Everyone wants to live their best life. But what “best” means can vary from person to person. Some will focus on augmenting their outer beauty, and others focus on the beauty within. Others still will seek experiences that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Here are five tips to help you live your best life no matter what your priorities are.
1. Make a Bucket List
Each year is full of significant events when you’re young. That’s because society is structured to celebrate certain passages: birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. But as time goes on, the years seem to slip by more and more. Dreams and aspirations you once had may fall to the wayside once a steady routine takes their place.
Making a bucket list is a classic way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your life. It’s a list of all the things you want to get, see, or do before you “kick the bucket.” A bucket list helps make sure that you’re always working toward the possessions and experiences you truly want. Maybe you want to run a marathon, ride in a hot air balloon, or visit Paris. Try to write out at least 10 experiences you want to do before you die. You may be surprised by how interested you are in the world.
2. Take Care of Your Skin
For better or worse, the way you’re perceived and accepted by society is, in large part, based on how you look. Humans are highly intuitive, and the way you dress, stand, and speak are all taken into account when others interact with you. And while you can’t control every aspect of how you appear, skincare is one area that you can improve.
Some skin conditions are incredibly hard to take care of, but others can be treated. Melasma and acne are conditions that often affect your face. It can be a blow to your confidence when your face is covered in spots and blemishes, even if they’re just superficial. Thankfully, there are treatments and medications to help ease their severity or even eliminate them entirely. If you have a superficial skin condition, seek help from a medical professional to finally take care of it.
3. Make Time for Your Friends
There isn’t much time for friends in the modern world. Not if you don’t make it, at least. Work, school, family, and other obligations eat up much of the time you have available. It can be hard to find the time for yourself, much less for others. How often have you had to cancel hanging out with someone recently?
Humans are one of the few species on the planet that have friends. They’re an essential part of a good life. They’re people to share your ups and downs with. Friends are the family you choose, and the good ones will support you through thick and thin. Even if you don’t have time for a full-fledged hangout, give your friends a call. Don’t worry about bothering them — your real friends will answer, and if they don’t, they’ll call back another time.
4. Do Something Wild (Within Reason)
It’s easy to go through life without pushing your boundaries, without growing. The modern world has plenty of comforts that will let you settle into a familiar routine that can trap you. The comfort trap is one that, while you’ll be relatively safe your whole life, will paralyze you. The only way for you to grow is to push the boundaries of your comfort zone.
If you’re afraid of heights, gather up your friends and go bungee jumping together. If you’re afraid of public speaking, find a comedy club and give it your all, even if you bomb. If you’re bad at small talk, strike up conversations with random strangers until you click with someone. Wherever your fear lies, do something that pushes your boundaries.
5. Volunteer
In seeking to live your best life, it can be easy to become consumed with thoughts about yourself. After all, it’s your best life that you’re trying to live, right? But humans are deeply social creatures, and some of the best feelings you can have are generated by helping others. Altruistic actions have been shown to improve your physical health, mental well-being, and even romantic relationships.
In seeking to live your best life, consider how your life might benefit others. Look for small moments to help others like holding open a door or carrying something heavy. Large-scale helping opportunities like volunteering are virtually everywhere once you start looking for them. It can be deeply rewarding to know that your actions are helping improve the lives of others. Eventually, your kind actions may become like second nature, leading to more positive feelings about yourself and the world.
Live Your Best Life
Living your best life can feel like something that’s always out of reach. The monotony of the everyday can drag on for years before anything of vast significance happens. But that’s only if you don’t proactively take your life into your own hands and do something with it. Make a bucket list, feel good in your skin, call your friends, do something bold, and give back. All of these actions will give you a sense of agency and fulfillment in your life.
