Body & Fitness

Love your life

Planning and goals are all very good, but take time for fun too!
Love your life

1. Learn your values

Your values are exact and operate with the precision of a formula. They should be a key part of planning your life, yet the majority of us do not know our own. If a situation or aspect of your life doesn’t feel quite right, it can be a sign that it doesn’t align with your values.

Conversely, when you feel great and in the flow, the situation’s likely aligning with your values. Take time to explore what is truly important to you and decide where you need to make some changes.

2. Happiness habits

Planning a good life is not simply about goals. A delicious coffee, getting up at sunrise, a 10-minute meditation, a long, warm hug, sun on your face, reading in bed, time in the gym, great music … These are all examples of things that may bring you happiness and we benefit from making sure we experience these each day. Make a list of things that make you feel good and promise yourself you will enjoy them daily.

3. Identify weak points

When you review each sector of your life, there will likely be some areas that are flourishing and others that need attention.  Over time, your weak points will hold you back.

For example, a niggling worry about your finances or a resentment toward an aspect of your relationship may ultimately hinder your success or happiness if you leave them unattended. Be aware of these weaker points and choose one action to improve them.

4. Schedule time for the big picture

Humans are progressive by nature, so focusing on the big picture is energising. Once you’ve determined your values, realised what makes you happy and addressed any weak points, you’ll be more inspired to deliberate on what you want in your life. Write down what you would like your life to be like.

Following that, bullet-point three goals from what you’ve written. Then put time aside each month to focus on what you are working towards in your life. It’s easy to overlook this time when life rears its busy head, so be sure to schedule it in!

5. Create a ‘bottom up’ weekly plan

People often say they’d like to exercise more, take time to read again or see more of their friends. If we don’t engage in meaningful activities, we become disengaged and lose productivity.

The bottom-up weekly plan schedules time for you first. Research shows that when we take part in meaningful activities, we build our energy stores. I promise you, deadlines will still be met! Each Sunday, choose when you’ll exercise, schedule a coffee with friends or book a date night. Commit to these activities as though they were important meetings. You’ll discover that everything else still gets done.

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