Life is a one time offer, you either use it or you lose it. Seeing as we have a short time on this planet it seems right that we should lead our lives in the best manner possible.

This requires introspection and searching questions. We are what we do, our habits are a reflection of ourselves. If we want to be better, we need to take action. Everyone wants to be happier and more fulfilled but not everyone wants to put in the work.

Thankfully, you can achieve this by adopting some simple acts. Many of these are things you will have done many times before, you may just have forgotten how important they are or how to do them.

When we want to make changes it’s tempting to think big and make sweeping changes. Often, this has the unintended consequence of making the change harder to accomplish.

By keeping things simple, you’re giving yourself a better chance of succeeding and becoming happier and more content.

When you want to make changes, sometimes, it pays to keep it simple. Here are five ways you can lead a better life without breaking your back.

Show Gratitude

When I worked on the bistro at IKEA, one of the things that perked up my day was when customers were cheerful and happy.

If you don’t know what the bistro at IKEA is, it’s a food kiosk where you can get cinnamon buns and hot dogs once you’ve finished buying flatpack furniture. It wasn’t the most glamourous job but it was fun to interact with customers.

The downside of it was that it could be thankless at times. When you’re constantly churning through customers who just want to get something to eat and pay as quickly as possible, you’ll get the odd one or two who are really grumpy. It’s a given. Gratitude can be forgotten in these moments.

Whenever we used to get a customer that was kind, courteous and thankful, it brightened up our day. We’d go about the rest of our shift with a spring in our step.

It was simple things like asking how the shift was, enquiring about the job we did, or just making small-talk about random topics. The point was that they were treating you like a human and not some faceless worker who’s there to serve them.

Not only did this make me feel better about myself but I’m sure it will have made those being grateful feel better as well. We all seem to be moving faster and faster and want more and more than ever before in the modern world.

What we lose sight of in this rat race is that we work best when we work together. If we pull each other up, we all benefit, whereas if we push others down, no one wins.

It’s a simple act but being thankful to those who serve and help us is a small act that makes a big difference.

Smile more

This is probably the simplest thing you can do to lead a better life, smile. It’s something that many of us forget to do while we’re going about our business.

The look on your face often betrays your inner thoughts. If you’re walking around with a scowl on your face, it doesn’t take a psychologist to guess that you’re angry.

That scowl will likely result in people avoiding you as they don’t want to get in the path of your anger. The inverse is true when you smile, you’re seen as more open and welcoming.

I don’t know about you but when I interact with people who are smiling it makes me feel better. The conversation tends to be fun and light-hearted and you’re more likely to strike up a rapport.

One of the narratives of today’s world is that it’s a scary place. People are out to get you and you better watch your back. This leads people putting up their guard and receding inwards. In reality, the world is not like this. We are much friendlier and kinder than we’re given credit for.

Smiling is an easy way to combat this. It breaks through the paranoia of our times and allows us to emphasise with others. It shows compassion and a willingness to co-operate. Much like being thankful, if everyone smiled more, the world would be a much better place.

Such a simple act can make a big difference.

Make peace with the past

Everyone has a past and everyone has parts of it they aren’t proud of or wish they could change. The problem is, we can’t. As much as we would like to go back in time and change those moments, it’s not going to happen.

I have many moments in my life where I wish I’d done things differently. Opportunities that I missed, experiences that I passed up on and comments that I’d like to take back.

Life is an accumulation of these moments, it’s how we respond to them that matters. We can wallow in pity, bristle with anger, or face up to our past and accept it.

We are all shaped by what has gone before. The events we have gone through make us the people we are today. The problem is, we can’t move forward until we accept this reality.

Instead of looking back and wishing you could change things, use these incidences as teachable moments. Learn from them and become a better person going forward.

Set goals

One of the best things I’ve done throughout my life is set goals. Without them, I wouldn’t have accomplished half the things I have.

When I was in school I set myself the goal of getting an A in my history studies. Not only did I do this but I somehow got 100% on one of the tests. I still don’t know how I managed that but it wouldn’t have been possible without setting a goal beforehand.

Likewise, when I realised I could make a living from my travel blog, I made it my mission to make this a reality. Back then in January 2017, teaching English in Barcelona, it seemed wishful thinking.

By October 2018, I had quit my office job and realised that goal. It took a lot of hard work and sacrifice but it was satisfying to know that if I put my mind to something I thought was improbable a year earlier, I could achieve it.

Often, we fail or don’t become better versions of ourselves because we set arbitrary limits and downplay our ability. I used to do it all the time. From thinking I’d never be brave enough to move to another country on my own to doubting myself when it came to my ability to teach.

If we internalise these thoughts we begin to believe them. Setting goals is a way of challenging ourselves to move out of our comfort zones. They force you to make a change.

If you want to become a better version of yourself, whether it’s to be kinder, fitter, or more intelligent, setting a target gives you something to work towards. A path to start down. Once you start down this pat, there’s no turning back.

Read more

I love to read. No other activity allows me to read the word of a philosopher who lived two thousand years ago, in the case of Arsitotle, and still influences society to this day.

Reading is a pleasure.

To lead a better life you have to read. Despite what we already know, there is much more that we don’t know. No matter how many books I read, I realise that I know nothing.

The events of the past few days have hammered this home. I was unaware there was a statue of a slave trader still standing in Bristol. This fact blew my mind. It’s crazy this was the case in 21st century Britain.

The more I read about the matter, the more I realised I was ignorant of this part of British history, despite being a history graduate. The only remedy to this is to read more and educate myself.

If I didn’t read, I wouldn’t be challenging my beliefs, I wouldn’t be expanding my horizons. I would remain entrenched in the spot I’m currently standing, sinking further and further into the mud.

Read more books. Read books that challenge your beliefs. Read books that you think you won’t understand and read books that blow your mind.

The more you read, the wiser and well-rounded you’ll become as a person.

All of these suggestions are straightforward and easy to implement. They don’t require huge changes you your life or adherence to strict habits. They just require you to be present, engage with others and be conscious of your choices.

Leading a better life doesn’t have to be difficult, in fact, it’s easier than you think. Adopt these measures and you’ll see just how easy it is.

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