How to Live a Fulfilling Life (50+ Great Ways to Get Started)

Are you unsatisfied with your life? Do you want it to be more fulfilling and meaningful but need to know where to start?

The road to a fulfilling life is different for everyone. However, experts say there are achievable actions that can lead anyone toward living a more meaningful life.

So, whether you’re dealing with a period of transition, looking for ways to refresh your lifestyle, or want to spice up your daily routine, understanding how the experts navigate their day-to-day lives is key.

Here are ways to get you started:

Personal experience

Last week, I met a coaching group with seven other highly successful women, and we talked about our professional wins and challenges.

Throughout the conversation, we shared feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt as they pertain to our professional lives, but we also shared feelings of strength and resilience.

We all laughed together as we all experienced insecurity, which we realized was such a normal part of the human process, especially when we challenge ourselves and grow.

I left the meeting feeling a deep sense of nourishment and realized that our conversation had covered so many of the lessons I consider to be essential to living a fulfilling life.

Here are some of these lessons:

Expect the ups and downs of life, and know that you will bounce back from the downs

I like to think of this as the fact that feelings constantly change, both good and bad. However, when the bad ones take over, remember that feelings come and go.

In our meeting, each of us got stuck on evaluating that our challenges meant that we weren’t doing as well as we wanted. We all recognized that the downs were merely a part of life and happened because we all cared deeply about our work.

Surround yourself with people you love and who support you

Healthy relationships are food for the soul; we all need them to feel supported and connected.

It was through sharing our vulnerable experiences that we all connected and realized that we were all so similar. Staying connected and trusting each other gave us the courage to talk about our struggles and made us feel less alone and more connected to each other.

Set clear goals to establish intentionality in our actions and choices

Set clear goals and then outline the steps necessary to reach those goals. We each told stories about what we had been working on and how we wanted to grow. This helped us establish intentionality in our actions and choices.

Realistic goal setting leads to fulfillment when those goals are accomplished, so make those goals clear and measurable.

Related: 22 Reasons Why Goal Setting Is Important for Success

We all need people whom we can turn to during challenging times

Recruit a support system, whether that is a therapist, a coach, or a mentor. We all need people whom we can turn to during challenging times. This allows us to get perspective and stay on the positive side of situations.

We all need community, and within our communities, we need people to help guide us. The group served as a mentoring group that helped me see my goals and successes. The experience of being with them felt supportive, and that in itself is fulfilling.

Pay attention to what you appreciate

Work on being grateful for the people and the resources you have in your life. Life is sweeter when our attention goes to what we appreciate, especially because there is so often so much there if we look for it!

I had looked forward to my meeting and enjoyed the experience, but as I reflected on it, I felt more and more grateful for the group.

Think of what you have in your life and spend a moment appreciating the people or things in your life. This is so useful when you may feel lonely, lost, or struggling.

Nurture your body and mind in ways that are easy and work for you

Adopt some self-care practices that you enjoy and that fit into your life. I like to keep it simple when I think of self-care practices.

When I take care of myself this way, I feel ready to take on the daily challenges of life.

Cultivate a sense of humor, even during difficult times

Know what makes you smile, laugh, and learn humor, especially when times are tough.

During our meeting, we all laughed when we realized that our fear of being seen with our flaws was something we were all feeling. We brought our sense of humor to the shared experience, which helped remind us how human the experience was.

I felt joined with a group of successful, powerful women who shared their ups and downs in their professional lives, and bringing humor to the experience made me feel more connected to them.

Don’t take my word for it. Go out and experiment with these tips, have your own experience, and see how you feel. Check out what works for you and keep what sticks and leave the rest. That’s my final lesson!

Purpose: Knowing the “why” in your life brings fulfillment

Fulfillment comes from knowing the “what” and “why” that call you to action in your life and having and achieving specific goals that align with them.

As you clarify your purpose, write them down and keep them visible. When you have days when you feel lost, re-visiting your purpose can get you back in action.

Choose how to look at what’s happening in your life and determine your own sphere of usefulness

You have powerful choices about how to look at what’s happening in your life and in the world, and you can determine your own sphere of usefulness and purpose in life.

Through one lens, the world is impossibly chaotic, violent, and hopeless. Wars persist, storms destroy, and bullies threaten. If you put this negative lens to your eyes daily, your heart becomes heavy, and you can feel hopeless and unfulfilled.

There are non-profits aimed at virtually every need. There are entities like the United Nations, while not perfect, that are developing the muscles and principles needed to eventually govern our planet as one human family. There are scientists focused on addressing a myriad of issues. There are religions like the Baha’i Faith striving to bring people together in unity.

There is hope.

