What answer would you give, off the top of your head, when asked if you feel fulfilled about your life? If you are like most people, you might not have a ready answer as fulfillment-or lack of it could register differently in the various aspects of your life. Granted, the issue of fulfillment is a complex one, and no one can claim to have the magic formula required to help you attain it. However, there are common characteristics, traits, behaviors, and choices shared among people that lead highly fulfilling lives. In this article, we attempt to uncover some of these and hopefully get you on track to a
1. Work on Your Relationships
A 75-year old Harvard study that claims to have uncovered the secret to fulfillment gave one result: relationships. It sounds easy enough, but it’s not. For your relationships to be impactful, you must focus on their quality as opposed to merely knowing a lot of people. And good relationships do not just happen. You need to make an effort towards spending time with your circle, attending functions, buying gifts, and so on. Aside from increasing your levels of fulfillment, the benefits of these connections to your mental health will be well worth it.
2. Develop a Habit of Gratitude
You must have heard someone say ‘If I had a better job, I would…” or “if I were skinnier…” While there is nothing wrong with wanting better, being obsessed with what you don’t have prevents you from enjoying what you have. It also increases your levels of anxiety as you are continually chasing one thing or the other. A better way to live life is by being grateful and making the best of what you have, even as you chase other aspirations. And even as you do this, be kind to yourself, set reasonable expectations, and celebrate all milestones and small wins along your journey.
3. Give a lot of Thought to Career Choices
Being stuck in the wrong career can bring about feelings of resentment, stress, and lack of fulfillment. While it’s possible to make career changes at any point in your life, these changes can significantly destabilize your finances and family life. To avoid this, align your career choices as closely as possible with your personality and aptitudes. Thinking about what you love doing is a great place to start. Similarly, look at in-demand careers. Picking a career where you do not have to worry about being out of work could go a long way in making your life more fulfilling.
4. Feed your Soul
Your biggest asset as you go through life is yourself. However, many people admit to losing themselves in a quest to make those around them comfortable. The danger of doing this is that it prevents you from taking care of yourself and from doing the things that feed your soul and fulfill you. To live a more fulfilling life, take care of yourself as much as you do those around you. Take breaks and time alone when need be, get back into hobbies you were once passionate about, work out, go on vacations, and so on.
5. Let Go
Learning to let go of things, people, and ideas that do not serve you can help you make great strides towards fulfillment. In life, it’s not uncommon to hold on to negative events and the negative feelings surrounding these events. Let go of all negative things and feelings, forgive yourself and others, and free yourself to receive better, more positive life experiences.
One Last Thing
Think of fulfillment as a culmination of multiple events, processes, and feelings. The very nature of life means there are times when some aspects of your life will perform much better than others. In such instances, celebrating the good as you work on the bad can make you feel more optimistic, happier, and more fulfilled than you have ever been.