” A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it is not open.” – Frank Zappa
With today’s pace of life and the obligations we have, it is easy to skip some essential things that little by little affect our satisfaction and overall quality of life. When we add to this our natural tendency to stay in the comfort zone until the situation forces us to change something, it is not uncommon for us to become quite dissatisfied over time.
Changes happen when you decide. Hope is a bad strategy. A good life arises as a result of a mindset, not a coincidence. Until you take matters into your own hands, nothing will change. No one can help you if you don’t want to help yourself. Doing the wrong things and expecting a positive outcome makes no sense. When you throw out that ball and chain around your leg and better arrange your priorities, you’ll manage to jump out of a vicious circle.
Life is a puzzle that consists of many pieces, and each of them affects one another. One single thing cannot keep your whole life in balance. Myriads of wealthy people who have forgotten what a sincere smile means, prove that money alone is not that one thing.
Instead of nostalgically remembering some old days when everything looked good, why wouldn’t the best five minutes of your life last a lifetime? By working on yourself regularly and learning new things, you will always feel great and work on new life projects. That is the best way to have a good day every day of your life.
If you look around, you will realize that very few people regularly plan and work on their goals. Thus, you should not be surprised by the small percentage of people who lead a good life. Bad statistics date back to ancient times and do not change much with time. The reason for this is clear: a good life requires planning and dedication daily, and most people are not attracted to this idea. It is up to you to decide whether you want to be a part of those statistics. If that’s not what you want, you will have to create your own path to a better life.
To improve the quality of your life, you need to understand the most important thing: if you are always exhausted and have no plan, you cannot be motivated or satisfied. The high motivation is what drives us. It arises from planning and achieving our life goals. Without it, you will only do what is enough to survive the day.
We pick up bad rituals from the people around us, and they become an integral part of our lives. Because of them, most people achieve only a small part of their true potential. If you don’t notice them and change them, such rituals will always hold you back.
“Life is like riding a bike. To maintain balance, you have to move forward.” – Albert Einstein
How much time you invest in self-development and how much you truly respect yourself determines how satisfied you will be in your life. There is always more space for improvement. You will find it difficult to help someone or to set a good example if you are not satisfied with your own life. I am not talking about complacency or selfishness, but about the ability to see yourself objectively and the impact of your actions on the people around you. Improving your weaker sides and using your strengths to make your life better is what it is all about.
The only way to move forward in life is to ask new questions and look for answers continually. If you don’t ask new questions, you can’t learn anything new. The ego is the biggest obstacle to that. The fear that you will be wrong and look dumb, or the urge to be right at all costs, leads to the imposition of your ideas, even if they are wrong. Through self-reflection, a healthy dose of self-criticism, and asking new questions, you will become much more objective towards yourself and others.
When you decide to improve the quality of your life, you will notice how your priorities and perceptions change over time. You will discover new interests and remove what has ceased to be important to you. That way, you will make room for new people and other essential things in your life. Those who lead a fulfilled life do not know the word “boredom.”
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde
You are not average. Such a person does not exist. Mediocrity occurs as a result of accepting other people’s ideas and leaving things to chance. Achieving life goals using our potential is one of the most important things for our happiness and fulfillment. Working on things that truly interest us is one of the main reasons why we look forward to each new day. The moment we stop setting ourselves new challenges, monotony and dissatisfaction with life arise.
The sooner you start using your potential to make your life great, the better everything will become for you. If you think there is an easy way to achieve goals, then you are under a delusion. Everything in life that is achieved using shortcuts sooner or later comes back in the wrong way.
“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility.” – Sigmund Freud
“Normal” has become synonymous with mediocre. Most people’s goal is to complete the norm set by someone else and survive each day. The main reason for that lies in responsibility. It is easier to follow someone else’s plans than to put your own ideas into action. A daily routine (coffee, work, and anything you randomly manage to do after that) is not a plan. There is a huge difference in the mentality of people who plan daily and work on their goals, and those waiting for happy circumstances to improve their life.