Learning new knowledge keeps you challenged and active

Each day brings you opportunities to grow as a person. Most essential in that effort is your character. Strengthening your ability to apply truthfulness, respect, patience, courage, dependability, flexibility, compassion, and more in the vital relationships in your life builds your self-respect and confidence.

If your mind and life are stagnant, feeling fulfilled will be elusive. Learning new knowledge, developing your talents, and expanding your useful skills will keep you challenged and active.

It’s great if you can align your learning to help you fulfill your purpose. As you see your words and actions contributing positively to the lives of others, you feel fulfilled as a person.

Relationships: Be connected in loving ways with others

You, as do all human beings, need connection with others. As you connect in loving ways with others, this becomes a key source of fulfillment.

This may include a couple relationship or marriage. Then you have someone who is a friend and lover as well as a companion. You may also choose to have children as part of living a fulfilling life. While it can be tremendously challenging to raise children well, it can also bring satisfaction to sacrifice and strive in this way.

Service: Contribute to others’ happiness and success in life

Living a fulfilling life requires abandoning patterns of self-absorption and selfishness. Effectively contributing to others’ happiness and success in life can be tremendously rewarding.

The quality of service calls you to lift your eyes above your own life and look at how to better the lives of others. As you humbly see that you are effective at contributing in this way, your life has a great deal of meaning.

Everything we do in life is meant to make us happy. However, what does that actually mean? How can we achieve lasting happiness and fulfillment?

We’ll explore what it means to live a fulfilling life and how to achieve it. We’ll look at the different areas of our lives that contribute to our overall happiness and see what steps we can take to improve.

By the end of this post, you should have a better understanding of how to create a life that is both meaningful and satisfying.

So let’s get started:

Make peace with your past

Making peace with our past can be an arduous journey — one full of introspection, vulnerability, and growth. We may have experienced traumatic or difficult situations that left us resentful, angry, or even with feelings of guilt.

A fulfilling life comes when we make space to acknowledge painful memories without being bogged down by them.

When we are willing to confront these hard times and move through them, we can eventually learn to forgive ourselves and those who may have wronged us. Unfortunately, it is not a simple task, but one that requires hard work — both internal and with the help of a mental health coach or counselor.

Releasing unwelcome feelings such as anger, resentment, and guilt through self-love and compassion is how we achieve lasting peace with our past, embrace joy in the present and live a fulfilling life.

Find your life’s purpose

It can be intimidating to think about what our life purpose is, especially because it often feels like we are supposed to only have one, but our lives can actually consist of many fulfilling purposes.

Unlocking the fulfilling life that we have been meant to live means embracing a multi-faceted approach to finding our life purpose.

Dwelling on life’s purpose can be an empowering experience — by fulfilling multiple purposes, we can often experience more fulfilling lives. Although it may feel strange to think that one can have many life purposes, we actually have different ones in our family, friend circle, at work, and within our local communities.

Therefore, delving deep into what each area of our lives demands of us through a well-structured process can help us realize a range of fulfilling life purposes.

Courses like “Finding your Life Purpose” can help with this process. From being a beacon of love and kindness to family members to finding inner happiness through activities that bring peace, exploring fulfilling life purposes can help build an inspiring journey for anyone on their path.

Related: How to Find Meaning and Purpose in Your Life

Find your passion and follow it

Many of us strive to live fulfilling lives by following our passions as a means to find our life purpose and live a fulfilling life.

Passion can be the driving force behind many fulfilling lives, but those who often use their talents and abilities to achieve their life purpose find the most rewarding paths.

While having a passion is important in order to drive our ambitions and dreams forward, it’s having the right set of skills to bring those passions to reality that helps us live fulfilling lives.

Just as passion gives people motivation, talent provides an invaluable opportunity to shape that motivation into something tangible — something that we can use in order to achieve our goals.

Everyone has unique talents and strengths that can be used to make the world around us a better place. Whether it’s writing, painting, or singing — finding what speaks to you will help you thrive and excel in life.

Related: What Are You Passionate About? [9 Practical Tips to Find Your Passion]

Without being able to utilize our natural abilities, we can struggle to reach the success and satisfaction that comes with living out our passions.

Following your talent helps direct you to where your energy is rooted and flourishing. It’s not just about honing skill sets; it’s about recognizing and understanding how those skills empower you and unlock your true potential.

Find the courage to pursue what brings you joy — only then can you truly realize your full potential as an individual.

True happiness is not about fulfilling our desires

Finding true happiness and living a fulfilling life is not about fulfilling all our desires. After fulfilling one desire, another will immediately replace it.

Contrary to what we think, real happiness lies elsewhere. It can only be found within. Instead, what stops us from true joy are often our limiting beliefs, which prevent us from growing and striving towards true joy and realizing it. Such beliefs have been ingrained in us through much societal conditioning and patterning.

