To improve our quality of life, we must first determine what our goals and desires are and then put a plan in place to achieve those goals.With each of our long-term goals comes a lot of choices and decisions.By assessing your current quality of life, you can take advantage of opportunities to make improvements.
Step 1: The quality of life you desire is related to aspects of your life and experiences.
Which behaviors impact your quality of life?A few decades of research on what correlate most with quality of life gives us categories as listed below with a useful mnemonic of 'PERMA': P: Positive emotions: The moments consisting of positive moods, perspectives, or sensations, including feelings of happiness, gratitude, closeness, confidence, peacePeriods of time when we are so caught up in the moment that we can't focus, that time seems less relevant, and we're risen to our best, is called engagement.This is often associated with stress, which is the opposite of distress.Our quality of life is interwoven with our relationships.Many of our skills are dependent on the strength of the Personal Safety Net.Past or present interactions often lead to resilience when facing challenges.Positive emotions may be associated with our relationships.Some people thrive more in the company of an animal or pet than in solitude.The individuals focus on their relationship with themselves.M means "how well our work and personal relationships relate to our ideas of fulfilling a greater purpose."There is a feeling that we are wasting time on trivial tasks that do not contribute to a bigger cause.A sense of meaning is easier to come by if what we do contributes to the needs of the community we are in.A sense of accomplishment is tied to how quickly we can complete our "to do" lists.It can include the simple positive emotion that comes from completing a level of a video game or a sudoku puzzle.The quality of our physical well-being is not mentioned in the original list, but it is worth including here.If we don't get enough quality rest, we are more likely to be emotionally overwhelmed and less productive.
Step 2: You can explore how your mind makes decisions.
We make many choices every day that affect our quality of life, but most of our routines are made on autopilot.Analytical thinking and planning is required to change our autopilot habits.Triggering cognitive thinking in time to make better choices is a fundamental skill.If you can feel your emotions starting to take over, you have a limited time in which to ask yourself questions about how to best respond to the situation.
Step 3: Take a moment to describe your ideal quality of life.
What habits would you like to have?Do you want to respond to challenging situations?What would a perfect day look like?Write up short wish lists with what you want in each category.A gratitude journal or satisfaction index is a good way to keep track of your goals.You can make a short list of what you are grateful for.Where are the smallest and largest gaps in your current status?It is important to research to help you on your journey.There are many online sources as well as formal coaching and educational courses.What have you done in the past to help bridge the gaps?What have other people done?If you can come up with a list of specific goals, you will be able to eliminate the gaps in your quality of life.
Step 4: You can convert your goals into smart goals.
It is helpful to know how to make your goals easier to achieve.It is pecific, ttainable, and ime-bound.Try to make progress on those goals.What will prompt you to follow through on your intentions?If you want to improve your life, focus on the easiest task first.
Step 5: You should work with others in your experiments.
Partnering with people around you makes it easier to change a habit.If their behaviors affect yours, you need to design experiments together.Reducing the availability of unhealthy food in the home is one of the easiest ways to eat healthy at home.If there's something you absolutely need in one of the center aisles, you can reduce the temptations of unhealthy food by only shopping in the perimeter aisles.
Step 6: The results of your experiments should be evaluated.
You can use a daily journal to record your intentions.In the morning, make a list and in the evening, review and reflect on the results of the day.You can make improvements each day.If you're working with a partner, make time to review results.As you fall asleep and drift into an alpha state of consciousness, your mind may be able to learn how to approach your goals in more productive ways.
Step 7: Plan for failure.
You don't have to adhere to every plan if you experiment with change.Figuring out what doesn't work is a big part of figuring things out.It's important to remember that things are different from person to person.This formula may be adjusted to fit your lifestyle.Either way, never give up and try again.