Are you ever left pondering about how to make the most of your life? Do you often feel that there are things that you could be doing or that you want to do? Do you feel that life is passing you by but you are unsure of how to start living the way you want to be living and doing the things that you want to do?

Have you ever thought back to a time when you were really contented and felt that everything was great in your world? You really seemed to be going somewhere and achieving the things that you wanted. You had more freedom, felt more carefree and were enjoying life a lot more.

Do you feel, that in the life you lead today, you now find this happens less often, do you sometimes stop and ask yourself...

“ Where did all the good times go? “ or “ When did life get so hard, boring, stressful, or complicated? “

We can all have these thoughts from time to time, and to be honest most of us do, even people who seem to have it all. The difference with some people though is that they are just momentary thoughts in an otherwise satisfying and contented life.

For many others though, these thoughts have become their reality and they live by the mantras...” life is always better for other people,” “ I wish I was happy” or “My life is so boring at times” and “If I had more money, time, a better partner, etc ...then my life would be perfect.”

1. Less thinking and more doing to achieve more

We need to stop right there with this line of thinking. Too much thinking and not enough action is often the problem that most of us have. Spending more time out of our thoughts and immersed in something that we love doing is going to bring us greater satisfaction and enjoyment in life so why are we not doing this? Why are we sitting around thinking about living instead of being out there and doing it?

The issue for most people, especially women, is that they are stretched so much in life by so many different people and responsibilities; work, children, a partner, elderly relatives, running a home; for most the list is endless and there never seems to be enough time at the end of everything for themselves, let alone all the fun and freedom they maybe once had. The reason life never seems as much fun or satisfying is that so much time seems to be taken up with activities and commitments that you either don't want to do or feel you have an obligation to do.

2. Demand more from your life

Of course, we can't just say “Well, work/ parents/children, etc can just be left or can look after themselves.”.... we need to honour a lot of our commitments and indeed a level of structure and responsibility in life is actually a good thing.

But we do need to be demanding more from our lives and the other people in them. We need to make sure that we are not the only ones who are left to juggle so many balls at once and that partners, family, work colleagues and friends take a certain level of responsibility to help out.

If you start to demand more you will find that it is possible to accomplish a perfect work/life balance for yourself, one that works for you, giving you time to fulfil your responsibilities whilst also having time for yourself and getting more out of life and putting the enjoyment back into it.

3. Take care of yourself every day

One way to achieve it may seem hard for some people, especially someone who is used to putting others first and never thinking about themselves or their own needs. One way to claim back the perfect work/life balance is by taking care of yourself and by being selfish! Yes, selfish.

At first, it seems the kind of statement that most people would be horrified by, don't we all assume that being selfish is a bad thing? Aren't selfish people just the ones who look after themselves and never put other people’s considerations before their own?

Aren't selfish people disliked and criticized, seen as not being “ team players.” Well, the truth is we all need to be selfish. We all need to think about ourselves more and put our priorities first.

The problem with always putting everybody else's needs above your own is that it produces negative energy.

You know what that feels like, it's always you who does the housework...everybody makes the mess but it is you who always has to clean up.

You do it but it doesn't make you feel happy, you feel resentful and annoyed, sometimes hurt or frustrated that nobody ever thinks about you or does things for you....these negative thoughts produce negative, wasted energy.

So imagine instead of always being the one to do everything all of the time, all the running around after everyone else, imagine you were to be selfish and thought about your own needs and you did things for yourself....how would you feel then?

Well, maybe at first you might experience a little guilt that you weren't following your usual routine, a bit defensive if others started to question your new actions and attitudes. In time though everybody would have to adapt and a new order would start to emerge and you would begin to establish some work/life balance, after all, if you are not doing all of the household chores, it would release more time in your day to do things that you wanted to do.

4. Set big goals for yourself

It’s your life so set the goals that you want not what someone else wants you to have. only you can make yourself happy and only you can ever really know what you want out of life. It’s not up to anyone else to give you the life you want. Make your goals and go for them.

