10 Easy Ways To Be Amazingly Happy

I like to think I’m a happy person. There are always speed bumps in life, but on the whole, I like to think things will be ok.

What makes us happy is individual to us all. For some it will be a funny video on YouTube and for others, it will be making friends laugh.

That said, for a lot of people, being productive makes them happy. Not busy, but productive.

• Being busy is the equivalent of moving papers from one side of the desk to the other.
• Being productive is reducing the size of the pile of papers.

A simple, but important distinction.

There is in fact a bit of science which supports the joy that comes with being productive. Take a moment to consider your ‘to-do’ list…

Do you remember what it feels like when you cross one of the items off?

Satisfying isn’t it!

Each item crossed off, moves you closer to your goal. And achieving goals is great!

But, research has found that for people who are exceptionally happy, it’s not what they do, but rather what they DON’T do.

What?!?

Happiness makes the world go round.

Yes — for those people who seem to be happy ALL the time, it is because they are not doing things that causes this happiness.

Ok, so what are these mythical actions which are causing some people to be super happy?

Here are the top 10 actions, which incredibly happy people DON’T do everyday:

1. Don’t multitask — it may feel counterproductive, but by doing one thing at once, you can be more presentand attentive.
2. Don’t moan or whine — we all know these types of people, those who just won’t stop complaining. We all have problems & no one wants to hear your problems all the time. Suck it up and deal with it. Focus on the positivenot the negative.
3. Don’t hold on to the past — just like a good golfer, when you hit a bad shot, you need to let it go. You can’t hold it in your mind, as it will mess up your next shot. Life is exactly the same. Learn from your mistakes, and move past them.
4. Don’t be consumed by fear — fear manifests itself in many forms, including procrastination. It is important to acknowledge that fear exists and then deal with it. Don’t let fear rule your life.
5. Don’t always say yes — there is a rule which says there are only 2 possible answers: ‘hell yes’ or ‘hell no’. You can only choose one of these, which one will it be?
6. Don’t waste time on value thieves — there are so many people we interact with in life, it can be difficult not to focus on those who add value. It’s a tough one, but being surrounded by those who add value to your life, will make you much happier.
7. Don’t interrupt — listening is a skill and we are often too eager to disrupt a conversation to get our point across. Take a moment, give the other person the time to finish their point prior to adding your input.
8. Don’t blame others — we all have choices. Some we make are good, some we make are bad. You can’t blame others for those you got wrong. No matter how easy that may be.
9. Don’t check your phone when talking — this could be a the dining table, in a meeting or catching up with friends. The little flashing notification icon distracts us from what we are doing, and disrupts our flow. Don’t be a slave to the smartphone!
10. Don’t gossip — no good can come from gossip. And if you are talking about someone else in a negative manner, the chances are someone is doing the same to you. You may be ok with this, but if it doesn’t affect you, who cares!

So there we have it! 10 easy steps to become exceptionally happy.

The key, as with many things, is consistency. Dipping in and out of habits is easy, maintaining them is hard; but with hard work comes satisfaction. We can all strive to be better people and the steps above are achievable to us all.

With that said, how many are you doing at the moment? I’d love to hear.

If you think there are others, please let me know with a comment and let me know what you think. If you enjoyed the steps, please be sure to give it a “like”.

Originally published at www.brendanellis.com.