Our societal conditioning and patterns of thinking play a huge part in preventing us from feeling true happiness, as they are making it hard for us to identify the true source of happiness within ourselves.

Related: Happiness Is Within Your Reach

Oftentimes we need to rewire ourselves away from the troubles of the world and our everyday lives. However, rerouting our pathways toward fulfilling our ultimate potential can seem at first daunting, but with patience, commitment, love, and courage, we can rediscover a fulfilling and joyful life.

Experience a small happy moment every day

We all want to be happy, but life can make it hard. That’s why it is important to take the time for yourself each day and do something that genuinely makes you happy.

It doesn’t have to be something grand or expensive; taking a stroll in nature, curling up with a good book, or baking something delicious are all excellent ways of allowing yourself some happiness every day.

Don’t wait until the weekend finally arrives; make your own moments of joy during the week too! Enjoying these small moments of happiness on a regular basis can really add up, so take a deep breath and make sure to bring more positivity into your life today.

Help others whenever you can

We should all strive to help others whenever we can. Helping others brings us a sense of satisfaction and joy that is incomparable.

It also serves to make the world a better place for everyone, creating a kinder community and showing those in need that they are surrounded by compassion and love.

Every contribution helps, no matter how small it may seem.

From being there for someone during difficult times, helping around the house or work environment, spreading awareness, or raising funds, these little acts of kindness add up to create an immense impact. Never underestimate the power of helping others; it will also make you feel better!

Spend time with loved ones

Spending time with loved ones is an invaluable experience we should all strive to do more often. Your close family and friends can give you joy, laughter, comfort, and support that no one else can offer.

It’s always important to remember that however busy you feel in life, it’s never too hard to make time for the people who care about you most.

Whether having a picnic outdoors or simply meeting up for a meal, taking the time to connect with the special people in your life will bring unexpected happiness and positive energy to your day-to-day actions. Making even just a little bit of effort will always be worth it and remind us of what truly matters in life.

Live in the present moment as much as possible

Living in the present moment helps us to appreciate life more fully. We don’t become overwhelmed by past failures or anxieties over the future; instead, we find solace in what is currently happening — and often, it turns out to be much more enjoyable than expected.

• Do mindfulness and meditation exercises

Achieving a state of “in the moment” mindset can be difficult, yet there are many ways to train our minds to be conscious of the here and now. Mindfulness and meditation exercises are excellent ways of helping us stay focused on the present and can be simply worked into our daily routine.

Related: How to Improve Mindfulness and Meditation (Using Your Learning Style)

• Practice mindful breathing

Another technique is to practice mindful breathing, which will help ground us back into reality should stress arise.

By making a conscious effort to live in the present moment as much as possible, we will allow ourselves, as well as our surroundings, to become much sharper and clearer than ever before.

Be grateful for what you have

Being grateful for what we have is one way to find joy in life. Taking stock of all, you are fortunate enough to have and taking the time to really appreciate it can change your attitude and put us into a better frame of mind.

We should make a conscious effort to be thankful for each day that passes, as well as the people, objects, and experiences that shape our lives along the way.

Having gratitude for even small things like the sun shining through your window in the morning or a coffee with friends can bring an immense feeling of peace, satisfaction, and connection within yourself.

Appreciating what you have is a key step toward cultivating inner happiness and contentment.

Conclusion:

Everyone has their own definition of what happiness looks like. But, there are some common themes that seem to pervade most people’s understanding of happiness.

Don’t get caught up in the past or the future; live in the present moment as much as possible, and be grateful for what you have.

These tips may seem simple, but they can have a profound impact on your overall happiness levels. Give them a try and see for yourself!

Let go of perfection

Living a fulfilling life doesn’t mean that you have to be perfect. It means that you accept yourself and your flaws and strive to make the most of what you have.

Perfection is an unattainable goal, so don’t waste time trying to achieve it. Instead, focus on being the best version of yourself that you can be.

Embrace personal growth

It’s essential to challenge yourself and push your boundaries to grow and develop as an individual.

Take the time to reflect on your experiences, learn from them, and use them as opportunities for growth. Look for opportunities to learn new skills, explore different cultures, and expand your knowledge.

Focus on relationships

Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself and support your goals and ambitions. Invest in meaningful relationships with family, friends, and colleagues that bring joy to your life. Relationships are essential for a fulfilling life, so nurture them.

Live in the present moment

Living in the present moment is essential to living a fulfilling life. Don’t get caught up in worrying about the future or regretting the past. Instead, focus on what you can do to make your life more meaningful and enjoyable.

Take time to appreciate the beauty of nature, savor special moments with loved ones, and practice mindfulness activities such as yoga and meditation. This will help you to stay grounded and connected to the present moment.

