Have you ever reached a point in your life where you’ve felt like you were driving on auto pilot? Like you’re brain shuts off, because you intuitively know how to get there, so you miss much of the journey? And you think there’s got to be more to it. Or, you look back and think, “How did I get here? This isn’t what I had in mind.” Do you find yourself wondering if you’re supposed to be doing something different, or yearning for something more? Here are some tips on how to get the most out of life.
How to Get the Most Out of Life
If you find yourself just going through the motions, or feel like you’ve become robotic, check out these tips for getting the most out of life and maximize your happiness.
Start with Prayer
It may seem cliche, but really, starting with prayer is key to finding fulfillment. There is just something about maintaining an ongoing conversation that helps you get the most out of your day. Prayer helps put things in proper perspective.
Know Your Calling
Some would say that to discover your calling, you need to go inside to discover the true you. I believe you can only know who you are in relation to who Christ is. We are created for relationship with God. We each have unique gifts and talents. We each have calling, and our gifts, talents, and dreams play into our calling. I’ve come to realize that knowing who you’re supposed to BE is way more important than figuring out what you’re supposed to DO. When you know your calling, and are actively pursuing, life just takes on a whole knew flavor.
Understand the Be Do Have Model
Speaking of BE and DO. The Be Do Have model was introduced by Steven Covey, in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Essentially, after establishing a desired goal, we successfully achieve it by asking three questions in a specific sequence:
- Who do I need to be in order to accomplish this goal?
- What do I need to do in order to accomplish this goal?
- What do I need to have in order to accomplish this goal?
There’s really SO much more in the book, so you really should read it.
Simplify and Declutter
When you know your calling and understand the Be Do Have model, you can begin to simplify and declutter your life. Focusing your energy and abilities according to your calling will help you accomplish more.
Focus and Be Disciplined
Learn to set limits and establish accountability in order to stay focused and be disciplined. There’s a time to have your nose to the grindstone and a time to relax and blow off steam. Know the difference and remember that your dreams are important.
Be Willing to Work for It
One of the keys to getting the most out of life is being willing to work for it. I’m not sure who coined the phrase that anything worth having is worth working hard for, but it’s one that my Dad used when I was growing up. It’s one of the reasons I worked so hard in nursing school and in Bible school. It parallels the verse in Proverbs that says, “Lazy hands make for poverty,but diligent hands bring wealth.”
Often times, our dreams and calling require an education. If you find that a startup business or exciting venture is part of your calling, one of the best things you can do is to invest in yourself and get the education you need. While the best universities can be costly, it’s possible to enroll in one of the leading programs and finance your graduate school experience by taking out graduate student loans. You’ll get the education you need right away and can pay the loans off over time. I’m not a big fan of going into debt for debts sake, but if an advanced degree is part of your goal, then plan for it wisely.
Schedule Rest
When I was in nursing school, I worked two jobs full time and went to school full time. Literally, there were weeks when I would get up on Sunday, and not make it to bed until Thursday. It’s no wonder I was emotionally exhausted by age 21. Developing healthy habits for mental health is crucial. We need to be intentional about rest. Life isn’t all about achieving and living under incredible levels of stress. Rest helps our body, and mind, reset. And resetting is absolutely necessary if we’re going to get the most out of life.
Track Your Habits
For many of us, using a personal habit tracker can help us be successful.
If you’d like to get started tracking your habits, snag this personal habit tracker today. It includes the following:
- Habit Tracker Ideas List
- Blank Habit Tracker
- Cleaning Habit Tracker
- Self Care Habit Tracker
- Personal Development Habit Tracker
- Fitness Habit Tracker
- Habits to Break Habit Tracker
- Relationships Habit Tracker
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