As anyone I know, this happiness journey is pretty crazy. It is also something I find fascinating. It fits so well into this health and wellness that I had to do some digging on actual tactics to living a life that is fit AND happy.
As I was interrupted for bathroom help and bragging this morning I forgot a few points in my daily live this morning. Here are my points on the topic. We are all searching for this thing called happiness. From all my research, it seems that happiness and taking care of yourself go hand in hand. Taking care of yourself and knowing yourself also go hand in hand.
My first piece of advice…find your NON-NEGOTIABLES.
What are Non-Negotiables? They are basically little goals your give yourself to reach every day. These goals are things you need everyday to feel your best. Now I want you to come up with real tangible goals here on what you want your life to look like. Big picture things. Strong relationships, a healthy, strong body, connection.
This will take some time with the one and only….yourself. You are the only one that knows what is important to you. By spending some quiet time with your thoughts you can come up with this list. I suggest 5, anything after that is a wish list. Too much to focus on in one day. If everything is important then nothing is important.
Be realistic. I have a news flash, you can not be everything. Albert Einstein was arguably the most intelligent man to ever live. We would all want his intelligence but, he was horrendous when it came to relationships. In fact he ended up marrying his cousin ( like first cousin….like their mothers were sisters). I would not say this man had it all together, yet we idolize him for what he did offer…get it? Do the things you are good at, forget the rest.
This is my list.
1. My Faith- my faith has become very important to me. I wake up before my kids to have some time to read my bible and pray.
2. Moving my body-this is a ritual that has become more about how I feel way more then how I look (which in turn makes me look better?! But that’s a topic for another day)
3. Home Cooking- I love to find healthy, balanced meals for the family…I am actually considering to start using chicken liver in my meat sauce…do NOT tell my family. This is something I am good at and love to explore
4. Quality Family Time- I mean quality, not just time where the kids are around. Intentional play. Intentional connection. Without this connection I am off balance.
5. Fun- Fun is something I need to remind myself to have. I can very easily get caught up in the daily without taking a minute to breathe. Now what in the heck is that! Fun is a non-negotiable that I have to actually think about.
These are the things that I need every day. I need to have these in my life to have a full complete happy day. What are yours?
Take Steps
Listen, making any type of change in your life is challenging. Typically the people that are closest to you are the ones that will judge you the most. “What are you thinking?” “That’s not you?” “Ok, you workout now?” YES. YES YOU DO….sorry for all the yelling. I am so tired of listening to other people. It is quite honestly none of their business. No, it is not your husbands business if you want to wake up early to go workout. I recently heard this message that marriage is a devotion….de…vote. They do not get a vote on what you think you need for yourself.
Take steps towards these non-negotiables every day. If you do not think you can….who will? There will be push back, there always is with change. Do not procrastinate because you are worried about what other people will think. This is your life, you only get one chance at it. I always ask myself this question-will my 80 year old self be mad at me for not doing this? If the answer is yes, then I do it. Will my 80 year old self be mad I didn’t take care of myself, will she be mad that she didn’t spend more time in her bible figuring out how to live right, will she be mad she didn’t take the time to make homecooked meals, that she put social media before her family. If you are making your older self upset, it is not worth the opinion of anyone. When you are 80, these opinions will not matter.
Small steps everyday is how your create big change.
Schedule It In:
If you do not control your schedule, it will control you. Sit down every week and look at your schedule. Physically write out hour by hour your weeks plan. Schedule in your non-negotiables first. Then you can see what you have time for after that. If you do not have a concrete schedule you will not be successful. Believe me, I have tried. I am a “wing-it” type of gal so the idea of scheduling seems crazy to me. Until I started doing it. You want to change your life? Write out your schedule. You will notice all the things your waste your time one. It will be ultra clear how much energy you give to unnecessary things. I am telling you, the key to happiness if giving your time to the things and people you love.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post! I am forever grateful for you. If this article helped you at all would you please share it on your social?!