We’re all trying to make it in life. We all want to be successful or find the meaning of life, and it seems that everyone has different pieces of advice for us on how to live. In each category of life, there are multiple subcategories. What should we do to maximize our lives? What should we do when we have a problem instead of ignoring it and living life poorly? I have taken time to identify one important thing, in my opinion, that you should take note of.
Relationships:
Discover each other’s love language and commit to that.
I think that the five love languages are a very important tool in building and strengthening a relationship. My love language is physical touch, so being able to hug, hold, and brush against my partner is important to me. Therefore, being aware of your preferred love language as well as your partner’s can help your bond. If you would like to take the official quiz to find your love language, click the link below:
https://5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language
Spirituality and religion:
Dive into religion and take time to seek
Devoting to a religion and/or being spiritual can help ground us and find meaning in life. As a Christian, I have trusted in the Lord and focused on keeping my eyes up. Taking time to read spiritual texts (like the Bible), putting time into serving religious groups, attending services, meditating, and being in the moment will put us into a better mindset to grasp the world around us.
School:
Study and take good notes
Many people decide to either commit to the education experience or cruise by. I find it very necessary to actually take your time in each class, take great notes, and study. These notes can be handwritten, typed, or recorded. It is best to find which mode of note-taking is your favorite. I prefer taking notes on Microsoft Word and using many bullet points. You should also make time to create and complete study guides and study for midterms and finals. Getting a sufficient education is very important to success.
Family:
Spend as much time with family as you can
Family should be a top priority in life. They come in all different sizes and personalities. Some people have a blended family, adopted family, blood-related family, external family (like friends), and more. You should try to spend as much time as you can with your family. They can be your greatest support and best friends. My sister is my closest friend, and I know that I can count on her for anything and everything.
Self:
Take mental health and self-care days
We can’t always be 100% 24/7/365. We need to remember that our self-care and mental health is important. If we run all the time, we can go into auto-pilot and forget to take control of our lives. If your schedule is super busy and jam-packed, then you need to adjust yourself and make sure you spend at least 2-3 hours a week and/or 1 day a month just on you. Engage in something creative, take a long bath, curl up and read a good book, watch that movie you’ve always wanted to see, get a massage, go shopping, anything!
Work:
Even if finances are very important to you, don’t dedicate your life to your job.
If you’re in your dream career, congratulations! If you have your own business, great work! If you’re working just to make money or do something, that’s awesome! Despite all of these reasons, you shouldn’t dedicate your life to your job. Burning out is the worst, especially in the workplace. If you work too many hours or too many part-time jobs, you may need to take a vacation. By the way, if your employer does not let you take a vacation (so long as you comply with company rules), then you may need to find another path.
Finances:
Find the best way to budget for you
You don’t have to be an accountant to learn how to budget. One of my favorite tools is Google Sheets since it allows me to input functions and discover the best way to budget everything. I personally may not have many things to budget for, but having a tool like Google Sheets available for future reference will help me in the long run. Take a day to sit down and count out your expenses, income, necessary purchases, and extra money. You can invest that extra money in a certificate of deposit, savings account, stocks, or high-risk investments.
Mental health:
Declutter your mind through creativity (journaling, art, etc.)
As an aspiring art therapist, I know how important creativity is in life. Put some time into your schedule to do something creative. Whether you want to doodle, read, color, paint, sculpt, journal, write, sing, dance, or experiment, take a moment to be in a creative mindset. There are no correct answers when it comes to art – art is about the expression of the self. That’s why it is a very stress-relieving activity.
Physical health:
Find a reason to get out of the house or clean your space
Moving is something that needs to be done daily. Whether you are in a dorm, at home, in the classroom, etc., you should find some way to get up and move your body. If you are at home/a dorm and can’t go out, find a space to clean or organize. If you can get out of the house, go on a walk to the nearest park or store. If you’re in the classroom, take a minute to walk to the bathroom, even if you don’t need to go.
Friendships:
Let go of fake friends (you don’t need them as much as you think you do)
One of the hardest things that some of us may have had to face was letting go of our friends. Perhaps they weren’t the way they used to be, perhaps their values don’t align with yours, or perhaps they’ve done something bad or said nasty things behind your back. Whatever the reason may be, if you don’t think that your friend is being a good friend, then you should let them go. There may be a chance they can come back a changed person, but be sure you don’t fall into a trap. Additionally, take that time to reflect on yourself and where you stand as a friend.
Visions, goals, and the future:
Identify the progress in your goals
At least 2-4 times a year, it is beneficial to see where you came from, where you are, and where you want to be in terms of future goals. For example, you made a goal in January of 2023 to write a novel by the end of 2023. How much of the book did you write? Did you get started? Did you proofread the book? Did you send it to any editors or publishers? Another important note is that you may not wish to complete goals because they don’t align with your values. What changed during that time that made you not want to complete that goal? Did you set a new goal, and is it in progress?
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Now that we have covered a large range of the categories of life, you should be set, right? What about those times when you feel stuck in life? Things aren’t going the way you planned, things aren’t moving along enough, you’re on a day-by-day basis, or the days drag into each other. Following are just a few steps you can take whenever you feel stuck.
What to do when you feel stuck:
- Identify what area of life you feel stuck in. Is it school? Work? Relationships? Mental health?
- Identify your support. Do you have support? Who are they? How can they help?
- Identify your goals for that area of life. Where do you want to be? What steps can you take to get there?
- Breathe.
- Make a plan. How long will it take for you to be happy with your progress? What accomplishments/benchmarks will you set for each week or month?
- Reward yourself. After all, you did a lot of work to reach where you are now. Give yourself a reward!