30 Short Habits Linked to a Meaningful Life

A meaningful life is a way of living that’s not only happy and fulfilled but also has significance and impact. The Meaningful life is about having a sense of purpose.

A meaningful life is a way of living that gives you more joy, purpose and fulfillment. When you live a meaningful life, every day is richer and fuller. You are happier and more satisfied in life.

Habits have a lot to do with a meaningful life. They change the trajectory of our lives. Good habits influence how we spend our short time and who we become. When we develop meaningful habits, our lives become more fulfilling.

We don’t consciously make decisions about which habits we adopt in life. Rather, most of them grow out of conscious decisions about how to respond in given situations. Often these small, almost invisible choices have huge consequences on our happiness.

Your habits give insight into who you are as a person and reveal what is important to you. The routine actions that you take every day — your habits — are an indication of how you spend your time and how you see yourself.

By developing good habits with simple practices, we can live a more meaningful life daily. Small actions lead to significant results when building a meaningful life; so try incorporating these habits into your daily routine and see how your world changes for the better.

These habits have been linked to lowering stress and anxiety, increasing happiness, improving mental and physical health and meaningful life.

  1. A meaningful life is personal — you alone know what brings out the best in you. Don’t allow the chaos of modern living to crush your bigger why. “Life is in ourselves and not in the external.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky

  2. Life is a non-linear journey — challenges are guaranteed. Think beyond your present suffering. “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” Friedrich Nietzsche

  3. Design your life around everything you deeply care about. If you can’t make a living doing it, schedule time outside work for personal projects that make you come alive.

  4. “Purpose” is half the solution to a meaningful life. All meaningful lives start with a single and significant why. The life you want starts with a bigger goal. Always start with the end in mind. By losing your goal, You have lost your way.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

  5. A meaningful life requires a meaningful personal action. A better and more enjoyable life requires active participation. If you are not in control of the direction of your life, meaning is not guaranteed.

  6. For every meaningful goal, focus on the process instead of the outcome. Don’t get attached to the results you expect. Life is not a win-or-lose game. Everything is a learning process.

  7. Every day is a one-time reality to experience. Make the most of it. “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” — Soren Kierkegaard

  8. Make time to clear your mind. Make it a daily practice. It’s a life-changing habit. If the control centre of your life is chaotic, you won’t have a meaningful life.

  9. Choose to live in the present instead of the past or the future. All you have is right now: spend your time prudently.

  10. Make time to nurture your social connections. Foster relationships that allow you to express yourself fully. It can improve your sense of meaning in life.

  11. Life is not linear. There are no perfect endings. Don’t expect flawless results. To maintain your sanity, learn to let go if things go wrong. “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” — Elvis Presley

  12. Surrender your ego. Be more grateful. Be kind. Don’t hold grudges. And most importantly, learn to let go of negative emotions.

  13. Invest in experiences instead of things. A weekend away exploring your curiosities can do more for your happiness than a phone upgrade.

  14. Start a reading habit (a few pages every day is a great start), but choose books you actually want to read. It can boost your mood.

  15. Spend quality time in nature. It’s a great way to boost your mood, live in the moment, reduce stress and improve your emotional wellbeing.

  16. Be more grateful. Focus on everything working out for you instead of against you. Don’t stay in the worry zone.

  17. Don’t take the simple things in life for granted. Be more observant. “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” — Robert Brault

  18. Start a meaningful hobby outside work. Something that makes you lose the sense of time and makes you come alive.

  19. “We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we’ve established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful, so worthwhile.” — Earl Nightingale

  20. If you spend a lot of time in your head, write your worries down at a specific time of the day. It’s a healthy way to calm the mind.

  21. Pursue something outside your comfort zone once in a while. It’s profoundly satisfying to overcome your fears or take risks. “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” — Anaïs Nin

  22. Don’t get too attached to the outcome of your daily actions. Learn to enjoy the process. “We’ve been focusing so much on getting there that we haven’t been enjoying the ride.” — Elizabeth Eulberg

  23. Become a person of value. Do more for others. Be useful. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

  24. If an experience didn’t go your way — change the stories you tell yourself. You can’t change things outside your control. “We suffer more in our imagination than reality” — Seneca

  25. You are responsible for the life you want. No one cares more about what’s important to you than yourself. Pursue your true north without holding back.

  26. Be biased towards meaningful action. Fear is a massive hindrance to a good life. In the end, you will regret your inactions more than your actions.

  27. ‘Rules for happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.’ — Immanuel Kant

  28. Every day is an opportunity to become a better version of yourself. Do one thing that puts a smile on your face. “Life is an opportunity, seize the day, live each day to the fullest. Life is not a project, but a journey to be enjoyed.” — Catherine Pulsifer

  29. Find reasonable justification for every action. What’s the bigger why of the activity taking a massive chunk of your time? Take control of the trajectory of your life.

  30. Choose your close connections wisely. The people you talk to daily have a massive influence on your happiness. “Friends are the family you choose.” — Jess C Scott

This article originally appeared in Medium.