Before you can make lasting change you must decide exactly what needs to be changed and understand why. You need to know your values, your personal strengths, and areas of weakness. These shortcomings can guide you in recognizing areas in your life in which you would like to direct more time, energy, and resources to improving. A great self-assessment resource is the Life Values Self-Assessment that you can find by doing a quick Google search. This assessment allows you to rank your core values by order of importance in order to determine which are most relevant to you having a fulfilling life. There is a reason that making the changes that you want are hard, and why they haven't already been made. Try to figure out what is holding you back, be it a lack of time or willpower. The problem will be much easier to tackle if you understand the source of the resistance.  Sit down and make a list of all the things you think are standing in the way of you making a change in your life. Be honest with yourself. Many of these obstacles will probably be inner sources of resistance that only you have power over. For example, maybe you are afraid of change. Or, maybe you lack confidence in your ability to change. Carefully examine your situation to determine what you are up against. Even when we have all the makings of a truly wonderful life, it can still suck if we look back and regret all the chances we didn’t take. Perhaps you had the chance to relocate for a dream job on the other side of the world. Or, you were undecided as to whether you should propose to your college sweetheart. If you truly want to make serious life changes, you will need to learn how to spot good opportunities and pounce on them before they disappear.  Opportunity looks different depending on your unique values and goals. In general, it’s presented as a chance to do something meaningful, challenging, or scary. The challenging part is why so many people let opportunities pass them by. They don’t usually come wrapped up in a bow—they require us to grow and perform to win them. You can seize opportunities by removing the constraints society places on you. Ask yourself what you would do if you could not fail. Be open to possibilities around every corner, even if they are unexpected or not wrapped in the best package. If a choice looks like it can benefit your future, take it. What is it that you need to do to take you from point A to point B? Break each problem down to its simplest components until you can draw a map leading from where you are to where you need to go. You might have to ask yourself if what you want to achieve is worth what you have to do to get there.  When you make your plan, be sure that it's feasible. You don't want to develop an action plan that requires you to eat the whole elephant in a day. Instead, break down large tasks to make them more manageable. When you're faced with actually eating the elephant, the only feasible way you can do it is one bite at a time. Make your plan as clear and detailed as possible. For instance, if you are trying to lose a large amount of weight, you might focus first on changing lifestyle habits, such as your diet and activity level. You can set a deadline outlining a date by when you want to see changes in this area. Then, you might focus on sticking with these changes, tracking the results you see over time. It's overwhelming to have the goal that "I need to lose 100 pounds," but it's much more realistic to say "I will eat more vegetables, cut all beverages except water, and walk 3 miles each day."

Summary:
Assess yourself. Prepare for roadblocks. Seize opportunities. Make a plan with small steps.