It isn’t always easy to work out what makes you happy. People change over time and things that one brought a lot of joy don’t bring that same happiness anymore. Sometimes people stop doing things they love and they aren’t even sure why. The good news is that finding out what makes you happy now isn’t very difficult to do. It’s something I encourage everyone to consider at least once a year.

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

 

Track Your Happiness

Be it for one week or one month track your happiness. Write down every day the things that made you happy throughout the day. Maybe it was having a milkshake or maybe it was finishing off a chore that you’d been putting off. It’s better to have a month worth of data to look at but waiting that long to find happiness isn’t easy. So to get started don’t worry if you’ve only got one week. Keep tracking until you have one month, but at the end of that first week you can start putting more of the things that made you happy in your life.

At the end of the month go back through your list of happiness and see how many of those things you can start doing more often. Make these things part of your schedule to make sure you have time for them.

 

 

Make a List of Your Values

Make a list of all the things that are most important to you. Things on this list might include family, friends, or volunteering. Once you have that list get into specifics, what about your family is important to you? Is it spending more time with them? Is it making sure they’re eating homemade meals every night? Once you have this list consider ways you can make them happen. It might mean changing careers and working from home or maybe it means cutting out an hour of TV time every night. What changes can you make to your life so you can focus on the things that are most important to you? Once you’ve figured them out, get started!

 

 

Explore New Hobbies

As time goes on our interests change which means our hobbies do too. Once upon a time collecting things was all the rage, everyone was collecting something. But these days many people just see these collections as yet another thing they have to dust. The love for those collections is gone. So why not try something new? Try out new hobbies you never would have imagined yourself being interested in. This might be going for a walk every night or knitting. You can try out just about any hobby you want completely free by going to groups who enjoy these things and expressing your interest. People who love their hobbies LOVE sharing them with new people. They’ll be happy to sit you down and show you how to knit. If you like it, you’re already on your way to making new friends who share a passion for your new hobby.

 

 

Look at What You Used to Love

Finally, take a look at the things you used to love and ask yourself why you stopped doing them. Many times the reason people stop their hobbies it isn’t because they’ve fallen out of love with them its because they don’t have the time or money to keep them going. Is this true for you? If it is maybe now is a good time to go back to doing what you love again. 

 

Do you want a happier life?  Over the last few weeks I have been reading my book Hatch Leap Soar and asking myself “what makes you happy” because I too want to find true happiness.  I would love to hear your thoughts on these tips and any suggestions you have on finding happiness.

[latoyia]