{"id":27769,"date":"2014-10-08T21:04:19","date_gmt":"2014-10-09T05:04:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=27769"},"modified":"2016-06-04T05:32:48","modified_gmt":"2016-06-04T13:32:48","slug":"10-ways-to-improve-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/10-ways-to-improve-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.\u00a0 And then go and do that.\u00a0 Because what the world needs is people that have come alive.\u201d -Harold Thurman\u00a0\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

If you are anything like me, you have probably had days (if not weeks) when you have felt a little stalled.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you have felt stuck in a rut.\u00a0 Time might have passed by while you were on autopilot.\u00a0 You may have even questioned when life will really<\/i> begin.<\/p>\n

In contrast to this feeling, an enlivened life is one that we are excited about living.\u00a0 We feel energized and awake for even the most ordinary moments.\u00a0 When we are excited about our lives, we have something to look forward to and find rich meaning in our experiences.<\/p>\n

When we think about what it would take to get excited about life, we sometimes think \u201cbut I\u2019m just me,\u201d as if telling ourselves that we aren\u2019t good enough or don\u2019t have the skills or resources to feel alive.\u00a0 In reality, being \u201cjust me\u201d is all we ever need to be.<\/p>\n

Making any change, even a change for the better, can be a bit daunting.\u00a0 Change can also be uncertain or risky.\u00a0 It can feel awkward and unnatural at first, though it is completely normal for it to take a month of daily practice before a new behavior becomes habit.<\/p>\n

When the results aren\u2019t immediate we may question whether our efforts are working, and it can be tempting to slide back into old ways.<\/p>\n

Rest assured that you don\u2019t need to turn your life upside down to liven things up.\u00a0 The truth is, coming alive doesn\u2019t require impressive accomplishments or colossal life changes.\u00a0 Getting excited about your life doesn\u2019t require thrilling adventure, fame, or wealth, either.<\/p>\n

We can all get excited by our lives by making a few small adjustments to our attitudes and our habits.\u00a0 These small changes often come with an added bonus: positive change begets further positive change.<\/p>\n

Below are 10 ways to improve your life: \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Counteract negativity with positivity.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

Negativity is pretty stealthy.\u00a0 It may creep in and soon\u00a0become automatic and pervasive.\u00a0 Slowly but surely, it dampens our spirits and robs us of our excitement for living.<\/p>\n

Counteract negativity from others and yourself by responding with positivity, warmth, and optimism.\u00a0 Instead of gossiping,\u00a0channel envy into positive change.\u00a0 Ban 2-3 negative labels or phrases from your vocabulary for 1 month.<\/p>\n

Look for the lesson that difficult situations may be trying to teach you.\u00a0 Think of them as\u00a0presenting you with the opportunity to practice patience and perseverance, and remind yourself of what is going well outside of the situation.<\/p>\n

Practice kindness.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

Practice acts of kindness every day.\u00a0 Do something kind for yourself.\u00a0 Write yourself motivating messages.<\/p>\n

Try volunteering or donating to a charity.\u00a0 Step in and help someone in need.\u00a0 Even small gestures like holding open a door can carry forward into the rest of your day.<\/p>\n

Dedicate time to learning and meaning.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

Every week, work toward learning something new and\u00a0cultivating your talents.\u00a0 Try reading a chapter a day, learning a word a day, practicing your math skills, or choosing a topic that you would simply like to learn more about.\u00a0 Whatever\u00a0you choose, approach it whole-heartedly.<\/p>\n

Investing time in something you care about is really an investment in yourself.\u00a0 Meaningful activities bring passion and richness to our lives and connect us to similar others.\u00a0 Learning and meaningful activities are also the antidote to burn-out.<\/p>\n

Make and relive memories.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

Time passes, no matter what.\u00a0 When we are living a more enlivened life, we are more keenly aware of the impermanence of life and keep an eye toward the memories we are creating.<\/p>\n

