You've probably noticed a few shifts in yourself since the onset of Coronavirus as normal routines have been completely flipped upside down. When these changes happen, you're faced with observing how you adapt and who you are at your core. When you’re spending more time at home, you’re left with your 60,000 daily thoughts, which repeat themselves 90% of the time. Introspection can be scary for people because we’re so used to being plugged in and filling every minute of our time with distractions. Hence, alcohol sales are up 55% year-over-year right now and people are antsy to be done with Covid-19. Avoiding change and your thoughts can lead to anxiety and other harmful emotions. The more sustainable route is to embrace change with acceptance and awareness. Here’s how to make introspection your friend and focus on who you want to be in this new world:

Get clarity on what lights you up and then let go of the rest.

Many people talk about how parts of their current routine seem insignificant now that they have identified what's truly important in their lives: family, best friends, slowing down, living minimally and doing impactful work. Some of the things that no longer serve us are energy-draining jobs, unnecessary travel, too many social outings, racing against the clock and wearing jeans (maybe that’s just me!).

You might be noticing similar changes in yourself but not sure what to do with the information, or sudden feelings of being drained. Just be gentle! The first step is simply acknowledging what makes your heart and body feel light and expansive, and what things steal your energy and feel heavy.

Make a list of everything and everyone on your to-do list this week. Put one activity or person in your mind at a time and sit quietly. Notice how your physical body feels. If it feels light, that thing is good for you. If it feels weighted and restricted, your body is telling you to steer in another direction.

Imagine your ideal life and take action towards who you want to be in this new world.

You might be wondering how the heck you're going to switch jobs, spend less time on friendships, never wear jeans again, or a myriad of other things that came up for you in step one. Feeling overwhelmed is undoubtedly part of the process. All you need to do is break things down into baby steps that feel achievable, and over time, this will lead to significant changes. Think about the end-result you want.

What does a day in your desired life look like one year from now? What's the micro-step that needs to happen just before you achieve the new life you want? And the micro-step right before that? Keep working backward until you have reached a small step you can take today to launch your journey. When you are committed to your North Star (the life you want to live), you won't feel afraid to launch yourself into action. The key to getting started is to keep your North Star at the forefront of your mind.

Remember there’s no such thing as “failure,” there’s only information telling you if you’re on the right path or not.

Our pride can be our biggest offender keeping us stuck where we are. As soon as your heart asks for something new, your mind will wind you up with thoughts like: "What if I don't make as much money in a new job? What if my plan doesn't work? What if the grass isn't greener on the other side? What will people think? Can't I just wait and ride things out?"

These thoughts are all the ego's sneaky way of blocking us from our dreams and living our best lives. What you can do to take steps and not stay paralyzed, is to reframe your perspective about failure. Everything that happens on this new journey of yours is just data feeding you information to let you know whether or not you're on or off the right track. It’s similar to what Carol Dweck talks about in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Anything that feels like a "failure" in the moment can turn out to be one of the best life lessons and growth opportunities.

Influence others to make impactful changes in their lives simply by the way you live.

It's a normal human desire to want to impact the planet positively. The easiest way to inspire people is by living your life well. By leaning into who you want to be in this new world and taking action towards your goals, you will influence others to follow suit. If you want to see change in the world, be the change-maker and witness the ripple effect you have on your community. Adapt to this new way of living, chase your goals and always be kind to the planet.

Now is the time to embrace change and who you want to be in this new world we are living in today. Seize this opportunity with the perspective that you get to shed what's old to make room for the new. What's new is going to be exponentially more gratifying than what you left behind.