Find your purpose

Take the time to think about what you want out of life and what makes you feel fulfilled. Identify your passions and interests and use them to create a purpose for yourself. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things to help you grow and reach your goals.

Take care of yourself

Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional health is essential to a fulfilling life.

Make sure that you are getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and taking time for self-care activities such as reading or listening to music. This will help you to stay energized and motivated to pursue your goals.

What does it mean to live a fulfilling life?

When your character or abilities are allowed their full expression as you move through life, then you are “fulfilled.” Thus, living a fulfilling life means your full, unique, and radiant authenticity can express itself without reservation, and the continual expression of your deepest authenticity feeds your fulfillment and well-being.

Act as your most authentic self

Psychology research dating back to the 1960s repeatedly demonstrates clear positive correlations between living an authentic life and personal fulfillment, satisfaction, well-being, and happiness.

This means people who live authentically are naturally happier and report higher levels of fulfillment and well-being across multiple life arenas, including in their personal relationships and work lives. They also experience decreased incidences of depression, stress, and anxiety and display better adaptive coping mechanisms (Koydemir et al., 2020).

• If authenticity increases fulfillment and well-being, why aren’t you always acting as your most authentic self?

When you believe and live according to the false stories dominating your thoughts, you prevent authentic relating to yourself and others. When you realize these stories are false constructs, you can let them go and step toward a more authentic way of being in the world.

The false stories dominating your thoughts arise from your fears, and these fears can usually be broken down into one main fear: The fear of being vulnerable.

And when you live a life dictated by fears, your mind creates more mental stories that further feed and grow your fears. Your belief in these false mental constructs is what drives your inauthentic behaviors and prevents fulfillment and a true connection with yourself and others.

When you follow your false programming, you can’t act authentically as you move through the world. You and everyone else are programmed by upbringing, yourself, and society to avoid anything that makes us feel vulnerable.

We harbor fears that our vulnerabilities will be discovered, and we believe we can avoid the discovery of our perceived vulnerabilities by trying to control multiple aspects of our behavior and the behavior of those around us as we navigate life.

However, when you recognize your fears, understand them as false, and embrace and express what is authentically true for you, then you can move through life from a place of less fear and more authenticity. Fulfillment, ease, contentment, and well-being will naturally follow.

• How do you break free of the false mental stories and be true so you can be more fulfilled?

First, you must recognize when the stories you tell yourself are not true and stop the false mental chatter driving your inauthentic interactions with yourself and everyone around you. This requires sincere inquiry inward to recognize and face your fears with honesty, compassion, and bravery.

Then, you can find, cultivate, trust, and follow the intuitive guidance that stems from your true self, thereby increasing your ability to interact with everyone across all your life arenas from a place of increased authenticity. This naturally amplifies your fulfillment and well-being.

You know this guidance exists because you can feel the whispers of it whenever you are faced with choices. You all already have access to your guidance, and the concept of following one’s intuition or guidance permeates popular culture and spiritual traditions, and our language contains many descriptions of this process.

It exists for everyone, and when you start to look for mentions of intuitive guidance, you find them everywhere.

• Why is it hard to follow your intuitive guidance and be more authentic and fulfilled?

Frequently, you ignore your intuitive guidance that stems from your most authentic self because you have convinced yourself that your logical, thinking self is the only guide worth listening to when you are faced with choices.

You believe the stories your thought patterns incessantly whisper to you, even when you can objectively determine those thoughts are untrue. You let your desires and wants for what logically “should” override the signals from your guidance telling you what really is.

You think you can control your fears and amplify your egoic self by making logical lists of why something is right or wrong, all the while ignoring the simplicity of what your intuition is telling you.

• What should you do to live by your guidance, be more authentic, and increase your personal fulfillment?

The good news is that your authentic inner intuition will never leave you, and you can always find it when you work to quiet your false mental stories and feel into your entire being for guidance with every choice. I call this living within your own personal “guidance groove.”

And if your thoughts trick you into believing they are truer than your guidance, then you simply learn from that experience and try again.

That’s the beauty of following your guidance — you have endless opportunities to practice. I encourage you to take note of situations where your guidance led you to the best outcomes and write those down.

Those stories are great data to help you recognize that this process of following your guidance encourages greater authenticity, which leads to increased well-being, fulfillment, and ease.

I invite you to recognize, make peace with, and shed your adherence to the false stories looping in your thoughts. Once you can let these go, then you can act from a place of clarity, wholeness, and authenticity no matter what arises within your life.

The beauty of always living within your “guidance groove” is that there is no perfection. You make choices that feel in alignment with your most authentic self.

