4 Hard Habits That Make Life More Fun
Create the reality you desire.
g-stockstudio | Canva I learned over the years not to depend on external events for my happiness. It’s easy to get caught up in the idea that life needs to be somehow enjoyable or interesting for me to enjoy myself. Thinking this can stress us because we’re at the mercy of things going right, which they often do not. So how do ensure we live well? We focus on repeating certain kinds of actions that reflect our own choice to live life well — regardless of the situation. There’s a big difference there. We create our reality. We don’t wait for it.
Here are 4 hard habits that make life more fun:
1. Don't wait to feel good before doing stuff
Too many of us value our feelings as an indicator of what’s worth doing. You don’t need to feel good to act. You must act regardless of the flatness, the fear, or the frustration. Everything changes when you design a life biased to leaning in and doing things. You become a doer overnight. Now take it up a notch and do more. Now we’re cooking. The momentum will fuel you. Sparks fly. Don’t question it. Just do it. Begin to enjoy a life in motion. We feel better, and more happens in our favor.
2. Prune your life every day
Most of us take on too much, and we know it. We accept too many engagements. We buy too much junk that we never use. We take on too many projects that send us spinning. Good pruners manage beautiful gardens. So prune your life every day. Take stock of one area of your life and identify one thing you can subtract. What item in your house no longer ‘sparks joy’ that you barely use? Get rid (This doesn’t include an unruly child). The same applies to your business engagements, relationships, and bad habits. Find one thing that gets the chop. Life is about continual simplification, not taking on more than necessary. You’ll be far less stressed and more effective this way.
3. Find low-dopamine forms of entertainment
We all know that being glued to TikTok and video games isn’t doing us much good. Being continually flooded with dopamine from artificial and cheap sources is screwing with our heads. These pitiful platforms are engineered to hook you in like a hapless puppy looking for bacon. Look to other sources of semi-passive entertainment like reading fiction, people-watching, doodling, sun-gazing, bird-watching, or just watching the ocean waves crash in. There is immense power here because, as our minds still during these activities, we receive creative insights that nourish us.
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4. Ask life-improving questions
If we allow any old thought into our heads, and stew on those concerns, we lose control. Take the power back by regularly asking soul-quenching questions that keep us on the right track: a creative and healthy track. Ask questions like: "If I knew exactly how to solve my most pressing challenge, what one thing would I do to solve it today?" You may surprise yourself by how many solutions are already shelved away in that thick noggin of yours. Ask empowering questions. Ask questions that prompt a life of intrigue and enjoyment. You know the way.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.