5. Learn from your mistakes and don’t give up

Here’s the thing, we are all going to make mistakes in life and that’s a fact and it’s also not a problem. Learn from your mistakes, and don’t be put off by them If you want to make the most of your life be prepared to understand that sometimes things are going to go wrong, get over it and keep on going, it’s the only way.

6. Slow your life down

Stop doing everything at 100 miles an hour, slow down and take it easy. When you do everything quickly, you often miss out on the good stuff, the little things that make life worth living.

The long lunches with a nice glass of wine, the good catch-up over coffee with a friend. an evening spent sitting in the garden watching the sun go down. It is these experiences in life that give it meaning, slow down and enjoy them.

7. Be present in life

Too much of our time is spent living in either the past or the future. No one is denying that we do have to be future-focused at times, especially if we have many things to organise about work and family commitments.

But have you ever really asked how much time you are really present in your life?

How much time do you commit to enjoying the here and now? When you are present in your life you are truly living.

You are enjoying the time you are in, whether that is spending it with loved ones or doing something just for you, being present means that you are making the most of your life.

8. Stay true to your authentic self

If you were to look into the future towards your older self, would you like or recognise what you see? Would you feel that you were staying true to your authentic self, or would you feel that you had made too many compromises in life and had become unrecognisable?

Life is all about compromise, we do the things that we have to do... going to work, for example, is a priority in life that we cannot escape. Other areas in life though do need compromises. If you feel that too much of your time is taken up by other commitments, it is up to you to change it. Nobody else is going to do this for you,

Most people aren't going to think... Oh look it's always her doing everything, normally most people don't even realize all the peripheral activities going on, as most do tend to live in their world.

Therefore you owe it to yourself to stand up and reclaim your valuable time back. At the end of the day you are as deserving as everybody else and there is only you that can do it. You need to stay true to your authentic self, if you feel that you are doing things that go against this then stop.

This behaviour change will give you more time and energy to start living and enjoying life... it is up to you to seize the opportunities that life offers you and it is up to you to make sure that you think about yourself and look after your own needs …. being true to yourself could be the best thing that you ever do and could give you back the love of life and enjoyment that you used to have.

9. Eat well for your body

We all know the importance of a good, healthy diet. Eating well is crucial if you really want to make the most of your life.

Any illness or injury that you have in life is always going to mean that you aren’t going to be able to live life to the full and in the way that you want. It is up to you to take responsibility for your health and to feed it in a way that is going to take care of it and maximise it.

Too many take for granted their bodies and their health, and it is only when they have an illness or an injury that they feel compelled to take care of themselves. Don’t let this be you, Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. follow a healthy balanced, nutritious diet, stay at a good weight and drink plenty of fluids. Treat your body well and you will be able to make the most of your life.

10. Embrace your uniqueness

Getting older shouldn’t change who you are or what you love to do. Everyone is unique and this is something that you should celebrate. Don’t try to fit in around everyone else, celebrate who you are and what you love to do. This is how you make the most of your life by being you, loving yourself and loving your uniqueness!

11. Be kind to people

Being kind to yourself and those around you brings you great joy and contentment. It also gives you a rich, full life. We all love to be around, kind positive life-affirming people, make sure you are one of them. What you give out you will always get back.

Final thoughts

Now you know how to make the most of your life it’s up to you to go about doing it. Life is a gift that we are privileged to have, something that you realise the longer you live.

Don’t waste it in regret or longing go out and live it the way that you want to live it.

Think less and do more, be demanding, take care of yourself, set big goals, learn from your mistakes, slow down, be present, eat well, embrace your uniqueness and be kind.

Enjoy your life, enjoy time spent in the company of others, and alone, be grateful every day that you rise that you have another day and most importantly, make the most of every day that you have.

If you would like to listen to the audio version of the blog click below.

If you have any ideas on making the most of your life please comment below