Happiness isn’t always guaranteed in life. But there are plenty of strategies you can employ to make yourself happier – every day.
You see, happiness is a state of mind that you can choose, even if you’re technically having a “bad day”.
And, by being happier, you’re also likely to be more successful, because you’ll find joy in a variety of things that you previously may not have considered.
So let’s take a look at the 15 ways that you can improve your happiness and success every day of the year:
1. Set achievable yet inspirational goals
If you don’t believe your goal is achievable, you won’t take action to achieve it.
Therefore, any goal that you set must be within the realm of possibility and tied to actions that you can actually take.
Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time and setting yourself up for failure.
2. Set measurable milestones
The truth of the matter is that big goals are easier to achieve if you break them up into smaller chunks, or milestones.
Achieving milestones gives you more confidence, strengthens your motivation, and helps you build momentum.
3. Smile and laugh more frequently
Contrary to popular belief, smiling and laughter are not the result of being happy.
In fact, they’re actually part of a cycle that both creates and reinforces happiness.
So you should find reasons to smile and never ever suppress a laugh.
4. Stop comparing yourself to others
Everybody starts out in a different place, and heads on their own journey.
Because you have no idea where someone else’s journey might lead them, drawing comparisons is a complete waste of time and will serve no purpose other than to potentially make you feel worse about yourself.
5. Stop complaining about not having enough time
You get the same amount of time every day as everyone else.
You may feel you’re short on time and that you desperately need more, but when the day started, you got your fair share: 24 hours.
Nobody got any more than you did, so stop complaining.
6. Stop listening to and leaving voicemails
A voicemail message consumes minutes of your time – more if you have to replay – to communicate information you could absorb from an email or voice-to-text in seconds.
Instead, why don’t you explain in your outgoing message that you don’t use voicemail and provide your email address.
7. Stretch regularly
Your body is not well suited for sitting down for long periods of time, yet most of the jobs in the 21st century are sedentary.
In fact, the human body evolved so that it’s optimised for running around in the woods, whacking animals with a stick!
So make sure you stretch and move your body regularly because exercise generally makes everyone feel happier.
8. Take a walk after lunch
Numerous scientific studies have shown that a walk after a meal improves your digestion, helps you regulate your blood sugar, and increases your mental ability.
It’s also the best way to avoid that “heavy” feeling that often follows a meal.
9. Take action immediately after setting a goal
Once you’ve set your goals, it’s time to take action.
It’s important that you approach each action with confidence that you’ll eventually succeed. The more action you take at the beginning, the more momentum you’ll build.
10. Take power naps
Lack of sleep is disastrous to your health, and numerous studies have shown that people are more productive at work after taking a quick nap.
Don’t fall into the trap of working when you’re sleepy because you’ll actually get it done faster if you give your brain a break.
11. Take the stairs
Stair climbing doesn’t consume all that many calories – about 300, if you’re average height and weight, and climb five flights of stairs, five times a day. It does, however, cause your heart to work harder, thereby improving your circulation and your overall health.
12. Take time to plan and prioritise
The most common source of stress is the perception that you’ve got too much work to do.
So, rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Do that first.
It’s quite a simple trick really, isn’t it?
13. Treat setbacks as success signposts
Most people treat setbacks as mini-failures and often use them as an excuse to give up – and therefore fail.
Learning what doesn’t work is an essential part of learning what does!
Setbacks are in fact a signpost that you’re making progress.
14. Turn off background TV
Many households leave their TVs on as background noise while they’re doing other things.
The entire point of broadcast TV is to make you dissatisfied with your life so that you’ll buy more stuff.
Why subliminally program yourself to be a mindless consumer?
Turn it off and enjoy the beauty that can be silence.
15. Switch off depressing news
Likewise, whenever there’s a news story that starts to make you angry or upset, change the channel – unless it’s 100 per cent relevant to your life – or click to another page online.
Why torture yourself needlessly?
You’re only draining away your own energy and happiness.
Throughout my series on ways to be happier and more successful, we’ve outlined dozens of small things that can make a big difference to your mood and to your life.
By adopting some of them – or better yet, all of them – you’ll be on the path to a much better life, which has far more ups than downs. And who doesn’t want a life like that?
Chris holds a Bachelor of Commerce/Education and a Diploma of Mortgage Broking. He has travelled widely throughout the world and settled in Queensland after working in Western Victoria, Melbourne and Sydney. He enjoys servicing local Queensland clients as well as assisting people all over Australia.
