We are often focused on achieving our long term goals rather than living day-to-day and enjoying our present surroundings. In fact, we may be so deeply entrenched in our problems that we fail to see the beauty and stop to laugh at a joke and this cycle continues from day-to-day. Therefore, it’s important to work on happiness, and implement a set of daily reminders that steer us towards a more fulfilled life because life, after all, is made of the little details rather than the big milestones. You can meet me personally on my Instagram or for my professional work, see my website. Below are my five tips to cultivate happiness on a daily basis –
- Don’t take rejection seriously
I’ve always been the one to highly scrutinize not only others but myself very harshly. Therefore, whenever I perceived rejection, whether from my co-workers about an idea I had or from a client about a proposal, I would become overly critical of the mistakes I had made and my head would start spinning to identify each and every one of them. Instead, take rejection as a learning experience – and the more you try, the more rejections you will get but you should congratulate yourself because that means at least you are trying! Ask yourself – what did I learn? Was it the delivery of my idea, was it the pitch itself – and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your co-workers or your client! You can learn about the delivery or that simply the timing was off – and to think about timing the next time around.
- Keep a gratitude journal
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of gratitude. In fact, science and data show that gratitude is akin to a cure for depression. Find a notebook or simply open up a Word document, and start keeping a gratitude journal. Before starting each day, write out a list of what you are thankful for – from your family and friends to your personal health and talent – in whatever from analytical skills to ability to create – from writing to painting.
- Cultivate relationships
Relationships are another gemstone that make life all the more meaningful and fulfilling. They take time to form because bonds and trust between individuals do not happen overnight. Once a bond has been established, make sure to nurture that relationship – show empathy, thoughtfulness, and generosity towards that individual. The great fact about fulfilling relationships is that they are reciprocal – they give meaning and bring happiness to both individuals who are there to share, support and be kind to one another.
- Stay committed to your goals.
Staying committed to a goal you set out to achieve, whether it is being consistent with your workout routines, eating clean or building your career, is extremely rewarding. It makes us feel good long term about being able to stick through milestones that help us better ourselves long-term.
- Failure is not failure but a stepping stone to success
This part has really helped me to take more risk and achieve more goals that I set out for myself. It’s akin to saying is the glass half empty or half full? One side of “failure” is that it is painful. The other side is that failure is learning from the mistakes you made to better your understanding of whatever goal you set out to achieve. There is a saying that has stuck with me for years now that “failure is a seed of success.” It’s where the real fun, when you put your thinking cap on, starts – as you start to dive deeper into the subject that the true learning starts.
Ultimately, happiness is a state of mind – it is not what you were given, what you inherited or how privileged you were brought into this world. It is about the fight within you, and your ability to see both sides of the coin. Happiness is about perspective and insight into our problems and ourselves.