What makes you Happy?

Today I was sitting and contemplating the things in life that make me happy, and I realized that if it weren’t for the fact that I love the work I do, I’d most likely be spending the majority of my time doing things that were tedious and time consuming at best.

Things like driving my wife to and from work, grocery shopping, running errands, and paying bills aren’t on my list of absolute joys in life, and are more of a chore (except driving my wife of course J).

Items like working out, going for hikes, or watching movies with my wife however are on that list!

So why don’t we spend more of our time doing the things we love rather than the nessecities of life that seem to keep up occupied, or preoccupied even when we should be relaxing and enjoying ourselves?

For most of us it’s a simple matter of life getting in the way. What most of us don’t realize, or forget from time to time is that striking a balance between being productive and being happy will often lend itself to an abundance of both. When everything in my life is going well I’m definitely more happy, and I’m also way more creative and productive at work as well.

A single great moment can make a day just as easily as a single bad one can ruin it if we let it. Likewise if we don’t capitalize on our days off and do a little more than sleep in, watch TV, and go for a beer there’s a good chance we’ll subconsciously feel cheated when Monday rolls around and we’re faced with another work week ahead.

The first step in doing the things you love is actually having a clear idea of what those things are. For some people a list of things pop into mind immediately while for others it might not be quite as clear. I fall somewhere in the middle and seem to come up with a different list depending on the day/month/year and my interests at that particular point in time.

I think when you’re able to incorporate the things that make you the happiest into your daily routine you’ll find things going better for you in general. Things like your spouse, children, your work, etc. Since we typically spend so much time in and around these it’s important we actually enjoy being there.

It can be hard to leave an unhappy relationship or job, but in the long run its probably the best thing for all involved.

If spending time with friends and family made it onto your list perhaps setting up a coffee date for the middle of the week might be the needed break you need, or simply walking your kids to school and chatting along the way about what’s important in their young lives.

Life is short enough without spending it doing things we don’t truly enjoy, and at the end of the day it really is up to you how you spend it!

Posted on October 11, 2011