.

I plan on writing cards or e-mails. If you are brave enough to say it out loud while looking someone in the eyes, then you will earn some serious respect from yours truly.


Just imagine if you received a note saying ‘Hey, just wanted to reach out and say how warm-hearted, lovable, (alternative options) I think you are. I’m thankful you are in my life.’ What would be your reaction?


How to integrate this wisdom into my life?


If you are living with the majority of people out there, then it's hard to integrate change into your life. I have read many books and articles filled with advice I wanted to take. The problem I had was acting on the information.


There is a simple trick.


Keep a goal journal. What you measure, you can change. But keep it simple!

So, if you are ready to measure and track these goals, I have created a daily goal tracker for you. Just fill in the details of your progress, like this:


Wishing you health, happiness, and success – Heather Nadine


PS: If you have a favorite self-help book to recommend, please share it with me.


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