Have any of you ever paused to think about whether you are truly happy where you’re at in this point in time? What does happiness or success mean to you? What are you doing now that will shape the way you want your life to be five years from now? Ten years from now?
I started asking myself these questions once I hit my mid-20s. (Is this what growing up feels like? haa) I was living in such a blissful bubble in college and didn’t really think past my next assignment or final that was due. AND THEN life hit…in a good way.
I realized I wanted to live consciously, purposefully, and intentionally because now I decide what my life is going to look like. First, I approached everything in a very “bucket list” type of way. I made a list of all the things I wanted to accomplish before I turned 25 or within the year. Some of the big things were: starting graduate school, starting a blog, completing a Yoga teaching certification course, and buying a car. I was able to start my blog and start my grad program before my 25th birthday rolled around.
BUT then I started to think a little more….and life shouldn’t be just a list of “successes” you can check off and once you’ve completed everything on your list you’re a successful person. I’m not saying don’t have goals or aspirations, but there’s a little more to it than that. Also, think about why you’re setting certain goals for yourself. Is it for you or is it to meet some standard of success others have defined?
I started to focus more on the everyday things I can do to make each day a little brighter and better. This can vary for each person, but I put together a list of some small things I think can help improve your quality of life!
- Read for pleasure
- Spend some quality time with yourself
- Stay active
- Nourish your body
- Spend some time outdoors
- Express your creativity
- Journal
- Help others
- Be kind, be grateful, be forgiving
- Work smarter, not harder
- Surround yourself with people you can learn from
