Prioritize cultivating happiness and fulfillment internally before seeking it externally through achievements or possessions. This internal foundation will then guide you to live a more fulfilled life and make choices from a place of peace.
Make your most important decisions based on internal nudges from your heart, rather than solely on logical or socially acceptable reasons. Acting on these urges within a reasonable time can help you avoid future pain and lead you into your growth zone.
Imagine your own funeral and what you want people to say about the life you lived, focusing on qualities like patience, generosity, or integrity. Consolidate these into 3-5 core values to use as a filter for all your life choices, ensuring they align with your desired legacy.
Intentionally ‘paint yourself into a corner’ by setting up systems that limit your choices, thereby fostering discipline. For example, if you buy something new, commit to getting rid of something old, or make a public commitment to a daily practice to hold yourself accountable.
Engage in a daily seated, eyes-closed meditation practice to create inner spaciousness, reduce stress, and strengthen your intuition. This foundational habit helps dissolve internal clutter and emotional baggage, making you more adaptable and present in daily life.
Sit comfortably in a relaxed position (e.g., on a couch) and adopt a passive attitude, allowing thoughts to occur naturally without fighting them. Start with just 5 minutes, perhaps focusing on 10 deep breaths per minute, to make the practice enjoyable and sustainable, leaving you wanting more.
Tell yourself the truth about one thing in your life you want to change, even if it’s difficult, and then take immediate action based on that honesty. For example, if struggling with sugar, remove tempting items from your home or replace them with healthier alternatives.
Devise a simple, consistent workout plan focusing on one body part each day for a small number of reps (e.g., 20 push-ups on Monday, 20 air squats on Tuesday). This approach, taking as little as five minutes, builds consistency and leaves you wanting more, making exercise a sustainable habit.
Periodically abstain from or minimize low-grade addictions like sugar, caffeine, or social media for a set period (e.g., 30 days). This intentional practice helps you recognize dependencies and mitigate potentially dangerous relationships with these substances or activities as a lifestyle choice.
Adopt the belief that everything that happens to you is also happening for you, rather than randomly. This mindset empowers you to find learning opportunities and upsides in every experience, even negative ones, by asking ‘What’s the learning opportunity here?’
Cultivate presence by fully immersing yourself in whatever you are doing, whether it’s washing dishes, spending time with family, or working. This means not waiting for the moment to be present, but cultivating it beforehand through practices like stillness, as the seeds of the future are planted in the present.
Recognize that every choice, especially those that compromise your values or integrity, comes with a hidden cost beyond monetary value. Prioritizing a higher-paying job that causes internal friction, for instance, may ultimately be ’less profitable’ than a lower-paying one that aligns with your values due to the toll on mental and physical health.
Put on your own ‘oxygen mask’ first by prioritizing your personal growth and well-being, with the intent to better serve others. This self-nurturing approach allows you to be more effective, compassionate, and generous in your relationships and service to the world.
Actively move towards what is unknown or uncomfortable when you find yourself in a place of too much familiarity or repetition. From a spiritual perspective, staying in comfort can be more dangerous than stretching yourself towards growth and transformation, similar to increasing resistance in a workout.
Embrace the philosophy that ’the way you do anything is the way you do everything,’ meaning consistency and care in small actions translate to all areas of life. If you want to be fulfilled, cultivate fulfillment internally and then act naturally, rather than striving for external achievements.
Make sacred commitments to yourself, such as a daily meditation practice or sending a daily email, and uphold them without fail. This consistent showing up for yourself builds momentum, changes your identity, and feels like a ‘spiritual deposit’ that fuels good fortune and creativity.
To be more efficient and minimalist, consider hand-washing your clothes while taking a shower. This practice saves water and time, and can even be done with clothes on, demonstrating how small, unconventional adjustments can simplify daily routines.