“Live your best life” has become a popular phrase and it is such a great piece of advice. What first comes to your mind when someone asks you what it means to live your best life?
You would probably agree that different people have different ideas and desires about living the best life possible. Each person is a unique individual, and living their best life reflects their true, personal values. The ultimate goal in life is to be happy, but it’s more important to find out what making a difference means to you.
Humans are amazing creatures, and one of their deepest-rooted desires is to live a happy life, filled with a loving family, caring friends, money, health, and overall well-being. Meaningful existence makes people feel worthy; they make significant changes in the world and are part of something powerful.
Connection with themselves and others on a higher level makes them feel proud. People want to look back at their achievements and say: I did that!
But what does “live your best life?” really mean? Self-awareness is the key to success. If you want to reach your goals, you need to constantly ask yourself and examine your steps and actions, skills, desires, and motivations. There is no standardized, step-by-step description that will help you accomplish your greatest dreams, however, some questions will help you unlock your full potential.
Ask yourself the following questions and determine whether you are on the right track or if there are changes that you can make.
1. WHERE DO I WANT TO BE IN THE NEXT ONE, FIVE, OR TEN YEARS?
It’s impossible to predict what will happen in two weeks, so you cannot be sure what will happen in year two or ten, but having plans for the future is of extreme importance. Ask yourself where you want to be in one, five, or ten years and make a plan of action. Set your goals and start working on them.
Without goals, you cannot focus on what is essential, so it is nearly impossible to achieve anything. When you don’t have a plan in your head, any decision may seem reasonable. If you don’t have a goal that you aspire to, you will be unsure and unstable. Making decisions will be challenging, and you may make mistakes often. Those mistakes will cost you time, effort, and money.
Having strict goals will help you concentrate on what really matters. When you know what you want, you will plan your activities and take actions that will bring you closer to your goal. When you have clear goals, you will be motivated to achieve them sooner so that you can start living your best life. Aligning your decisions with your desires is a sure way to make progress.
My suggestion is to write everything down. Make plans, write down all options, and set your goals. Your focus should not be on money and material achievements. Instead, focus on financial “wellbeing” and make education plans, improving your skills, health insurance, buying a house and car, and always make sure you are happy at the end of the day.
2. WHERE WILL MY LIFE BE IN ONE, FIVE, OR TEN YEARS IF I CONTINUE DOING WHAT I AM DOING TODAY?
If you already have visions and goals of where you want to be in the future, then ask yourself, how do I spend my time? Will your actions help you move closer to your goals?
Decisions you make today will have a significant impact on your future. Ten years may sound far away, but make sure not to rush with your choices and don’t take any action before you carefully consider all options. If you don’t focus on upgrading your knowledge and skills and spend your time doing ordinary, mundane things, you cannot expect to improve your future. Magic doesn’t just happen. Each success is the result of dedication and hard work. For example, if you dream about a job promotion but don’t learn new skills and you don’t upgrade your knowledge constantly, you will remain in the same position.
Ask yourself questions that will help you identify whether things you do today will help you achieve your goals, or waste your time. Another important thing when it comes to achieving your goals is to stop procrastinating. If you want to lose weight and get fit, then you need to start eating healthy food and exercising today. Not tomorrow, not next month.
Last but certainly not least, cut off everyone who is not supportive and is holding you back. Remember, positive people and positive thoughts are a sure way to reach your goals.
3. WHAT IS MY “WHY”?
We all have dreams and we want to make them a reality. But why exactly do you want to achieve your goals? If you’re going to start your own business and be a boss, ask yourself why do you really want it? What does being a boss mean to you? Is it about independence? The associated status you will get? Is it about the income? The reason why you want to achieve something is the deep-seated reason behind your goals.
The “why” question makes your dreams, aspirations, and goals more tangible and significantly increases your chances of achieving your goals.
Chasing your dreams won’t be easy. In fact, it will be challenging and exhausting. Sometimes you might feel that you’ve had enough and you’ll want to quit. If you don’t have a clear picture of yourself in one or ten years, quitting will be an option any time things get tough.
4. AM I LIVING A LIFESTYLE THAT PROMOTES PHYSICAL, MENTAL, AND SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING?
Living your best life means leading a lifestyle that enhances your health and overall well-being. While a healthy lifestyle means eating healthy food, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, and having a good night’s sleep, mental and spiritual well-being are extremely important.
It is absolutely critical that you take good care of your body, mind, and soul. If you only focus on your body, other elements will become unhealthy over time. Experts explain that it is impossible to have overall well-being if you don’t nurture your inner feelings and emotions. Your body, mind, and soul are a whole, and each one is affecting the others.
Asking yourself if you are living a healthy lifestyle will help you to make the right choices. Reading and upgrading your knowledge will make you continually grow and will improve your spiritual well-being.
