As humans, we love to fixate on things that cannot be controlled.
I’ve wasted my time in the past trying to change my feelings, hating my least favorite seasons, and fixing other people’s opinions about me (because how can someone not like me?!).
Needless to say, they all turned out to be fruitless endeavors.
You can’t change how you feel about someone or something, you can’t control the weather, and other people’s opinions on anyone (including you) are not yours to control.
But what you can do is work on detangling your emotions, do things to romanticize every season (or seriously consider moving to a place where the weather’s to your liking), and say no to the idea of people pleasing.
For every one thing in life you can’t control, there are ten others that you can.
From your thoughts and actions to your relationships and goals, there is a lot of important stuff that is in your hands.
I’ve put together a list of 51 game-changing aspects of life where you get to call the shots.
If you’ve ever felt like life is just happening to you, this post is to remind yourself of all the power that you hold in life.
If you’re ready to steer your life in the direction you want, then read on.
51 Things In Life You Can Control
1. Your behavior toward others.
2. How you spend each second of your day.
3. The amount of water you drink every day.
4. How you express yourself and how well you listen to others.
5. How grateful you are for things that are usually taken for granted (like the flower, a glass of water, a smile from your loved one).
6. How much you share about yourself and which people you do it with.
7. The number of goals, priorities, and commitments you take on at a time.
8. Learning from your mistakes and giving yourself permission to move on.
9. Who to give importance to and who to keep at a distance.
10. How much you pour into your mental health and self-care.
11. Your attitude toward life in general.
12. The amount of effort you put into your goals.
13. Your reaction to uncertain and unexpected situations.
14. How you spend your money and how much you save.
15. Whether you forgive or hold on to resentment.
16. Prioritizing the right things at the right time (priorities change with time, and we need to adapt accordingly).
17. Your expectations from yourself and others.
18. Your beliefs, thoughts, and opinions.
19. How honest you are with yourself and everyone else.
20. How you manage stress and anxious thoughts.
21. Social media usage (the less, the better).
22. The type of content you consume every day.
23. The way you feel about your body.
24. Whether you swear or show patience.
25. Your me-time and personal space.
26. Your food habits and eating choices in every meal.
27. When to say what’s on your mind and when to let it be.
28. Your work-life balance (leaving personal troubles at home and keeping your work issues at the office).
29. Being intentional and mindful with your tasks.
30. Living in the present instead of dwelling in the past.
31. How much you worry about the future.
32. How self-aware you are.
33. The way you talk to yourself in your head.
34. How many good habits you follow consistently.
35. Whether you give up after a failure or learn and keep going.
36. How you respond to feedback, both positive and negative.
37. When you wake up and go to bed.
38. Showing up for others when they need you.
39. Saying no when you want to.
40. Appreciating and returning gestures of kindness and generosity.
41. The number of books you read every year.
42. How you channel your negative emotions.
43. The form of exercise you use to move your body.
44. Taking small breaks during the day to avoid burnout.
45. How you spend your weekend and a day off.
46. Which events to show up to and which ones to skip.
47. How much fun you have as you keep getting older.
48. Focusing on your breaths in a stressful situation.
49. Whether you show up on time or keep running late.
50. How many risks you take and how often you step out of your comfort zone.
51. How many times you tell your loved ones ‘I love you.’
Focus On What You Can Control
Life is dynamic, and there will always be factors beyond your control. You won’t be able to control all these 51 things at once, and that’s fine.
Whenever you find yourself struggling to control a situation or your thoughts, pause and ask yourself ‘What can I influence right now?’
Refer to this list for help and focus on what you can control right now.
Changing even one little part of your mindset can give you the breakthrough that you’re looking for.
Read next: How To Change Your Life Completely – 25 Transformational Ideas
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