If a decision’s outcome feels less aligned with your guidance, you simply note that experience, then quiet your mind, tap into your guidance, and make another choice.

You may miss the mark many times, but you can always forgive yourself, refine your connection to your guidance and try again. The more you practice living within your “guidance groove,” the more automatic the process becomes.

When you make decisions according to your guidance, you then navigate life from a place of wholeness and true authenticity. Greater fulfillment, well-being, and ease will naturally follow.

You can’t get through a day without hearing at least one person say they want to live their “best life” and while that means something different for everyone, there is definitely a way to set this up and allow it to happen.

Be specific and install new thoughts

Before you can attract and achieve what you want in your life, you first need to get specific. Unless you can really nail down what you want, your path will be somewhat obstructed as you wade through any confusion.

My mentor Marisa Peer, founder of Rapid Transformational Therapy™, says, “First, you make your beliefs, and then your beliefs make you.” This simply means that it all starts with your thoughts, which are essentially the only thing you can control in life.

Scientifically, your mind uses your thoughts and what you say to yourself as a blueprint for your behaviors, actions, and decisions. Your thoughts create your feelings, which create your actions, which create your life.

We’ve all heard a thousand times that to achieve our goals, we need to write them down, but there really is a science behind it. I take it one step further and title my goals “Decisions,” which is a far more powerful word.

Know you are enough

When you catch yourself saying things like, “I’ll never be able to do that” or “I could never have that,” then you are already setting yourself up for failure.

Confidence comes from self-belief and knowing that you are enough.

When you make those thoughts familiar, your mind begins to motivate and support you rather than sabotage you. Then what happens is you’ll also find more opportunities that will lead you to exactly what you want. Yes, the law of attraction is a thing, and I like to say, “You are the CEO of you.”

If your mind tries to tell you differently, put on your best power suit, take it to the board room, and set it straight.

Encounter obstacles with curiosity, not self-defeat

It’s a widely known fact that it takes 21 days to create a habit. Essentially what you’re doing is rewiring your brain by changing its algorithm, so when your mind resists you by bubbling up negative thoughts, say to yourself, “Hmm, that’s interesting because that’s not what I believe anymore.”

Know that your mind is holding you back to keep you safe. It’s why it’s called “The comfort zone,” and it’s why we feel uncomfortable trying new things — because humans are wired that way. But again, it’s your mind, and you have the power to shift it.

Staying positive only during morning affirmations and then letting your monkey mind take over for the rest of the day when challenges arise allows your old mind to rule and keeps you exactly where you are. Stick with telling yourself, “I’ve got this!”

Again, know that you have control over your thoughts the same way you have control over Netflix movie choices. It may keep suggesting crime dramas, but you can click on whatever you want.

Be consistent, and eventually, the algorithm will change. For the nerds, this is simple neuroplasticity. It’s the same thing that happens in your brain when you learn a new skill or song, or even someone’s name.

The critics: Live and let live

There will always be noise around you, and everyone is on their own path, so it is crucial that you keep in mind two things:

• Don’t pay attention to the critics

Critics usually criticize because they don’t fully like or believe in themselves. When they see others on a path to success that makes them feel inferior, they feel a need to bring you down to their level in order to feel equal.

When you hear a critical comment, rather than letting it sting you, consider the source. You can simply respond with, “Interesting,” “Thanks for sharing that,” or “I’ll keep that in mind,” and remind yourself you are your own CEO and you are more than enough. It’s only a matter of making that grounded, confident feeling familiar.

• Don’t compare yourself to others

Focusing on others’ accomplishments can easily make us feel bad about ourselves unless we are solid with who we are.

Remember, you are changing your algorithm back to deep self-belief and re-establishing the incredible self-esteem and self-love that you were born with before all the stuff that happened to you as children to make you doubt that.

There will always be people ahead of you as well as people behind you. Help those who are behind you and use those ahead of you as inspiration, all the while telling yourself you believe you can do whatever you set your mind to because that is the truth.

Stay grateful

The easiest way to grow an abundant mindset is to not only shift your thoughts and master your mind but to remind yourself of how good you actually have it.

Even if there are obstacles in your life, feeling grateful for the things and attributes you have allows an openness to what you are calling in. It is difficult to be negative about life when you focus on gratitude for what you have.

Some people find this tedious, but it works and is a critical step to successfully creating what you want. I remind my clients that life is a gift after all, and how do we accept gifts? Exactly, with gratitude. Otherwise, why should we expect to receive more?

I never liked homework, but when it’s a plan to create my future, there’s a certain excitement that comes with that.

Believe you can do it and with almost everything, start inside because trying to change your actions without changing your thoughts is exactly why willpower doesn’t work.

