How to Live a Good Life You’ll Love and Cherish: The 14-Step Guide

Wondering how to live a good life without spending a small fortune? Take a step back and understand that life really is about the small things.

We all want to be happy and do the most we can with our lives. We want to reach those happiness goals you see everyone else achieving on social media. Do you know what the truth really is? Understanding how to live a good life is about realizing that it all boils down to listening to yourself and not emulating others. Why would you want to live the life of someone else?

I used to think that if you wanted to live the best life possible, you needed to spend a lot of cash. I thought it was about fantastic outfits, traveling the world, visiting exotic locations, and having the most up to date cell phone.

Then I realized something. If you want to know how to live a good life, forget about those things, just focus on yourself. It was the single greatest revelation I ever had, and it took so much pressure off my shoulders. [Read: 17 ways to focus on yourself and create your own sunshine]

How to live a good life from steps 1 to 14

Because I’m a kind soul and I want you to have the same kind of revelation in your life, I’m going to talk you through how to live a good life in 14 surprisingly easy steps!

#1 Do things for others from time to time. If you want to live the best life, it’s not all about looking after yourself. I find that when I do something nice for someone else, I feel good. It might sound selfish, but I don’t believe that any good deed is selfless anyway.

Try it. Do one small thing every day for someone else, one small good deed, and see how you feel. It’s a snowball effect which builds up to a crescendo of feel good factor! [Read: How to develop empathy and master the art of growing a real heart]

#2 Detox your life of Negative Nancies. Look at your circle of friends. Do you love spending time with all of them, or is there one or two who simply drag you down but you feel duty-bound to spend time with them? It’s likely to the be the latter. If so, time to detox your life of negativity!

There is nothing wrong with cutting ties with people, or at least minimizing the time you spend with them, if all they do is make you feel like the life is being sucked out of you. Why spend time with people who drag you down? You should be spending time with those who lift you up! [Read: How to deal with the negative attitude of the people around you]

#3 Health and well-being are your friends. If you want to feel fantastic on the inside and look great on the outside as a result, it’s time to look at your lifestyle and make healthy changes. Stop smoking, drink less alcohol, never take drugs, eat more fruit and vegetables, eat less sugar, drink more water, stop snacking, move more, and make sure you get enough sleep every night!

Cut the stress out of your life and focus on methods which help you feel great inside and out.

#4 Always talk things through. Keeping your feelings bottled up is a one-way street towards possible mental health issues. We all need to talk! Never be afraid to talk about things which are bothering you. If you feel like you might have an issue, e.g. anxiety, depression, stress, etc., never be afraid to admit it and seek help.

The single biggest strength in life is being able to admit when we might need a little help.

#5 Choose a job you actually enjoy. How many of you are currently in jobs which you don’t enjoy at all? Do you go to work and simply do the basics to get the job done? Simply waiting for your pay check at the end of the month. It’s time to change things around!

Find a job which you actually enjoy. Something which inspires you and makes you want to do better. By doing this, you’ll never feel like you’re actually working. Believe me, that’s a wonderful feeling!

#6 Take on board the opinions of others, but always make your own choices. Asking for opinions and listening to what other people think about issues in your life is fine. It’s actually a great way to expand your thoughts on a subject, but ultimately, the final decision on anything in your life has to be yours.

Wondering how to live a good life for yourself? Never feel pressured into doing something because you think it will please someone else. Only do something because it’s what you want. Making decisions to please others is a fast track towards resentment in the future. [Read: How to unfake your life and love being you]

#7 Understand that not everyone has good intentions. One of the hardest lessons I ever learned in life is that not everyone has the best intentions at heart. Plus, not everyone thinks and feels in the same way as me.

It’s a tough lesson to learn and will probably break your heart a little at the start. Once you’ve come to terms with it, you’ll save yourself a lot of heartache in the future. You can only control yourself and your own actions/intentions.

#8 Have a range of hobbies you enjoy. Make sure you spend your spare time doing things you enjoy, things which help you to learn something new, be creative, and which basically pass the time with a smile on your face.

This can be anything. I love to write, read, sew, crochet, walk in nature, watch movies, and dance! I do all of these things regularly. As a result, I feel much more positive than if I sat down doing nothing with my spare time. Work out what you enjoy. Don’t be afraid to fill your life with as many hobbies as you can! In terms of how to live a good life, enjoying your spare time is right up there with the best tips. [Read: 13 secrets to seek and find your passion in simple things]

#9 Enjoy Mother Nature. We are blessed with some of the most stunning natural landscapes. It would be a crime not to enjoy them! Get outside and breathe in that fresh air as much as you can, see as many sights that take your breath away as possible, and always be amazed at what Mother Nature has to offer.

The health benefits of being outside in nature are huge, even if you sit in the garden with a glass of wine after work!

#10 Practice mindfulness. Learning how to live in the moment will revolutionize your life. If you’re like me, you often spend time thinking about the past, and then jumping to the future. This leads you towards regret over past events and anxiety about what is to come! Why not spend time focusing on where you are right now in the present moment.

Mindfulness is a helpful tool! [Read: How to be present and find your zone of calm perfection]

#11 Work to live, never live to work. There is a difference between finding a career you love, and doing so much of it that it infringes on your home time. A quality home and work life balance is vital to a happy life. If you’re wondering how to live a good life, this is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you!

#12 Travel as much as you can afford. No passport? It’s time to apply because travel is the one thing which will revolutionize your life more than anything else. Visit those exotic beaches, stare in awe at those soaring mountains, visit new places, and explore other cultures.

It’s something you’ll never regret, and something near the top of the how to live a good life list of tips.

#13 Never feel pressure from society. There are some unspoken expectations that many people feel pressure to reach. For instance, marriage, children, buying a house. You should only do these things if you want to do them and not because society tells you that you should!

If you want to do them and you haven’t reached them by a certain age, no worries! Everything will come to you in good time, so relax! [Read: How to enjoy your life and find the one along the way]

#14 Avoid social media comparisons. The biggest tip for how to live a good life is to cut down on the amount of time you spend on social media. Quit comparing yourself to others and their so-called perfect lives. The biggest joy killer around is the art of comparison, so quit it. Do something more constructive with your time!

[Read: How to find meaning in life when you feel lost]

Learning how to live a good life isn’t rocket science. It’s simply about cutting away the ties of expectations, avoiding comparisons with others, and focusing on number one.

The post How to Live a Good Life You’ll Love and Cherish: The 14-Step Guide is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.