Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
Nothing is more rewarding than experiencing true personal fulfillment. It’s that moment when everything finally comes together, and we have achieved a perfect balance of personal gratification, happiness, and the realization of our most arduous goals.
Many of us will spend our entire lives chasing after personal fulfillment, and that’s perfectly ok. After all, what could be a more worthy pursuit than going after our lifelong hopes and dreams?
But what if you could find personal fulfillment based on the here and now? What if you didn’t need to wait a lifetime to finally find fulfillment, and you realized you had everything you needed right now to be happy? To be content?
Everyone has their own definition of happiness. What makes you happy will differ from what makes me happy, and your path to happiness will differ from my own path to happiness.
However, there are certain steps we can all take to find happiness in the here and now, and bring a little more personal fulfillment to our everyday lives.
Want to know how? Read the following 10 steps on how to find more personal fulfillment and happiness in your everyday life.
10 ways to find personal fulfillment every day
1. Spend your days with those who make you happiest. Research has shown time and again that we’re happiest when we’re around those who are happy, as well. Humans have an amazing capability to mirror each other’s emotions, so make sure the people you spend time with are those who you want to rub off on you.
2. Do what you love MORE. What activities bring you the most joy? Is it travel? Spending time with your significant other? Painting? Reading? Make time to do more of these activities, and you’ll find more happiness in the everyday hustle and bustle.
3. Look for the silver lining. Even when we’re having the worst day ever, find something positive to focus on. Did your boss give you critical feedback for a presentation you gave? Great! Now you know what to do differently the next time you present. There’s always a silver lining, and knowing how to point it out and focus on it is sometimes all you need to tweak your attitude from negative to positive.
4. Stay true to your values. When you stay true to your values, you stay true to yourself, which can be an immensely rewarding, personally fulfilling experience. Honor what you believe in, and you’ll always feel good about yourself at the end of the day.
5. Challenge yourself. Set goals for yourself and work hard to reach them. Push yourself to be stronger, to work harder, and to be better. We may not be able to change much of the world around us for the better, but we can always improve ourselves.
6. Find joy in the simple, everyday activities. We all have little rituals we do everyday. Maybe you like to drink your first cup of coffee outside in the morning. Maybe you like to journal at the end of the day. Whatever your simple pleasures are, treasure those moments and enjoy them to the fullest.
7. Practice gratitude. You don’t have to achieve all your dreams today to be happy. Instead, focus on what you already have in your life and be thankful. Maybe you’ve got an amazing, supportive spouse, or a wonderful, best friend that you can always count on, or a cozy house to come home to everyday. Count your blessings, and you’ll soon realize how lucky you are already.
8. Get outside. Being outside is one of the most effective, quickest pick-me-ups you can do for yourself at any time. Being outside has been proven to reduce anxiety, lift your mood, and can even bring inspiration for when you find yourself faced with a challenge.
9. Be a part of something bigger than you. We all want to be filled with purpose, but sometimes our own personal goals just aren’t enough. Find a way to contribute to the wellbeing of others, and you’ll soon find that you feel personally fulfilled when you do so. Volunteer at a homeless shelter, sign up for Big Brothers Big Sisters, or help out at an animal shelter. Whatever you do, you’ll find a true sense of belonging and purpose when you help others.
10. Give yourself something to look forward to. Make yourself a bucket list for the next few months. Maybe you want to finally enroll in that archaeology class. Or maybe you want to finally start planning that romantic trip to Paris. There’s nothing more exciting or uplifting than looking forward to something you truly want to do.