However, when you use neuroscience and begin by changing your thoughts, then you begin to see so clearly how you can change your feelings, actions, and life, exactly like you deserve to.

Engage in altruistic emotions — think about how to enhance someone else’s experience

The purpose of life is to live a life of purpose. When our thoughts, words, and actions are in alignment with an overarching personal guiding principle, we open ourselves up to experiencing greater fulfillment and meaning in our lives.

With higher purpose and intentionality, even the most mundane tasks, such as preparing a meal or doing laundry, can be imbued with gratitude and meaning. However, many people conflate happiness with fulfillment.

Cultural influences bombard us with messages inviting us to relentlessly pursue happiness by purchasing the latest products, apparel, cars, and gadgets. In fact, when people fill their lives with the latest and greatest possessions, at the end of the day, the hedonic treadmill effect will motivate them to want to acquire and experience more expensive new shiny toys.

The cognitive factor allows us to interpret the world with more optimism, the emotional factor influences having positive emotional states, and the social factor creates positive social relationships. These aspects all work together to influence how we experience happiness in daily life.

One positive intervention to find more fulfillment is taking a few minutes to think about how to enhance someone else’s experience. Research has shown that engaging in altruistic emotions, and behaviors lead to well-being, happiness, health, and longevity.

Your action can be something as simple as reaching out to express appreciation to a family member, neighbor, or co-worker, or you can do something kind for a stranger or volunteer with a worthy cause. Any of these methods are proven ways to experience a sense of fulfillment that will elevate your well-being.

When children, families, and adults grapple with serious illness, setbacks, or trauma, they feel an overwhelming sense of isolation and despair.

Since 2000, I have led Soaringwords, a global non-profit organization that has inspired more than 500,000 people to take active roles in self-healing to experience greater physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

We invite everyone to pay-it-forward by taking a few minutes to engage with an expressive arts project that is then donated to a hospitalized child to help them feel loved and supported.

After the children receive the inspirational message and artwork, they are invited to also pay-it-forward by creating their own messages and artwork, such as SoaringSuperheroes, SoaringConstellations, and SoaringHaikus, to donate to someone else.

This simple altruistic action immediately mitigates depressive feelings by connecting recipients to a sense of hope, creativity, kindness, and joy.

Take small steps toward what you want consistently

Know what you want. Know what you really want.

Peel back the layers of whatever you think you “should” want — all those messages that got passed down to you from family, school, media imagery, and the culture at large — dig down the past that, until you get down to the reality of what you really want.

You can think about it, journal about it, and possibly process it all out loud with a therapist or close friend. (But make sure the friend will really support whatever you say, rather than trying to argue their own point of view if it happens to differ.)

Then, make up your mind that you can have what you want. Visualize it. Daily. Take small steps toward it consistently. Trust that it is coming for you.

Again, make sure that those with whom you share your visions and intentions are people you can trust to help you hold the vision.

If you sense someone is likely to be a naysayer, don’t share your vulnerable dreams with them. You will manifest the dreams, and you don’t need to be slowed down by any second-guessing along the way.

Have a few people you trust and check in regularly on your progress toward them

It can be helpful to have a few people you trust, to share the visions with and check in regularly on your progress toward them. You can support these friends in the same way, toward their own dreams.

Stop doing things that drain you

Examine the things in your life that drain your energy. Look critically at them. Does doing those things move you along toward the fulfilling life of your dreams? If not, make a plan to stop doing those things.

Take active steps to stop doing them. Or, if those things actually move you toward your dreams, you can then remind yourself of this as you are doing the tasks, remembering that they are a worthwhile price to pay to get where you are going.

Distance yourself from people who hold you back

Also, set good boundaries. If you find that people in your life consistently criticize you, hold you back, or drain your energy, take steps to distance yourself from those people.

This could mean anything from cutting off all contact (which can be incredibly freeing) to simply limiting the amount of time and energy you spend with them, not sharing anything too personal with them, etc.

And think about the people and activities in your life that give you energy, that light you up! Spend more time and energy with those people and activities.

Living a fulfilling life is an organic, ongoing process. Keep checking in with yourself, making mental notes of what you do and don’t want in your life, and then keep taking action accordingly. You will be amazed at the transformations you can bring about for yourself.

Reset and reconnect with who you are

Have you ever felt this deep desire to escape? It’s as if you can feel it in every cell of your body that you are destined for more, that somehow you are not living the life you were meant to be living.

It’s not as if you’re not successful on the outside; it’s that on the inside, you feel as though you need a drastic change. You can feel fatigued, overwhelmed, lost, or even disenchanted with life. It’s as if you no longer recognize the person looking back at you in the mirror.

This is nothing to be alarmed about. This is your mind, body, and soul speaking out to you that it is time to move on to your next chapter and bring more meaning into your life.

