How Satisfied Are You?
Of course, there’s a good chance that your answer will depend on when you’re asked. You might feel content at points along the way, but there still are days where you wish you could change everything.
You’ll probably find that your answer is that you’re satisfied when you’re doing something you enjoy. Or if you’ve had a great visit with friends, enjoyed a dinner out, or took a long walk with your dog. We truly savor those types of feelings especially when feeling unsettled and restless as a whole. We tend to long for something things in life that we feel are just out of reach.
Satisfaction is being fulfilled and happy with your life. It doesn’t just last for a moment, instead it encompasses your past, present, future, and when you look at the big picture.
Why is there such a struggle to feel satisfied with the present? There are a few things that can make a serious difference to your happiness and satisfaction levels. Maybe the following will help you to improve your satisfaction levels with life.
Friendships
A few close friends can give your life satisfaction a 19% boost (100 Simple Secrets Of The Best Half Of Life, David Niven). And, if you have a good relationship with your neighbors it can increase your life satisfaction by 16%. Beyond that, it can reduce your risk of loneliness by 25%!
Spirituality
While religion is not for everyone, however, there are people that report feeling deeper life satisfaction when they believe. It isn’t necessary for the belief to be a religion. What increases happiness is the sense of community that it brings. It also helps that these types of relationships are built on similar values and a sense purpose, which is a good foundation to get started on.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be religion – seek your spirituality through yoga, star gazing, t’ai chi, hiking. Meet regularly with a group to do one of the above or something different.
Volunteering
Giving is a powerful thing. It’s not about you or friends. It’s about what you can do for someone else. Get involved. Think about getting involved within your community or online. It can be a very rewarding experience and certainly, you’ll feel a great deal of personal satisfaction.
Learn Your Life Story
Find out about yourself and your family. You can increase your sense of purpose and increase personal satisfaction by looking into your life story and finding out about family members who came before you. Not only will you be finding out about your own background, but you’ll be reaching out to family members and finding out about theirs. It can be a great feeling of accomplishment and you’ll learn so much as you progress.
Learning about family history can increase your life satisfaction. Kids who have heard stories about their ancestors feel a greater sense of control over life, take pride in learning about their ancestry, and have higher levels of self-esteem.
Set Goals
Did you know that people who set and strive to achieve their goals are almost 20% more satisfied in life than those who don’t? To top it off, being passionate about something improves your level of satisfaction and how you feel about yourself.
Goals don’t have to be extreme – you don’t need to set your sites on the presidency, become a millionaire, or win a gold medal. Simple everyday successes produce the same boost in your satisfaction level [although probably a bit less] than the major ones. So, set clear achievable goals for yourself and when you achieve one celebrate it, and then set another.
Learning and growth don’t end. You don’t stop learning or growing because you’ve graduated from college, ran a marathon, or finally got the promotion you wanted. Learning is a lifelong process and one you should continue to strive for to maintain high levels of satisfaction. If you don’t feel satisfied with your life start asking what areas you’re not happy with. If there’s something you want or are longing for more – go out there and get it!