Who doesn't love upgrades? | Design Services LTD

Lifestyle upgrades that will change your life.

By Rita Wilkins
The Downsizing Designer

What comes to mind when you hear the word upgrade?

First-class airline seats
Upgraded hotel rooms
Restaurant upgrades
Upgraded VIP tickets

These are wonderful perks and surprises, often unexpected and they certainly enhance our experience.

The definition of an upgrade is to improve the quality of something, and to raise it to a higher standard.

It goes without saying that we are extremely grateful when these unexpected surprises come our way. They give us an opportunity to experience life at a whole new level.

GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING

While these temporary upgrade experiences (the airline hotel, hotel room, and restaurant upgrades) make lasting impressions, they are temporary and fleeting. One and done.

The type of lifestyle upgrades I write and speak about are:

Permanent
On-going
Generative
Life-altering
Life-giving

They are gifts that keep on giving.

When implemented and integrated into your daily life, they will not only

Enhance the quality of your lifestyle
They will also raise the bar for how you experience yourself and your life for the rest of your life.

Imagine living an upgraded life every single day where you choose based on your personal values and what matters most to you. You won’t have to wait for others to surprise you with those occasional temporary lifestyle upgrades… which don’t get me wrong, we all appreciate and welcome.

The lifestyle upgrades that I am talking about are completely within your control every single day. It all begins with the choices you make.

By simply changing your thinking, your expectations, and your actions, you can adopt a new way of living that can change your life in big or small ways.

Several years ago, when I downsized from my 5,000 square foot home to my 867 square foot apartment, I gave away 95% of my belongings to people who wanted or needed them. I was inspired by a trip to a third world country, where for the first time in my life I experienced people who almost have nothing, yet were happy.

I wanted that!

In order for me to have that simple, joy-filled life I experienced in Senegal, I had to change my belief about needing more in order to be happy. I’d fallen into the consumer trap of “more is better, and bigger is better”.

When I changed my beliefs, I changed my expectations.

I stopped buying more and started giving my stuff away to people who needed it or wanted it. I came to believe I could live with less and be happy. I changed my expectations of what made me happy… and it wasn’t buying more stuff!

When I changed my expectations, my attitude changed.

I gained momentum, no one was going to stop me from living that simple less cluttered life I most wanted.

When I changed my actions, I realized I was accomplishing something I previously thought impossible…

downsizing, decluttering, and living abundantly with less.

When I chose to change, I played big instead of small.

I adopted a whole new way of living that changed and upgraded my life

What is your dream?
How do you want to upgrade your life so you can live more?

When I downsized my life, I upgraded my lifestyle to live with less so I could live more.

Living a simpler less cluttered life provides more time, money, and freedom. It also allows you to make room for what matters most to you. I went from a life full of stuff to a life filled with meaning.

To inspire you, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 31 lifestyle upgrades that you can choose to integrate into your own life, today or over a period of time. These upgrades, when implemented will have a lasting impact on the quality of your life and your overall happiness.

Go to my website to download all 31 lifestyle upgrades.

Here are the five upgrades that I am working on myself right now.

#1 Unleash your inner child

Rediscover the feeling of being unleashed and being true to your inner child why not awaken the inner child in you? It will take years off your life.

#2 Adopt the mindset of “enough”

There is a rich abundance, quiet contentment, and profound peace of mind when you embrace, “I have all I want, and all I need.” True happiness lies within you, not in comparing yourself to others what you have and what you don’t have. Experience the peace and joy of having enough and being enough.

#3 Laugh out loud every day

Laughter is a universal language that connects people and strips away the outside veneer it’s irresistible and contagious. It feels good to laugh out loud, it improves our mental and physical health and well-being and it significantly reduces stress.

The old adage “laughter is the best medicine”, while not scientifically proven, seems to ring true on many counts. Laughter will add years to your life and life to your years.

#4 Be you. The one and only authentic you

Why try to be anything or anyone else? It’s much easier to be just you… all you are and all you aren’t. Own your unique greatness, your voice, your brand, and your leadership.

It takes courage to be vulnerable, imperfect, and irresistibly you. It is like no other adventure you have ever taken.

#5 Embrace the “attitude of gratitude”

It’s a funny thing about life. Once you start noticing how much you already have and once you embrace being grateful for it, you begin to lose sight of the things you might lack. Make a list of who and what you are grateful for and why. Keep it in a special place where you’ll be reminded each day.

You don’t need to be upgraded to first-class to upgrade your lifestyle

(although that is a fun unexpected perk). Opportunities to experience your life each day at a whole new level are all around you… you just have to open your eyes and your heart.

You don’t need to change the world around you: you just need to change the way you see your world.

Life’s simple pleasures, life’s little miracles are all around you. All you have to do is start noticing them.
See your life through a new lens and then appreciate that the power to change your world exist within you

To experience your life and yourself at a whole new upgraded level, it all comes down to the choices you make each day.

It’s really that simple!