Happiness Habit How To Live A Happy Life - Step 1

13
September
2006

Happiness Habit How To Live A Happy Life - Step 1

This is the first of a series of articles describing how to live a happier life written by Michele Moore, author of the upcoming book Happiness Habit Skills & Strategies of Habitually Happy People. See www.HappinessHabit.com for further details.

1) Decide To Become A Happy Person - Most Habitually Happy people are self made. Many say they were very unhappy for much of their lives until some crises or turning point prompted them to make the decision to live life differently. They realized they needed to change to become a happy person. They made happiness a goal and used that goal to guide and direct the personal changes they decided to make.

Over the next week, continually ask yourself, ? What I can change (about myself) to live a happier, more fulfilling life?? ? What are happy people like? How can I be more like them?? The best solutions are often surprisingly simple. Make happiness, being and becoming a happy person a goal. What does that mean to you? What specific actions will you take to achieve this goal?

2) Begin A 2006 Happiness Journal - Dedicate a special note book, computer file, section of your appointment book, jump drive or whatever works well for you to your Live A Happier Life program during the upcoming year. Keep it easily accessible at all times, but make sure it is personal and protected so you can be honest with your responses.

Over the next week, plan to think about the program three times a day every day, even if it is only for a minute or a moment. Answer this question in writing in your journal: What does happiness mean to me and what can I do during the upcoming year to live a happier, more fulfilling life? Most people don’t think about their own happiness very much, this will get you started. Clear goals help define the steps we take to achieve them.

3) Begin To Identify Specific Action Items - Simply sayings like ?I am going to have a good time and feel great all the time? may seem trite. But when you honestly embrace the concept and put it into action, amazing things begin to happen. Why not try to have a good time all the time?

Pessimists say, “Don’t be silly you can’t expect to be happy all of the time!” That’s true. But if you try, you can certainly be happier more of the time. That’s what it’s all about, expanding happiness gradually over time.

4) Identify Things You Want To Begin To Avoid - We bring much of our unhappiness on

ourselves. That’s good news, if we cause it, that means we can change it. Amazing things happen when people simply decide to try to eliminate all unnecessary negativity from their lives. What are you going to stop doing, avoid or eliminate to be happier this year? Write it in your journal.

This Week…

Carry a printout of this sheet with you and think about it three times a day. Record your answers in your journal. What does happiness mean to you? What are you going to do or change to live a happier, more fulfilling life in 2006?

We’ll share skills and strategies habitually happy people use to live happy fulfilling lives in upcoming editions. You can share your questions, challenges, thoughts and ideas with us a Share@HappinessHabit.com

Michele Moore is author of the Happiness Blog, www.HappinessBlog.com and Happiness Habit Skills & Strategies of Habitually Happy People which will be released later this year. See www.HappinessHabit.com for more information.

Michele writes and speaks on the subjects of happiness, sparkle and well-being from her home in Atlanta.