This is your calling; it’s time to reset and reconnect with who you are because you are not the same person you were a year ago, let alone a month ago.

To live with purpose is to set your soul free. You are your purpose.

“The meaning of life is to know yourself so well that your soul shines. You shine so brightly that you can’t help brighten the world around you.” — Natalia Edelmann

Step 1: Self-discovery

In order to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been.

This first step is about reconnecting with your past to capture all of the events, people, and experiences that have led you to this present moment.

Draw a line on a piece of paper. Go as far back as you can remember from your childhood to this current moment, and start plotting your life map. You are who you are now because of the choices you have made and how you have navigated through time.

Redefine your values and what matters most. Many of us don’t give ourselves the time and space to consider what is most important. We did have the time during Covid, which is what brought an increased self-awareness and a massive shift in the workforce.

Assess the areas of your life honestly — your career/business, relationships, finances, mindset, health, purpose, spirituality, and fun. Once you know where you are at and how you got here, let’s look at where you want to go.

“Vision is the destination, Strategy is the pathway there, and you are the key to making it happen.” — Natalia Edelmann

Step 2: Self-visualization

Visualization is one of the most powerful tools available to us. The image that we imagine in our minds activates our Reticular Activating System (RAS), which is a part of our brain that acts as a filter, filtering out the noise and bringing into focus what we want.

The easiest example I can use is when you want to buy a certain type of car. You suddenly start seeing it everywhere. That is your RAS kicking into high gear.

This is an example of how we can better understand how we see ourselves in the future.

In the first step, we got clear on the starting point. In the second step, we get clear on the ending point. Just like your GPS, you need to have both points to plot out the pathway there. You may encounter roadblocks, detours, or dead ends, but as long as you have your ending point, you can navigate your way there.

“Everything is energy, and energy is everything.”

Step 3: Self-care

Self-care is not selfish; it’s necessary. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that “You can’t fill from an empty cup,” and if you’ve traveled, you know that you need to put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others.

When we take care of ourselves, our whole being changes, and we step into the person we want to become.

This is because we are elevating our vibrations with our actions. It’s not enough to know where you are and where you’re going; you have to take intentional action to get there.

No one who wants to lose weight can do so by sitting on the couch and eating bonbons.

When you take care of yourself and set those standards for yourself, your outer world will mirror your inner world.

Things will feel easier — more serendipitous, more meaningful.

“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” — Dr. Maya Angelou

Step 4: Self-acceptance

When we feel like we can’t be ourselves, we can’t feel fulfilled because it’s as if we’re living our life for others and not ourselves.

Embrace your awesomeness, your quirks, and your scars too. It’s not to say that you have to share every detail of your life story but recognize that life happens for you and not to you and that through struggle, there is light.

Often the struggles we overcome allow us to help and encourage others to live their truth as well. They help us to fulfill our purpose.

This step is about choosing to be in control of what you can — your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs, and letting go of what you can not control — circumstance, other people, and the outside world.

Accepting yourself as you are without caring what others think will enable you to be your most authentic self. That is freedom.

“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we’ll ever do.” — Brené Brown

Step 5: Self-love

The final step to living a fulfilling life is self-love.

Discipline is a form of self-love, and every step before brings you to this moment of inner peace, divinity, and clarity.

Perhaps we should have started with what fulfillment is. To be fulfilled is to be well. Wellness can be hard to define but let me clarify it for you here. Wellness is simply a state of being, an active process of making choices that lead you to a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life.

To live a fulfilled life, you first need to elevate your state of being. It is not about the doing; it is about the being.

I want to ask you an additional question: “How are you living your life?”

There are typically three ways:

• As the victim — where we live our lives as “have-do-be”— the classic:

The more money I have, the more things I can do, and then I’ll be happy. The challenge here is that you’re never fulfilled because you’re always chasing something or someone you don’t have yet.

• As the worker bee — where we live our lives as “do-have-be”— the classic:

The more work I do, the more money I will have, and then I’ll be happy. The challenge here is that you’re never fulfilled because the work will always be there.

• As the winner — where we live our lives as “be-do-have”:

Who you are allows you to ‘do‘ what you want to do, and the ‘have‘ comes naturally.

To live a fulfilled life, you must start with the “being“: Who are you choosing to be? How would you describe yourself?

If you took yourself a year from today and looked back at the best year of your life, how would you describe yourself at that moment? How are you different in a year from who you are today?

A lot of people associate fulfillment with a sense of happiness or satisfaction that occurs after accomplishing or achieving something, such as a goal. The concept of fulfillment is usually linked to ideas around self and potential.

Although fulfillment is associated with positive emotions, such as joy and pride, sometimes the focus on achievement that comes with it can actually result in the individual experiencing the complete opposite.

