16 Tips for Living a Happy Life Starting Right Now Gratitude, a generous spirit and goals to work toward are the foundation of lifelong happiness. It's all within reach.
By John Rampton Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It doesn't matter your age, how much money you have in your bank account, your marital status or what you do for a living, we all want to be more successful in our lives. Of course, defining success is different for each us, but here are 16 proven ways that can make you more productive, happy and successful in life.
1. Be committed.
No matter what goals you have set for yourself in life, you have to be committed. It's through commitment that you'll continue to make the improvements needed to better yourself. Whether it's taking a chance on launching a startup, getting a gym membership to improve your physical well being, or taking a cooking class because you want to become a chef, commitment is what drives us all to become more successful.
2. People care about you, not your success.
Let's be honest. People don't care about the expensive clothes you wear, how big is the house you own or the car your drive. That's not to say that they don't respect your achievements or possessions. Instead, they care you as an individual and they'll support you no matter what -- because they love you. Believe it!
Related: Embrace True Transparency, and You'll Experience More Success
3. Be grateful everyday.
According to researchers Martin Seligman, Robert Emmons, and Michael McCullough, being grateful can result in feeling better about your life, more enthusiastism and more willingness to help others. Being grateful may even reduce coronary artery disease. Take the time to write down what you're grateful each and every day.
4. Take action.
In an article in The Atlantic, authors Katty Kay and Claire Shipman share studies on the confidence gap between men and women. The researchers discovered that confidence is just as important as competence. It was concluded in the article that "[T]aking action bolsters one's belief in one's ability to succeed."
5. Money can't buy happiness.
As The Beatles famously proclaimed, (money), "can't buy me love." You know what else money can't buy? Happiness. Just because you're earning six figures doesn't mean that you're necessarily content. Sure, money is obviously needed, and it makes some things easier. But, you should be focusing on your passion and not how much your paycheck is.
6. Don't take rejection personally.
At some point we all face rejection. Instead of taking it personally, use it as a learning experience. Why did a VC reject your proposal? Maybe there wasn't a market for your product. Perhaps you didn't have a convincing pitch. Maybe the VC's partner just called and said he'd spent their extra cash. Accepting and learning from rejection is one way to guide you to success.
With my online invoicing startup I get rejected daily, literally. I talked to 100+ VC's before I got one that believed in my product. Learn from rejection and use it as motivation to make things bettter!
7. Have a backup plan.
You never know when the unexpected is going to happen, but when it does happen, you're surrounded by chaos. Being prepared for the worst case scenario can at least make things a whole lot less chaotic. When my last business crashed, had I not had some cash set aside (that my wife kept away from me), we would have been in financial ruin. Having a three-to-six month nest egg will make the difference. I've found that having 12-24 months of cash to pay all bills just sitting there has significantly helped my marriage be more positive as well!
8. Improve your social skill.
After analyzing data from between 1972 and 1992, University of California, Santa Barbara, economist Catherine Weinberger found that "The people who are both smart and socially adept earn more in today's workforce than similarly endowed workers in 1980."
Related: Developing People Skills Is a Brilliant Career Move
9. Travel.
As Yii-Huei Phang states on The Huffington Post, traveling is a great way to "develop a person's character" and become more open-minded. Additionally, while traveling is a great way to get away from the daily grind, it also helps you appreciate what you have back at home.
10. Don't multitask.
If you're feeling constantly burnt out it's probably because you're doing too much at one time. Research has found that "when you switch away from a primary task to do something else, you're increasing the time it takes to finish that task by an average of 25 percent." You're also burning your reservoir of energy. Both of these issues decrease your productivity and prevent you from accomplishing tasks and goal.
11. Embrace a growth mindset.
Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck argues that we have two-mindsets; "fixed" and "growth." A fixed mindset "assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static." A "growth mindset," however, "thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities."
12. Balance work and life.
When work interferes with life, it can result in employees getting burned out and decreases base morale in the office. While this may not be an option for employees, it proves that everyone needs time away from the office. If you're able to spend less time in the office by working remotely or having flexible hours, you should be able to be productive in both your personal and professional life.
13. Don't hold grudges.
There is really no need to hold onto a grudge. It can mentally wear you out and makes you miserable. And, doesn't life seem to go a whole lot smoother when you're not angry?
14. Stick it out.
After years of studying both children and adults, psychologist Angela Duckworth found that one of the characteristics of successful individuals is having grit. During her TED talk Duckworth stated, "Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint."
15. Live in the moment
You can't change the past and you have no control of the future. Live in the moment and enjoy what's in front of you right here, right now. When you're busy making too many plans, you're causing stress that prevents you from enjoying the present.
16. Take care of yourself, then help others.
According to Mark Snyder, a psychologist and head of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society at the University of Minnesota, "People who volunteer tend to have higher self-esteem, psychological well-being, and happiness."
Additionally, helping others is beneficial for our health. But, how can you help others if you haven't taken care of yourself first? Take care of your needs first and then begin to help others.
Related: Richard Branson on Why Volunteer Work Is Important for Business Leaders
