“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” –Jim Rohn

The protagonist of any well-written novel is a character that undergoes a significant change by the end of the story, and if written well, it is a character the readers become attached to because they may see the same possibility for change in their own lives.

With that said, you are the protagonist of your life. You are the main character who is on the journey of creating a life that will dazzle you when you look back and reminisce on all that you have done. The key is to be dynamic – ever changing – because if you are indeed the protagonist of your life, you are forever evolving, growing, learning and having many “aha moments” along the way that reveal to you impressive capabilities you may not have known you had.“The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” –Muhammad Ali

So how does one go about living a dynamic life? Well, initially it’s simple – be willing to be a bit uncomfortable and to step outside of your box once and awhile.  Instead of living to acquire things (cars, bigger homes, a more beautiful spouse, more shoes, etc), live to experience moments and drink in all they have to offer – lessons, joys and everything in between.

But to be more specific, below are thirteen ways to forever live a dynamic life:

1. Enjoy the journey, not the end product.

2. Set goals to motivate you and learn new things about yourself. After all, you, like your life, are a dynamic entity, ever changing and evolving.

3. Seek out challenges that inspire and motivate you. Remember it is the journey that should exhilarate you and not only the destination.

4. Stick with your hobbies. Watch them evolve.  See what they can become.

5. Facing your fears. By conquering what you are uncertain about, you build confidence which then give you the boost you need to try new things.

6. Remain curious. Learn, ask, seek answers. Feed your mind.

7. Honor commitments. It is only when you follow through with the relationships that you’ve vowed to remain in and work through the obstacles that you begin to see what’s on the other side.  This is when the change you seek begins to occur. This is when you begin to gradually see a good relationship escalate to an amazing relationship. If you keep bailing when it becomes difficult at work or with partners who don’t see things exactly as you do, you continue to repeat the same cycle, remaining stagnant, even though on the surface it feels like a change has occurred.

8. Believe anything is possible. It sounds ignorant and maybe a bit cheesy to believe such a fairy tale statement, but when you let go of cynicism and cling to hope and optimism, the world becomes brighter, and more doors and possibilities become available, offering ways for your life to continue to grow and evolve.

9. Begin tackling your bucket list now. Stop putting off what you want to do until later. Begin to check off your dream list of “to-dos” today. Dreamed of publishing a novel? Start writing, researching and looking for a lit agent. Want to become a formally trained chef? Enroll in classes. Want to become a homeowner? Stop spending money, and start saving. In other words, stop putting off what you know in your heart you’ve always wanted. Simply throwing yourself into the process and sticking to it (#7) will bring about amazing changes.

10. Be physical. Remain active so that you can physically do whatever you want to do no matter what your age.

11. Build a support system that has the same values. If you are a long distance runner, seek out others who have the same passion and can understand why you need to run every day.  If you are someone who constantly has a thirst for knowledge, seek out others who are open minded and willing to learn new things.  You see we can create our own culture that supports the life that we desire to live. It takes conscious decision-making and gumption at times to reach out to others, but it is possible.

12. Have high expectations. While perfection will never be possible, excellence is always attainable, so if something doesn’t sit well with you or look the way you know it has the potential to, keep fine-tuning. The change will come when others see the vision they couldn’t grasp until you brought it into fruition through your unwavering belief in what was possible.

13. Be appreciative. When others offer their time without being asked or go out of their way to help you simply because, extend a sincere thank you. Taking anything for granted and not being conscious of all the contributors of the life you love, is like not watering a plant. In order to grow, in order to leave a lasting legacy, we need to say thank you to those who have helped us. Who knows what light you will bring to their lives, but at least they know their actions didn’t go unnoticed.