You Don’t Need to Fix Your Brain to be Happy…Fix Your Habits Instead

How happy are you with your life? Did you know that anything that isn’t making you jump for joy can be fixed or changed? The key, however, is that only YOU hold that power to make your life joyous. It’s not up to your spouse, kids, parents, or boss. You are the only one in complete control of your life so you deserve to live the life of your dreams

Mindset is a big buzz word recently and simply refers to those learned attitudes we hold about absolutely anything. We have a money mindset, a career mindset; in a business setting you’ll hear terms like ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’ mindset. While our mindset is certainly important to how we perceive life, what we need to make changes is tiny habits, which combined over a period of time become automatic habits that we don’t think about any more. These automatic habits compound into many small successes, which can also help change our mindset. It’s a huge cycle but one which can be changed at any point.

How to Add Tiny Habits to Your Day

Since every person’s goals will be different, so will every person’s tiny habit choices. These are just a few ideas and certainly not a comprehensive list. Choose whichever tiny habits make you happy and more fulfilled (and moving toward your goals) and continue building on those.

To begin, decide what exactly makes you unhappy then think of a resolution. That resolution may be your ultimate goal or it may be a much smaller goal leading to a bigger one. It’s not enough to just THINK about a resolution; you must then take action, either in the form of approaching someone to discuss your unhappiness or by creating your tiny habits.

Some general tiny habits that anyone can add to their routines include: meditation, yoga, cardio exercise, writing a gratitude journal, journal about all areas of your life or your goals, listening to empowering podcasts, praying, and healthy eating.

If you’re specifically unhappy at work:

• Spend 5 minutes a day looking for a new job; apply for a new position inside your current company; rewrite your resume; seek a mentor for advice; get active with business networking groups; upgrade your skillset; write down a daily work goal and cross if off the list when achieved.

If you’re unhappy with your relationships:

• Spend a few minutes every day registering with online dating services or browsing their databases; ask friends to set you up; join Meetup Groups based on a hobby or interest; make a point of accepting invitations to go out with groups of friends; reconnect daily with spouse or partner; go on regular date nights where you don’t talk about work or kids; try a new hobby or activity together; reconnect with old friends or family members.

If you’re unhappy spiritually:

• Spend time everyday doing spiritual reading; create a meditative morning and evening routine; spend time every day doing self-care routines; seek advice from religious or spiritual leaders; listen to spiritual podcasts or music; volunteer to help the less fortunate.

As you can see, there’s no magic wand that can change your level of happiness. It’s up to you to take the action and to implement these tiny steps toward your ultimate goals.