Do you ever get so wrapped up in the day-to-day challenges of entrepreneurship and in working toward your goals that you wind up stressed out and unhappy, despite what you’ve already accomplished? If so, you’re not alone. It’s easy to get too focused on reaching success that you don’t stop to appreciate the journey.
I think that most entrepreneurs recognize that we’re responsible for our own happiness—that’s part of why we’re so driven to create the lives we want through our goals. But it takes real intention to put that principle into practice every day. Happiness in the moment can seem unimportant when compared to what you want to achieve.
Your happiness right now matters, and it’s a factor in your long-term success. When you’re able to get satisfaction and happiness out of the everyday processes, you’ll approach them with an unmatched level of ability and creativity that can launch you to success. And doing so requires balance and intention in how you approach daily life.
Here are five practices that help cultivate happiness and satisfaction in daily life in order to have the energy and drive needed to achieve your goals:
Make an effort to be kind to others
There’s nothing like practicing kindness to lift your own mood and bring you a sense of purpose. Doing something nice for someone else is the best way to turn a bad day around. Most people think of themselves as kind, but kindness is not a passive trait—it requires action and effort. Just holding the door open for someone doesn’t make you kind. You have to go out of your way to do someone a true kindness, but when you do, it’ll bring you benefits as well. There’s nothing like an act of kindness to put you in a positive mindset. I recommend setting a goal to do something kind for someone you know every day for a week, and see how you feel. If it makes you happier, keep it going for another week, or even indefinitely.
Choose your social life intentionally
The people that you spend the most time around have a major affect on who you are, including your attitudes and feelings of happiness. We’ve all heard the saying that you’re the average of the people you spend the most time with, and there’s some truth to it. If you’re around people who are always stressed out, you’re probably also going to feel that way. Similarly, if there are people who are always pessimistic or even toxic in their interactions, distancing yourself from those people can make a big difference.
It’s also important to choose who you do spend time with, and sometimes this can take considerable effort since relationships take time and work to grow. Not only do you want to be around people who are positive, I recommend choosing people with whom you see a common future rather than a common past. This is particularly important as an entrepreneur, because the relationships you grow will make a difference in the direction of your future. Choose your friendships based on not just where you want to be, but also the kind of person you want to become.
Be grateful for positives and negatives
Gratitude is something we could all practice a little more. It can be difficult to remember to stop and feel grateful for the positive things when you’re already focused on the next achievement, let alone feeling grateful for negative events. But negatives are part of the greater picture, and they happen to everyone. Sometimes what looks like a negative leads to things that are quite valuable, whether that’s something positive later on or simply a lesson we must learn. Ultimately, it all balances out in the end, and you’ll go further and feel happier in the moment if you can feel grateful for whatever you’re going through.
Practice small habits that bring you joy
One of my favorite weekly habits is buying fresh flowers for my wife and daughter at the local market every Sunday morning before they wake up. The two of them spend time together arranging the flowers and placing them throughout our home. It’s a special tradition that makes our home feel luxurious, and it’s energizing to bring them joy. I also find it inspiring, renewing my energy to grow my business.
Small habits like this that bring you joy can help ground you in what’s important to you and refresh your energy. It may seem a little silly, but I recommend finding some small practice that you can turn into a ritual to help you feel joy and inspiration.
Cultivate space for creativity
Creativity is not only a vital part of your job as an entrepreneur—it also contributes to your wellbeing. But the thing about creativity is that it doesn’t work well under stress, because it requires a significant amount of space in your brain, and if your mind is constantly full of worries and task lists, there’s no space to create. Creativity doesn’t happen only in the moment you sit down to think through a project—it happens in all the small moments throughout the day when your brain wanders, and those ideas solidify when you begin work on that project.
I take a rather radical step to make space for creativity by setting aside an entire day dedicated to it. But I understand if you can’t do that. Something as simple as leaving your phone in a different room can be all you need to get some mental spaces to allow the creative juices to flow. Be mindful of what takes up space in your brain throughout the day, then make an effort to clear some room for creativity.
Don’t wait for happiness after you’ve reached some idea of success in your future—cultivate it in your daily life right now. Not only will you feel better, but you’ll find reaching your goals becomes easier with a sense of purpose and drive that comes from satisfaction in your life and in the process of working toward your goals.