About once a week, do something nostalgic.\u00a0 Nostalgia is that bittersweet, sentimental feeling that leaves us appreciating meaning and connection in our lives.\u00a0 Try to create a time capsule, and mark a date on your calendar to reveal the contents.<\/p>\n

Take 1-3 pictures a day of something you find inspiring, motivating, funny, or notable.\u00a0 Fill a photo album with these, and review it at the end of the month.\u00a0 Start a new tradition with friends and family.<\/p>\n

Celebrate.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

So much in life is worth celebrating, yet we often don\u2019t make time for this in our hectic schedules.\u00a0 When we do choose to celebrate, we can get bogged down under the pressure of expectations.\u00a0 Make your celebrations fun, meaningful, and frequent.<\/p>\n

Celebrate anniversaries, even the small ones.\u00a0 Focus on the meaning to you, and let go of the nonessential.\u00a0 Celebrate the silly holidays like Skyscraper Day or Bingo Month.\u00a0 Make it as big or little a celebration as you like.<\/p>\n

Explore.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

How often are we living right next door to something amazing only to admit that we have never really paid attention? Be a tourist in your own home town.\u00a0 Allow yourself to be excited about the things in your city that are easily taken for granted in daily life.<\/p>\n

Do it sooner rather than later.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

It can be tempting to \u201cdo it later,\u201d but all too easily we find that later never comes.\u00a0 When we put off working toward important goals, we become more reactive than proactive.\u00a0 We can feel overwhelmed as deadlines approach and stress builds, and we can feel defeated if we fail to make the progress we are hoping for.<\/p>\n

To reawaken those personal goals that you have been putting off or afraid to start, choose one and commit to working toward it in some small way each day.\u00a0 Break down large tasks.\u00a0 Identify the fears that may be holding you back.<\/p>\n

Remind yourself why this is important and consider how things might be different when you have reached this goal.\u00a0 Sometimes simply taking an initial step can increase our commitment to the goal.<\/p>\n

Brighten up.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

Not only do we often dress how we feel, but we can also feel how we dress.\u00a0 About once a week, wear one thing that is a little brighter or more striking than you might usually wear.\u00a0 The idea isn\u2019t to be a slave to fashion or to focus on appearance, but rather to try on something a little different and notice how it feels.<\/p>\n

Face your fears.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

Our fears hold us back, close us off, and make our worlds smaller.\u00a0 Break out of this confined space by doing something every day that helps you conquer a fear.\u00a0 You don\u2019t need to overcome the fear all at once.\u00a0 In fact, taking small steps every day is much more sustainable.\u00a0 Work through the thoughts and the actions that may keep this fear locked in place.<\/p>\n

Make time.\u00a0 <\/i><\/h1>\n

As addicting as it may be, being busy is not the same as feeling alive.\u00a0 Quite often, living a more enlivened life simply requires a little more time for living during the day.\u00a0 Reduce your daily screen and media time by 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

Choose 2-3 times per day for laughing, inspiration, and reflection.\u00a0 Schedule time to work through the items on this list.\u00a0 Commit to this time by marking it in your planner or setting an alarm.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Now it\u2019s your turn.\u00a0 What do you do to enliven your life?<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

————<\/p>\n

Leslie shows working moms how to bust those superwoman myths and bring back the balance and joy with her signature blend of real-life positive psychology tips and guilt-free meditations at A Year of Happy<\/a>. To get you started, she\u2019s whipped up a delectable 2-minute revitalizing meditation for you to enjoy on the house at http:\/\/www.ayearofhappy.com\/revitalize<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you are anything like me, you have probably had days (if not weeks) when you have felt a little stalled.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you have felt stuck in a rut. Time might have passed by while you were on autopilot. You may have even questioned when life will really begin. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":27850,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[32,9,6],"tags":[1196,1032,1562,66,3637],"yoast_head":"\n10 Ways to Immediately Improve Your Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you are anything like me, you have probably had days (if not weeks) when you have felt a little stalled. Perhaps you have felt stuck in a rut. 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