“Living your best life” may make you think of lounging on the beach. Or maybe you imagine yourself power-walking down a busy street in a hot pink suit. Likely, your dream life falls somewhere in between. Regardless of what your personal and financial goals are, these tips will help you start living your best life now.
What does it mean to live your best life?
Living your best life means living a life that makes you happy and one that allows you to be at your full potential. It means being intentional about the way you choose to live and living life on your own terms.
It means leveling up to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. Getting there requires that you master both the internal and external factors that could prevent you from living your best life.
9 Key tips for living your best life
That being said, your best life is unique to you. You shape the reality of your life from the choices and ideas that come from your head and heart. Here are 9 key tips to navigate living your best life.
1. Try visualization
Picture yourself living your best life. Think about your surroundings—your location in the world, your house or office, the people around you. Envision what you’re wearing, what you’re doing throughout the day or week.
Most importantly, imagine how you feel. If you’re stuck on getting a clear picture, try a few different exercises. It might help to journal, doodle, or talk it out with someone you trust. This all helps you develop the right mindset. Once you visualize what your life looks like, you can work backward and set concrete goals to get you there.
2. Find your purpose
Humans thrive when they feel useful and like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. So ask yourself what lights you up. Equally as important, ruminate on the things (or people) you always dread. Incorporate more of the good and avoid as much of the bad.
One useful way to figure out your purpose is the Ikigai framework. By reflecting on your likes and skills, as well as what the world needs and how you might get paid, you’ll have a better idea of how to combine everything you uniquely bring to the world.
If you’re not great at self-reflection, ask 3-5 of the people closest to you what they think you’re great at or how you make them feel. From there, work out how you can live life with more purpose.
3. Aim for growth
Will Smith says, “Practice is controlled failure.” What are you willing to fail at in order to improve upon? It’s much easier—and sometimes less painful—to stay in our comfort zones. But when you don’t risk any growth, there’s rarely a reward.
Go after that promotion or raise. Experiment with investing (as long as your emergency fund is full). Try the side hustle that’s been lingering in the back of your mind. Write that book you’ve always wanted to share with the world. Save for that vacation.
No matter what fires you up, growth is the common factor. When you’re living your best life, you’re inherently the best version of yourself.
4. Prioritize health
Health is wealth, baby. Not only will you save thousands of dollars by avoiding medical bills, but your health is also the biggest contributor (or barrier) to accomplishing your goals.
Take care of your physical health. Move your body in whatever way feels right to you. Eat well and stay hydrated. Sleep soundly for enough hours every night. Get to the bottom of any underlying issues you’ve procrastinated on or addressed with a temporary fix.
Don’t forget about your mental health. Set boundaries with loved ones and work. Find outlets for stress and creativity. Invest in time and space for yourself. You deserve to feel amazing in your mind and body, every day of your life.
5. Take action
We have a single life to live, so thoughtful, intentional action is a much better approach than letting life pass you by. Learn to become your own advocate for what you need and want.
You should also feel empowered to act on behalf of causes that resonate with you or injustices you see. Your best life is up to you. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with a meh life by default.
6. Figure out your finances
No, money can’t buy happiness, but yes, money matters! You should aim to live below your means and earn as much as you need to live out all your dreams. This might mean taking care of yourself, providing for others, or even leaving a legacy of wealth for future generations.
Money can be such a sensitive, painful part of life, but it doesn’t have to be. If you feel confident about your earning, spending, and investments, you’ll be free to live the life you want.
7. Nurture your environment
Be intentional with your surroundings and how they influence you. The people and objects around you can impact your mood and self-worth. Make sure they’re contributing to your happiness and energy, not detracting from it.
Changing your environment can also give you a boost. Get outside in nature to enjoy life's simple pleasures as often as possible. Plan activity dates—solo, with a partner, or with friends—simply to try something completely new. The act of exploring and experimenting is enough to help you grow.
Plus, you might just discover something to add to your dream life that you never predicted, like a love of roller skating or cheese-making!
The ultimate environment shake-up is travel. Nothing puts life into perspective like stepping outside of the familiar. Even if traveling isn’t possible, be a tourist in your own town. Look at the world around you with fresh eyes. It’ll help you check how well-aligned you are with living your best life.
8. Consider your routine
Create a routine or break one, depending on how you’re doing. You might need some structure to stay committed to your goals. That’s where a shiny new routine can come in handy.
Or you might need to cut loose to actually enjoy the life you’re building. That’s where breaking the mold can help. Regardless, small habits add up quickly, so stay intentional in your daily life.
9. Serve others
Just like connecting to our internal purpose is important, building relationships with loved ones and a community is essential. If you want a family, be the best partner and mother you can be. Donate money or a special skill to the causes you believe in.
Volunteer time and attention to people and organizations that need you. While you shouldn’t serve others at the expense of your own well-being, giving back may actually lead you to your best life faster.
Live your best life
Living your best life is not about what looks perfect for social media or what everyone says you “should” do. It’s about what you want and how you’re going to make it happen. It's also about simplifying your life in a way that works for you. So, go on—live your best life full of purpose and without any regrets.
