When you’re new to this business game it’s all exciting as you get set up and start ticking off all those goals that you set for yourself. There are plenty of quick hits to keep up the momentum and keep you moving forward. The dopamine hit from ticking off each goal is more than enough to fuel you towards completion of the next goal on your list.
But what happens when you’ve been at this game for a while and it starts to feel like groundhog day? Even worse is that with COVID and the environment that we have been living in for the last year, a lot of the rewards that brought us joy and made all the hard work worth it have been taken away. Anyone else pining for a holiday somewhere warm and exotic already???
So much of our outlook and mindset is driven by how we allow ourselves to think. Here’s a novel idea …. How about making a conscious decision to turn all those crappy thoughts that are running around in your brain into thoughts that better serve you and push you towards both achieving your goals and beings happy.
Take control of your happiness by maximising outcomes from the things you can control.
1. Be social, with friends and family.
We’re social creatures, whether you are by nature an introvert or an extrovert, we all need to feel connected and part of a community. Plan time with friends and say ‘yes’ more (to those who make you happy).
2. Don't compare to others.
Be that the size of bank account, house, holiday, or even your pants… comparing our situation to others is often detrimental.
3. Practise being grateful.
The ‘G’ word gets bandied around a lot, but for good reason. It’s human nature to constantly move the goalposts and never stop to appreciate one’s personal growth or the greenness of our own grass.
4. Build better habits and break those that don’t make you happier.
All it takes is some focus, planning, and perseverance. For example, create a new habit around regularly reflecting on what you have to be grateful for.
5. Help others more.
It’s proven you’ll get more joy from giving than getting. So be generous with your time, talent, kindness, veggie garden yield, ideas, or money.
6. Be present.
We’ve all heard this one but consider how to be more present. What does being present look like in your life? What rituals or habits should you form to transition properly from work to home life and vice versa?
7. Get outside more.
That could be for exercise, to get in the garden, to bounce on your child’s tramp… being outside, and especially in nature, is proven to make us happier.
8. Exercise and sleep well.
We all know that exercise and enough sleep improves our health, wellbeing and resilience, so let’s make it a priority.
9. Make the choice to be happy.
Because, ultimately, it is a choice. As is choosing to smile more, which has been proven to make us happier.
10. Assess what guilty or innocent pleasures make you happy (and in what quantities).
If new shoes, Netflix or avo on toast makes you happy, then go nuts. But ask yourself: ‘How much will maximise my happiness?... At what point does more not make me any happier?’
For example, do two pairs of new shoes make you any happier than one new pair? Does bingeing on five episodes of that Swedish crime thriller make me you happier than watching just one? The answer could very well be yes! And if so, do what makes you happy.
“Happiness equals reality minus expectation.” - Tom Magliozzi
If you’re like me and much prefer a warmer climate to the cold, not having a mid-winter holiday somewhere warm to look forward to makes me dread the coming winter months. But I know that I feel better in myself if I get out into the fresh air and see the sun (what little there is in Auckland in winter!). So I have made a commitment to myself that I will get out for a walk every day that it’s not raining and I will listen to a podcast that helps me work on my mindset and this action in itself helps me feel more grounded, under control and happy. What are you going to do to improve your happiness over the coming months?