If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s the fact that time waits for no one. And this is the premise for this article. What do you want out of life? And how do you want that to play out? Are you committing time to ensure that your plans go exactly as you want them to? Or are you leaving that very crucial part of your life to chance? If we’ve learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that life is fleeting and anything can happen in a twinkling of an eye. With that in mind, there’s never a better time to focus on living the life you know that you can live, and doing it exactly as you’ve always wanted to. Here are a few pointers to get you started on how to live the life you’ve always wanted.
- Be Happy
This rule is crucial, irrespective of the life you’re currently living, or if the future plans are going accordingly or not. Happiness is often said to be a choice, because, why not? Many challenges and difficulties come our way on a daily basis, and one cannot continue to focus on life’s pressures without getting into depression, or having our mental health suffer in some way. So, staying happy as you navigate this world towards your end goal is a necessity towards living a good and healthy life.
- Plan Ahead
It’s good to live life daily by taking it one day at a time, but it’s equally great if you can make plans for the future. Planning ahead is not only a means for your safety net, but consider that the ones hit most during the times of difficulty are usually the ones who did not imagine what tomorrow holds. Identify what you want to achieve in the coming years, and write it down somewhere and stick with it. Everyday, do something towards achieving that goal.
- Avoid Distractions
Many people are used to been told to dream big. But what I’ve found to be better advice is to dream accordingly for your future goals. The best way to stay focused on living your dream life is by mapping out the details of the life you’ve always wanted, and eliminating any distractions that might hinder you fulfilling that dream until it comes to fruition.
- Be Accountable
There are certain people and connections that we need to stay accountable to on this journey. They could be friends, family, mentors, or whatever, the point is to be accountable to someone to ensure that you do not sway off track from your proposed goals. As a matter of fact, being accountable starts with yourself, by following steps that ensure all your plans, and goals are going in the right direction as planned.
- Be Honest with Yourself
Many people have the desire to travel the world and see places beyond their current environment. Not a few people dream of regularly cozying up somewhere on an island, a French château, or a serene woodsy environment reminiscent of a fantasy world. There are so many ways that people would love to live, but then, there is real life letting you know that even though these dreams might be far-fetched for now, you have to be content with where and what you have presently until the big bucks set in to bankroll those dreams. It goes without saying though, that putting money aside is the surest way to make these dream vacations a regular reality.
- Celebrate Wins
Quite often, we put off celebrating ourselves because we’re waiting for that big thing we feel is more worthy of celebration. But the truth is that you need to count your blessings and name them one by one, like the Psalmist says, or you might miss out on the wins that you currently have that are indeed worthy of celebrating. It could be as simple as sticking to the decision to wake up earlier than usual to meditate, pray, or do whatever is needed to get you off to a good start for the day. We must celebrate life’s numerous blessings, irrespective of how big or small we deem them to be.
- Celebrate Others
Nothing expands the size of our hearts and grows our souls like celebrating other people’s successes and progression in life. The truth is, when we clap for others, especially, when they’re already at the place we hope to see ourselves in the future, it makes room for us to get there. It puts us in the right space and position to repurpose and stay focused on our goals and future plans. The universe has a way of rewarding goodness, and whatever we put out most of the times comes back to us in doublely.
- Upgrade Spiritually
It doesn’t matter what faith you practice, or even if you aren’t religious, the fact remains that most successful people in life have something or someone they follow their practices, or have certain beliefs they observe which ensure that they live their lives in ways that are pleasing to them and the people around them. Spiritual growth is a result of learned lessons of goodwill to others and oneself.
Gladys Christian | Contributing Writer
