The Secret to Happiness is…

The secret to happiness is… balanced accomplishments.

That’s how I would define it anyway. What I mean is that we are truly happy when we are accomplishing things of worth, in all areas of our lives, at the right time, with the right balance.

For some of us, having a balance in all areas of our lives might seem near impossible. A common phrase we hear ourselves saying when we consider all that we would like to do is “I don’t have time for that”. And, yes, if you try to do everything all at once and try to get it all done quickly, then you won’t have the time.

The key is planning.

My life is not as balanced as I’d like it to be, but it is a whole lot better than it used to be, and is improving. The way I’ve been able to do this is by setting specific goals for myself.

Here are the steps I take when setting  a goal for myself:

Step 1. Ask myself if this is a worthy goal? Is my life balanced? Am I working to develop myself in all the important areas of my life, such as:

• Health
• Physical Fitness
• Relationships
• Spirituality
• Emotions
• Mental State
• Finances
• Work and Business

Have I set specific goals for how I will develop each of these areas and am I spending at least 15 minutes per day on all of them?

Step 2. What do I want to achieve in this area of my life? For example:

• Do you want to reduce your weight by 11lbs?
• Do you want to be able to run 3 miles, 3 days per week?
• Do you want to have a more intimate relationship with your husband or wife?
• Do you want to have more fun with your children?
• Do you want to feel like you are doing something of worth in your life?
• Do you want to get rid of a grudge you have against a brother or sister?
• Do you want to be able to get rid of the constant clutter that is in your mind?
• Do you want to get pay off your $12,000 credit card debt?
• Do you want to be earning $15,000 per year more in your occupation, or double your business revenue?

Write down a specific outcome you would like to have in all the key areas in your life. If you’re happy with the way things are in certain areas and need to spend a lot more time in a specific area or two, then put an asterix next to those important issues.

Don’t procrastinate! Work on the most important area/s first.

Step 3. For each of the areas of your life that you would like to see a change, and now have articulated exactly what that  change is, the next step is to write down a plan of action.

It is important here that you don’t overdo it. The fact that you have gotten this far is a MAJOR achievement and you should commend yourself. Most people never get to this point in their lives which is why most people never achieve their fullest potential and a fullness of joy.

They go through life reacting to it. You are taking action and shaping your future.

When writing your plan of action be sure to:

• Make it achievable for you
• Keep it simple
• Give yourself time to see results
• Keep it in your mind every morning
• Be consistent

For example, if your goal is to run 3 miles  3 days per week and you’re currently not doing any exercise then this is how I would recommend you approach it:

a) Decide which three days you’re going to run and what time of day

b) Put a repeat schedule on your calendar so that you are reminded automatically on each of those three days

c) Start off the first week by jogging for all those three days at an easy pace for as far as you can comfortably go.

d) Each week continue to run just a little bit further than the previous week

e) Continue to do this until you can jog the 3 miles

f) Once you can comfortably jog the 3 miles, begin timing yourself

g) Continue to do this until you are running at the pace that you are happy with

The above steps are easy for ANYONE  to do to achieve this goal. The major determiner of whether or not you will reach the goal is your CONSISTENCY.

Don’t expect to reach your goals overnight. Some goals will take weeks to achieve, some will take years. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the journey.

You will find that happiness will come to you as you strive to better yourself. True happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life.

Has this article helped you? I’d love to hear your thoughts… leave a comment below!