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Ever feel like you work hard to get ahead but just aren't going anywhere?
Days and weeks blend together, there's no spontaneity in your life, and you live out the same routine over and over.
In other words, you're bored. You definitely don't feel like you're living your best life. You have more to offer the world and you want to show it.
Well, here's how to get started:
The 7 Keys To Living Your Best Life
1. Design Your Lifestyle
“You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” - John C. Maxwell
For every 24 hours, are you spending more time doing things you do or don't enjoy? The more time you can spend doing what makes you happy, the better.
An important piece of this is many of us have to learn to enjoy some of the things we already do -- Like our jobs.
Maybe you aren't happy in your job but can’t quit right now. Okay, fine. What about after work? Are you working towards a new beginning or are you going home and watching movies, setting yourself up for an endless cycle of misery?
Living your best life starts with creating daily habits to design the lifestyle you want for yourself.
2. Everything In Your Life Should Compliment One Another
I have a friend who isn't comfortable with the way she looks. She wants to lose weight but can't convert her wants into action. Last time I saw her she called herself 'chubby' then proceeded to eat ice cream and blueberry pie after dinner.
Another friend goes out drinking Friday nights with their friends, then spends Saturday hungover wishing they hadn’t gone out. They feel guilty after a night of drinking but don’t want to let others down.
Unfortunately, many people do this. We want one thing, but our actions say we want something else. This creates a disconnection within ourselves that’s hard to snap out of.
Living your best life is about living in alignment with yourself inside-out. In other words, when who you are externally reflects who you are inside, it’s a sign you're living in harmony and working towards living your best life.
3. Fall In Love With Something
“Be the flow” - Jay Z
Peoples greatest creations come while being immersed in something they love. Living your best life demands more than doing things simply because you have to.
If you can’t love your job or career than you can find a hobby you love. For me, it’s basketball. I'm not motivated to get in shape just for looks, but playing basketball gives me a reason to want to get better.
Even playing in a local men’s league, I love it enough to take my workouts to another level. I eat, sleep, work, and just take better care of myself to grow as an athlete. This ties back to designing a lifestyle that is in harmony with your wants and needs.
Whether it's a sport, drawing, music, video games, or cooking, find what brings out the best in you and fall in love with it.
Living your best life must include love. There's no alternative.
4. Lift The Energy In The Room
Boston Celtics Head Coach, Brad Stevens describes 3 types of people: Those who bring the energy in a room down, those who don’t change the energy at all, and those who lift the energy of the room and all those in it.
Unfortunately, most people fall into the second category, they don’t affect the room in any way. Living your best life isn’t only about making your life better, it’s about enhancing the lives of those around you.
When people think of bringing energy, they picture someone who is loud, extroverted, and the life of the party. It doesn’t have to be this way.
You can be an energy lifter in different ways. For example:
- Be a positive force when someone is feeling down
- Work hard at what you do and lead by example
- Help someone work towards a greater goal
When you’re on the move towards living your best life, your energy becomes greater as you lift the energy of others. If you leave the room better than when you entered, people will remember your impact and will be excited the next time you come around.
5. Give More Than You Receive
“The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others” - Mahatma Gandhi
The world is a much more thoughtful and giving place than news and media make it out to be. For every person out there taking, there are dozens spreading kindness.
We need more people like that.
When you give, you're putting others before you. Doing this is a clear sign of living your best life. You are telling the world you're okay with who you are right now.
Look at someone like NFL player, JJ Watt, who raised 40 million dollars for Hurricane Harvey support in Houston. Or singer Rachel Platten, you can find videos of her playing songs for people in hospitals.
These people are pursuing their best lives. You can be sure they gain more satisfaction from what they give to others than they do from their 7-figure incomes.
If you're fortunate enough to be living your best life or are on your way, the best things you can do is to help others live theirs. Giving breathes life and optimism into those who may be on their last sliver of hope.
6. Find Light In The Darkness
“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light” - JK Rowling
To start the week, I woke up 30 minutes late and had to rush to leave for the gym. Once I got in the car I noticed my roommate's car was parked behind me, blocking my way. I ran inside, grabbed the keys, moved their car, put the keys back inside, then went back to the car.
Before I left, I had to hit the reset button on my mindset.
Gratitude is easy when something good happens. Rather than focus on what didn’t go my way, I turned my attention to feeling grateful that the gym opens at 5:30 AM so I can get in a morning workout. I was thankful I had a car and didn't have to walk.
Not only that, none of the problems I experienced were actually real problems compared to what others go through every day such as hunger, famine, and homelessness.
We all make mistakes and let our minds slip towards negative thoughts at times, but if you spend more time in a negative mindset than positive, it's a vital sign that you’re not living your best life.
Energy flows where your attention goes. Let the light shine in even when things don’t go your way.
7. Be Who You Are
Too many of us get caught up in seeking the approval of others at the expense of being yourself.
If you have to change who you are to be liked by someone else than perhaps your time is better spent elsewhere. That doesn’t mean it’s the person's fault either. You may just not be compatible in a way that you can be authentic around them.
Self-improvement is the essence of living your best life, but it's not the same as denying who you are to fit in.
It’s good to want to improve or work on yourself. That's not the same as changing who you are so you can impress your peers.
The Crucial Extra Step — Believe In Yourself
“Belief in yourself is non-negotiable"
All the above can have a positive impact on helping you live your best life, but without this final step, it's almost guaranteed that one way or another, when things get tough you'll give in.
You must have an unshakeable belief in yourself and your abilities. You have to believe you are capable of the goals you have for yourself.
There is no other way.
By believing in yourself even if no one else does, you're making a statement that you're going to keep pushing forward no matter what.
Look at any professional athlete or entrepreneur, they found success by believing in themselves when no one else did.
The Universe will move mountains for someone who knows what they want and will do anything to get it.
Put another way, believing in yourself is living your best life. You cannot have one without the other.
The Takeaway
The phrase 'living your best life' has become overused in modern culture, but there's truth in that we should all work towards living the best life we can.
We’re only here for a short time. Each moment, life is fleeting by. It seems obvious that we should be trying to make the most of this thing we call life.
But, in reality, it isn’t obvious. We get distracted. In order to live our best lives, we need to constantly remind ourselves how short life really is.
Let this article be a reminder that life is going by, and it’s up to you to put in the effort to make sure you’re living your best life.
Because above all else, what the world needs most is people like you to become the very best version of yourself you can be.
So please, show us how great you truly are.
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George Mortimer is just another human trying to find his way. His goal is to help ordinary people live extraordinary lives. He writes on his own site, Good Life Confidential. Find out more by downloading the FREE Good Life Starter Pack -- Three E-books to help you live a life you love.
You've read 7 Sacred Keys To Living Your Best Life, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.