Set some personal goals that will get you closer to where you want to be.
Do you feel as if time is your enemy rather than your friend? Take control of the time you have by setting and accomplishing personal goals. They can be very challenging, such as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, or quite simple, like saving $100 a month to spend on a beach trip to North Carolina next year.
Remember to divide your personal goals into doable “baby steps” and mark off each one you accomplish. If you have setbacks, don’t let them kill your dreams. They’re just tiny bumps in the long road.
Stay in the moment whenever you can.
As Ferris Bueller once famously quipped in the 1980s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
While the Bueller character was fictional, his words ring true in the real world. Live each day by being fully in the moment. Resist the urge to be on “auto pilot” throughout your life, and you’ll find yourself feeling happier.
A college student might feel as if he’s always doing something and can’t slow down; he’s always busy. But then he starts to be more purposeful and deliberate.
Just for fun, he tries different paths around his campus to get to his classes and winds up having a blast discovering new ways to do the same things. His life becomes about little discoveries, not about boredom.
Start to forgive yourself and others.
It’s hard to be in a happy place when you’re angry or holding on to guilt, frustration and other negative emotions. While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being in touch with your feelings, there’s a time and a place to set them free and let them go. If you’re holding grudges, you’re actually hurting yourself more than anyone else.
For example, a woman in her 50s may have been angry with her sister for more than 20 years. The rift has created tension throughout the family. Not a day goes by when the woman doesn’t get furious when thinking about her sister.
Through therapy and determination, she starts to let go of the grudge and realizes that, while she still doesn’t want to be around her sister, she can stop wasting her time being mad. This enables her to have the freedom to fill her life with positivity.
Learn more at: 10 Priorities You Should Re-Evaluate to Live a Happier Life
