THE ONE FOR IMPROVING HAPPINESS

These are the steps I take in order to get out my twenty-something, doing nothing, going nowhere ruts.

Cut ties.

I can imagine this won’t be everyone’s favourite piece of advice but I can promise you it can be one of the most powerful. Recognise the people, activities, habits, substances and negative thoughts that do not value your life at all; that only bring drama and self doubt, and remove them. There may be times in your life that these are your close friends, family, all you’ve ever known, even if it’s temporarily, they may not be good for you in this stage of life.

Lean into the discomfort of trying new things.

This one sounds apparent but nothing in your life is going to change if you do not do something different! Doing something new will ignite the confidence within you to become okay with being uncomfortable, a lesson which is necessary in order for you to grow out of the place you’re stuck in. You know those new things that make you uncomfortable? Like agreeing to try a pilates class or accompanying a friend to a gathering. I know the introverts are probably screaming inside but this also applies to trying new things alone. Those things you intrinsically attempt to think of excuses to get out of or put off. Uncomfortable social settings or hobbies you feel embarrassed trying. Those are exactly the things you need to do! Lean into discomfort!

Get away and take time to yourself.

We are constantly flooded with notifications and instant conversations all day every day. It is incredibly important we don’t get lost in others’ lives and we disconnect to focus on our own. Sleep alone, be alone, exercise, meditate, put your feet in the earth, be conscious of your breath and get away from constant blue light exposure. Resist the urge to fill all your free time to doing activities with others just for the sake of it, instead invest in activities that will exercise and strengthen your body and mind. A critical one for me is writing my thoughts.

Become intentional.

Stop feeling like the world owes you when it owes you nothing. You are privileged to be here. So take charge of your life, of your happiness. Become intentional with your word, thoughts and actions. Recognise those ingrained thoughts of self doubt and comparison and intentionally change them into ones of peace and growth. Take the time to consciously think about why you say, think and feel the way that you do. Those thoughts that bring discomfort- address them and turn them to those of empowerment.

Make a plan!

Write that shit down. Pen to paper, make them realistic and become accountable! I know it sounds fluffy but it’s effective. Be very intentional and specific in documenting your dreams. You don’t need to have everything figured out in order to set yourself some goals. You just have to follow the things that make you spark. More importantly write down short term goals. Six monthly, monthly, even weekly/daily goals. The shorter the term you set yourself, the sooner you will feel the feeling of success and progress as you achieve them.

Put out in the world what you want to attract.

The Law of Attraction. Keep a vision of how you want your life to be and live as if it’s already begun happening. What you focus on is what will gravitate into your life. And I don’t just mean kindness and gratitude. But consume yourself with the idea of how you want your life to be, what your day involves, how you want to feel. And let go of all that needs to be left behind. You will not get out of a rut if your focus is cyclical negative thought processes. Just using the power of our minds we have the ability to attract and materialise our own reality.

So use this to sculpt your journey and pave your way to growth and happiness.