Five life areas can lead to total happiness and well-being. Any improvement within the five results in happier you.
According to research, these are five fundamental categories or types of well-being. They are not “stand-alone” pursuits in themselves, but they are three things that can lead to greater fulfillment in life overall. For each category, I’ll include a question to help you determine if it’s something you need to focus on more in your life.
Relationships
Relationships are about the quality of time you spend with other people in your life, whether that’s a partner, spouse or family member, friend, colleague, or anyone else you enjoy spending time with. It doesn’t matter how long you have known them for either. The important thing is that you have people in your life that are good for you, care about you, and who you enjoy being around. If this isn’t something that comes easily to you, if there are many people in your life but no one really stands out as unique, then it might be time to start thinking about making some new friends or investing more time in your existing relationships. And suppose you don’t have as many people as you’d like in your life. In that case, it might be time to look at opportunities for meeting new people and expanding your social circle. Relationship questions:
Do I know the names of all my neighbors?
Do I have a best friend or group of close friends that I enjoy spending time with?
Do I have at least one person to whom I can say anything without fear of judgment or consequences?
Health and Fitness
If you keep up a healthy lifestyle and eat well, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly, then your physical well-being will improve. This means you will have more energy, be less prone to illness and generally feel better about yourself. If this isn’t something that comes naturally to you, or if it’s been a long time since you’ve looked after your health, then perhaps now is the time for some basic improvements. Start with small changes – eat healthier or start exercising – and build up from there. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Health and fitness questions:
Do I exercise regularly?
Do I eat healthy foods most of the time?
If you answered no to those, then it might be time to take another look at your lifestyle and ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to make things even better.
Career and Finance
This is about how you feel about your job, as well as whether or not you earn enough money to meet all your needs and those of people close to you. If you like what you do for a living and feel confident in your abilities, then it’s likely you’ll be happy with your job. If this isn’t the case, if you would like to make a change or even start your own business, now might be the right time. And if you’re lacking in confidence and don’t feel as though your work is valued, then it’s time to focus on building skills and gaining experience that will allow you to take a more confident, proactive stance at work. Finally, if you’re unhappy with your financial situation and feel as though your job isn’t providing enough money to meet all your needs, it might be time for a change or even a new career. Career and financial questions:
Do I enjoy going to work every day?
How does my job make me feel about myself?
Do I earn enough money to cover all my needs and the needs of people close to me?
Is it time for a career change or at least some further education to boost earning power? If you answered no to any of these questions, then your attention should be focused on working towards positive changes in this area.
Self-Improvement
The final category is self-improvement. This is about doing the things that make you feel good, improve your life and help you grow as a person. It’s about finding fulfillment in what you do. If this isn’t something that comes naturally to you, if there are aspects of your character and personality that you’d like to change and develop, it might be time for a bit of personal development. And if you feel as though your life lacks meaning or purpose, perhaps the source of this problem is in how you choose to spend your time. Consider what positive changes would make a significant difference in your life and go from there. Self-improvement questions:
Do I make time for things that enrich my life?
What would be different if I spent more time doing what makes me happy and fulfilled?
If you answered no to the first question and are stumped on the second of those, then here are a few ideas to get you started. Identify one thing you could do every day that would add value to your life and take steps towards making that happen.
What are the most important things in my life?
Who do I spend time with?
Do those people bring out the best in me or tend to bring me down? If they don’t enrich your life, it’s probably time to either spend more time with people who inspire you or find strategies for dealing with the negative people in your life.
It’s time to take another look at your lifestyle and ask yourself if there is anything you can do to make things even better. Consider what positive changes would make a significant difference in your life and go from there. Whether it’s about career, finance, or self-improvement, the key is not making excuses for where you are but taking actionable steps towards improvement today.