Everyone dreams of living a fulfilling life but few actually set themselves up to successfully attain that goal. And while every person may have a slightly different idea of what it means to be happier and more fulfilled, there are universal components that make up such life. Here are four of them:
Use Your Time Wisely
A happier, more fulfilled life requires time management and task prioritization. When you wake up each day, determine what meaningful thing you want to accomplish before the day ends, and then draw a plan to accomplish your goals. It doesn’t have to be a multitude of things, either. Start with one small yet meaningful goal, such as spending an extra hour with family or starting a self-paced career advancement course.
Strengthen Your Relationships
A 75-year study claims that strong relationships keep people happier and healthier. Your social connections directly impact your mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. However, this doesn’t just mean you need to go out and make a lot of friends. Instead, it’s about establishing a sincere and genuine bond with others.
Don’t Try to Please Everyone
Too many people try too hard to please everyone. They end up exhausting themselves by saying “yes” to every request, favor, invitation, and order that comes their way. You have a limited amount of time and energy to spend each day, and trying to please everyone will derail you from your personal goals. Learn to be comfortable saying “no” to others.
Purge Any Negative Thoughts
Hate, regrets, envy, and other negative thoughts should not have a place in your head or heart. It corrupts all the pure and positive thoughts and qualities you have and makes it harder to attain personal and professional goals. True, forgiving someone who has wronged you or not envying people who have more money than you can be difficult, but with deliberate practice, you can learn and master how to block these useless negative thoughts.
Spending time with people who matter, doing what you want to do, managing your time and resources wisely, and not harboring hate and other impure thoughts are the four pillars of a happy and healthy life.