5. WHAT WOULD I DO IF TODAY WAS MY LAST DAY?
Imagine that tomorrow is your last day on Earth. What would you do? How would you spend your last day? My guess is that you won’t lay in bed all day and scroll through your social media feed. Instead, you would most likely spend time with your loved ones, and you would do things that make you happy. Maybe you would try bungee jumping, or some other cool activity that you’ve always thought of but have been postponing for years.
You would probably talk about your feelings and emotions. You might even tell a certain someone how you really feel about them. I mean rejection is not an option because this is your last day.
All of these are assumptions because nobody knows when they’ll die. Maybe you will celebrate your 100th birthday with your great-grandchildren. Maybe a meteor will hit tomorrow, who knows. The point is, you shouldn’t waste your time doing useless things. Knowing tomorrow is your last day would make you do something you have been procrastinating. But, why don’t you do them now? Why don’t you book that trip to the Maldives like you have always dreamed about?
Life is not just about going to work and paying bills and taxes. Life is about having fun and enjoying small things. You definitely should not stop paying your taxes, but you should not delay things that would make you happy. Live your best life today because there will not always be a tomorrow.
If you die tomorrow, the money you have earned and the house you lived in would be insignificant. You would probably regret working so hard and spending all your time making money instead of spending more time with the people you love.
You will regret not doing something you wanted because of fear. Or because others expected certain things from you. A simple question would make you think twice: ‘What would be my biggest regret be if I were to die tomorrow?’
6. HOW MUCH MONEY AM I WASTING EACH MONTH ON MEANINGLESS THINGS
How much money do you earn? How much money do you spend? Do you invest your money? Do you have some money set aside for emergencies? Really take the time to make the calculation.
Many people find it hard to afford a vacation or better car, not because they don’t earn enough, but because they waste their money on irrelevant things.
It would be wise to examine your spending routinely. Take notes for several months and go through your records. Check if there are unnecessary expenses. For instance, you may eat fast food too often, or you buy coffee and breakfast every day instead of preparing them at home.
There are so many ways to save money if you really try. It can seem hard at first, but just like with anything else, practice makes it easier and easier.
7. AM I HAPPY?
Happiness is the ultimate goal in life, yet most people don’t prioritize this. For instance, here is a schedule that the vast majority of people follow: go to school, graduate, get a job, get married, buy a house and a car, have kids, and so on. While all those things are amazing and can make you happy, is that what you really want? Are you satisfied with the life you are living? Do you wake up every morning happy to start your day?
You can avoid dissatisfaction, sadness, and anger if you ask yourself: Am I truly happy?
You can quit if you have a job. You can ask for a divorce. You can sell your house and buy a downtown apartment. You can do anything you want. Don’t act like a robot, and don’t accept mediocrity in your life.
8. DO I CARE MORE ABOUT HOW MY LIFE LOOKS OR HOW IT FEELS?
We live in the era of technology, and we are burdened with irrelevant information. Social media has a huge impact on our everyday lives, fueled by perfectionism, marketing, and extreme consumerism. The first impression is all that matters, so having an expensive car is more important than your character or integrity.
Don’t let social media and the idea of a perfect life mislead you. More and more people tend to take good photos and present their lives as perfect, even though they truly feel miserable. The point is to be successful, not to look successful and rent a luxury car just to take a few fake pictures.
Don’t focus on getting more money to improve your image and entertain others. Focus on your happiness and live your best life.
It is undeniable that we are social creatures and we feel the need to be accepted, but this doesn’t mean you have to pretend and fake it just to meet the expectations of society.
9. IS MY SOCIAL CIRCLE INFLUENCING MY LIFE POSITIVELY?
Have you ever heard about the fact that you are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with? People who surround you have a direct influence on your mindset, your behavior, and your opinion.
If your goal is to be successful, you need to surround yourself with successful and supportive people. Want to be happy? Hang out with people who make you happy.
There are two types of people: ones who drag you down with negativity, and people who encourage and support you. If you want to achieve your fullest potential, you need to hang out with people who fill you with positivity and eliminate everyone who makes you feel miserable and sad.
10. WHY NOT?
Society teaches us to follow the rules, and society expects people to live their lives in a predefined way. From an early age, society teaches us to play it safe, keep our heads down and do anything to fit in.
Leading an ordinary life is boring and uninspiring. Be the one who moves the borders and forget about tradition. Don’t accept all facts served. Don’t do anything you don’t want to. Learn how to say NO. Start chasing your dreams, and don’t apologize for being unique.
Don’t let ordinary people limit your possibilities. Do something that most people think is impossible. Accept challenges. Why not? You have only one life, so live your best one!!
