The Life Plan
700 simple ways to change your life for the better

Do you want to make your life better? More successful, more productive, more healthy, or simply more fulfilling? Most of us do, but we don't always know where to start. The answer is to change your life, for the better, one step at a time.

The Life Plan is for anyone who wants to get more out of life, in every part of their life. Health, wealth, career, relationships and much more. Each section is packed full of small steps, all specifically chosen to get you moving in the right direction quickly and easily. The Life Plan is your personal and practical companion to greater happiness and success. Make a difference to your life, one step at a time.

'Robert's approach combines clarity, compassion and practicality...a real self-help hero.'
Alison Simpson, Fundraising Specialist

'Robert's perspective on life is as simple as it is fascinating - he transforms complex challenges into bite-sized solutions that should resonate with every reader.'
Steven Colling, onearth Research

Contents 

Introduction 

• So what does success look like to you?
• 10 types of success
• 10 ways to define your own personal success
• 10 questions to ask yourself
• 10 ways to recognise why we all see things differently
• 10 ways to make it achievable
• 10 things to do when you begin to have doubts
• 10 things that make everyone happy
• Ways to set priorities and find the time
• 10 good places to go and think
• 10 ways to work out your priorities
• 10 ideas to stretch your thinking
• 10 ways to involve other people
• 10 simple ways to make each day seem longer
• 10 easy ways to measure your success
• Making changes
• 10 big things people sometimes decide to change
• 10 small changes that are easy to make
• 10 ways to push over the barriers
• 10 ways to avoid becoming a victim
• 10 ways to keep on track
• 10 pitfalls that might await you
• 10 ways to benefit from the experience of those around you
• Health and fitness
• 10 reasons why it's smart to be healthy
• 10 simple health things you can check yourself
• 10 people who can help you stay healthy
• 10 ways to become more confident
• 10 simple things to improve your diet
• 10 quick ways to get yourself fitter
• Stress
• 10 ways to use stress to your advantage
• 10 ways to minimise the risk of stress
• 10 signs of stress and how to counter them
• 10 simple ways to reduce your stress
• 10 ways to make sure you get enough sleep
• Your world of work
• 10 common work niggles and how to deal with them
• 10 positive ways to manage your boss
• 10 ways to be happier at work
• 10 ways to win the support of other people
• 10 points to think about when considering self employment
• 10 steps to starting your own business
• Making more of leisure time
• 10 simple new hobbies you might explore
• 10 low-cost ways to have fun with friends and family
• 10 affordable alternatives to a week in the sun
• 10 ways to get more out of your holiday
• 10 ways to learn for free
• Relationships
• 10 ways to widen your circle of friends
• 10 fun things you can do with a good friend
• 10 tips to help improve any relationship
• 10 ways to cope when any relationship ends
• 10 ways to meet your neighbours
• 10 neighbour problems and how to overcome them
• Children
• 10 questions to ask when considering starting a family
• 10 top parenting tips
• 10 ways to spend quality time with children
• 10 ways to nurture ambition in children
• Parents
• 10 ways to show your parents that you're now grown up
• 10 questions that will get your parents talking more openly
• 10 tips for helping your parents as they grow old
• 10 new things you can encourage parents to do
• Money
• 10 reasons why you've never got enough
• 10 simple ways to spend less
• 10 ways to increase your income without moonlighting
• 10 ways to get out of debt
• Home
• 10 small things that make life more comfortable
• 10 ways to make your home really feel like home
• 10 affordable ways to make your home feel special
• 10 ways to de-clutter your home
• 10 top tidiness tips
• Retirement
• 10 tips when planning your own future
• 10 volunteering opportunities that will help you
• 10 ways to make a smooth transition
• 10 things to do before it's too late
• Making it happen

Congratulations! By opening this book you have taken an important step towards changing your life for the better. That's not to say I'm suggesting the life you're leading now is lacking, it's just that I know that every one of us has the potential to be happier and more fulfilled.

We all have things we'd like to change. Things we don't feel are quite under our control or within our reach. Perhaps you've already tried to change some things and it didn't quite work. Don't worry, what really matters is that you're prepared to keep trying until you succeed.

There is no correct definition of success. Success is what ever you decide to make it. Success is a personal thing and what makes one person feel successful will make another person feel they're failing. Much of it is about how you feel. If you're succeeding and can recognise that fact, you will feel happy and content. Lasting success usually results from the cumulative effect of lots of small steps. It's not about making a big push for some really tough goal, more about working on a range of aspects of your life.

Your life plan needs to be tailored to your life, your aspirations and your needs. The art of making your life better is to make each of the small steps manageable. Taking many short steps can make a journey longer; giant strides however can be very tiring and there is always the risk of tripping up.

So what does The Life Plan give you that is different? Here are ten good reasons why I think you'll enjoy reading this book.

1. It's simple — This book contains hundreds of small steps you can take to make life better. Each can deliver a small positive change to your life. Add several together and you'll really see the difference.
2. You're in charge — The book is clearly indexed and the tips are presented in lists of ten. It's easy to navigate your own route through the book. No two people will take the same path or set the same pace. You can make the book and the plan your own.
3. I'd do it so why not you? — I'm not terribly brave and there's nothing in this book I haven't or wouldn't try myself. Nowhere do I advocate walking on hot coals!
4. No dictionary needed — This is a book that says it like it is. There are no big words or jargon. Using a dictionary is educational but it does little for your self confidence. This book uses plain English.
5. It's realistic — We are all daunted by people who are better at things than we are. Human nature is to spot where we're weak and forget where we're strong. This book shows you how to improve things, but does not claim to be able to make you superhuman — sorry.
6. It's fun — Personal development should not be like a trip to the dentist, something you endure to free your self of pain. It should be more like a holiday, helping you create the opportunity to try new things. There's nothing here you won't enjoy.
7. It doesn't cost any more — Changing your life is not about spending money. This book is not a shopping list for things you can't really afford. In fact it shows you how to save money instead!
8. It reaches the parts.. . You'll be amazed at some of the aspects of life this book encourages you to change for the better. Remember that this game is all about making lots of small changes, not a few big ones. Big ones hurt and small ones don't.
9. There's a website too — Once you buy the book, you can visit www.TheLifePlan.net and sign up for my e-newsletters. You can also use the promotional code RDR01 to get one month's free access to the subscription only content. The website enables you to swap ideas with other readers and help each other along.
10. It's yours — We are all unique and different and this is your personal journey through life. This book is begging you to highlight sections, insert little pieces of paper and even scribble notes in the margin. It's personal to you and for you alone. Enjoy!

About the author
Robert Ashton is an author, activist, speaker and entrepreneur. He works with people who want to make a difference - they include entrepreneurs, social activist, charity managers and individuals seeking to create their own life plan.