There is a good chance that one day you will meet one of the following two versions of yourself: the first is the one that has accomplished most of your life goals and will live a fulfilled life to the end. The other is the one who has read all the gossip and bad news in this world and now sullenly sits in front of the TV, waiting for this torment of life to come to an end. It is up to you to decide.
“Change begins at the end of your comfort zone.” – Roy T. Bennett
Don’t wait for life to happen. React. Get out of your comfort zone. Look for the ways, not the excuses. Take the necessary steps. Get in shape and stay healthy. Find the job you want. Say what you have to say. Organize your time. Learn to say no. Find a good hobby. Improve relationships with the people you love. There are so many things you can improve.
The first step is always the hardest. Take it, and you will see different doors open. Don’t wait for the perfect moment; it will not come. There will always be something you can use as an excuse to delay action. In any case, you can’t predict everything, so do not bother trying. Just get started. You can fill in what is missing along the way.
We grow through our challenges. Only when you find yourself in a new situation will you start using your potential. That’s what makes life interesting. If we could predict everything, life would be boring. Failure is not a failure if you have used it as an opportunity to learn something new, not as a reason to give up.
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn
Don’t settle for mediocre. Set goals, make a plan, and take daily steps to achieve them. School provides you with the necessary knowledge you need to get a job that will allow you to survive. Anything more than that is up to you.
In life, you are either advancing or regressing. If you think you’re standing still, you’re actually going backwards. Most people don’t change anything just because their situation is neither very bad nor very good. They wake up only when the situation becomes terrible. One who finds himself in a difficult situation will make significant changes sooner than one who somehow pushes through life. Regardless of your current situation, start making changes and don’t wait anymore.
“You are today where your thoughts have brought you: you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” – James Allen
Hope is a bad strategy. If luck occasionally shines on you, you can’t rely on it because you have no idea if—and when—fortunate circumstances will happen again. Take responsibility for your life and leave nothing to chance. The way you deal with life’s challenges determines the quality of your life.
(Take the first step immediately. Start with my free audiobook, Fulfilling Life: A Matter of Personal Choice. Together with its accompanying checklists, it will help you to start improving your life.)
Planning allows you to use your time effectively. Visualizing your life goals creates the motivation you need to get started. Waking up earlier and minimizing time spent watching television or using social networks frees more time to work on your goals. A healthier life increases your energy so you can partake in hobbies that reduce stress and break the monotony of everyday life. Maintaining good relationships with the people around you is a key to a good life. And so on.
When you decide to change things for the better, ignore any negative thoughts. Excuses and lack of self-confidence are a powerful combination that will keep you within your safe zone. This holds you back every time you decide to take a step towards a better life. Self-doubt is just a voice that becomes quieter with each new achievement. Every goal achieved builds your self-confidence, and every time you give up, it undermines it. When you feel like giving up, remember what you want to achieve and move forward.
“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” – Goethe
As soon as we achieve one goal, we set another one. Although goals are what drive us, they are just checkpoints. The journey to our goals is what shapes us as a person. Work on your goals, but also learn to enjoy the journey that leads to their achievement.
And finally, by working on yourself, you are changing not only your life but the lives of those around you. With your example, you will inspire someone else to improve his/her life. That way you will help them the most. Be the kind of person you would want for a friend.
“Be the kind of person you would want for a friend”
Don’t forget to get your free audiobook, as well as the accompanying checklists that will help you get going. Set your goals, fill in the checklists, and take the first step. If you need support or you just want to share your ideas with others, join the Long-Term Habits group. Everything is easier in a group of like-minded people.
Links:
- Free downloads: PDF and the audiobook Fulfilling Life: A matter of Personal Choice with all the accompanying checklists you need to get started
- Great Books for a Great Life – all the answers to your questions in one place
“In order to write about life, first you must live it.”– Ernest Hemingway