It is important to preface this by saying that although fulfillment is great, our sense of self and experience of positive emotions should not be wholly dependent on the idea of achieving a goal or even realizing what is seen as our true potential.

That being said, we are now going to look at some tips and tricks to help you live a more fulfilling life:

Practice gratitude: Actively acknowledge all things in your life

Moving away from the idea that we can only experience fulfillment from accomplishment, the first way to achieve it is through practicing gratitude.

Gratitude is commonly associated with feelings of appreciation and general thankfulness. The idea of practicing gratitude refers to the conscious decision of an individual to actively acknowledge all things in their life, no matter how big or small, that they deem to be positive and are thankful for.

How you decide to practice gratitude is completely dependent on you as an individual, specifically what things you enjoy as well as what you find helpful.

If you are new to practicing gratitude and do not know where to start, below are a few different ways you can begin:

• Journaling

Journalling is one of the most popular ways to practice gratitude.

A good starting point would be to write down five things that you are grateful for, either for that day or the previous day, depending on which time of the day you are journaling. An example of this could be the sun, your family, etc. The tip is to be as specific as possible!

• Meditation

You can use meditation to reflect on things you are grateful for, whether that be the day you are meditating or looking back at your life as a whole.

• Prayer

This is a particularly good approach to practicing gratitude if you are religious. No matter your religion, prayer can help provide you space to reflect on all the positive things you are thankful for in your life.

Work on yourself: Discover your values and live your life in accordance with them

Another way to achieve fulfillment is through working on your relationship with yourself.

Focus on cultivating your self-esteem and challenge any negative thought patterns or behaviors that are detrimental to your self-worth.

A great way to do this is through engaging in journaling, meditation, and soft exercises, such as yoga or pilates. Any form of activity dedicated to taking time to just be with yourself, and do things you enjoy, helps cultivate a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment.

In addition, one of the most successful ways to achieve fulfillment in your life is by discovering your values and living your life in accordance with them. Your values can be anything related to your sense of spirituality, family, relationships, or even your relationship with your physical body and finances.

Regardless of what they are, ensuring that you uphold and prioritize your values in your everyday life and cultivate your routine around them will help you feel a sense of satisfaction, joy, and overall fulfillment with life.

Give up negative experiences

Frequently, the only true impediment on the route to a fulfilling life is one’s own past. You must overcome your pain and disappointment and let go of any negative events influencing your current behavior. You will be able to go forward and act differently in the future if you can identify the factors that are holding you back.

Practice compassion and empathy

Everyone seeks significance, fulfillment, and safety, even if they do so in various ways. Therefore, it is essential to escape our narcissistic bubble and appreciate life from another person’s perspective. Kind acts are one method to convey empathy and compassion.

Compassion breeds more kindness, and there is no better way to grow than through assisting the growth of others.

Find purpose in your work

As we spend a significant amount of time at work, it is essential to select a profession that you are enthusiastic about and that best fits your personality.

Boredom or dissatisfaction at work indicates the need for change. If you can identify the cause of your unhappiness, you can take the necessary steps to spend your time and energy on a job you enjoy.

Never cease to learn

Life is an ongoing learning process; the moment you stop learning, you die. There is always something fresh to learn; all you need to do is leave your comfort zone and embrace the unknown.

Seek assistance and direction from professionals

On this journey, coaches and psychotherapists can serve as guides. These professionals can assist you in being aware of your behavior patterns. They will help you overcome your worries, realize your full potential, and enjoy a sense of personal worth, purpose, and richness in life.

Take the time to define what success looks like to you

Remember, you are enough — you are successful just for making it this far.

Much of our judgment on our quality of life comes from measuring what we have and comparing ourselves to others. But the old adage about the glass being half empty or half full is about framing.

When you sit down and peel back the layers and take the time to define what success looks like to you and no one else, you’ll be living for yourself and no one else.

Even though life is uncertain, you can look at everything you’ve accomplished in your life — especially through hardship and tough times, and feel accomplished instead of behind. Take the time to define your version of success, and you’ll be living a life on your own terms.

Fulfillment looks different for everyone. But I do believe that there are a few common things to consider for all of us to live a truly fulfilling life.

I think there are some key elements to be aware of and cultivate within ourselves.

Love and accept yourself fully

The number 1 relationship we will ever have is with ourselves; it is important to fully love and accept ourselves where ever we are in the journey we call our life.

We should be honest with ourselves and with others. Speak our truth openly. Tune into our emotions. Let ourselves feel it all. This is radical self-acceptance; it doesn’t mean we can’t change or grow; on the contrary, self-acceptance helps us grow immensely.

When we suppress any part of ourselves, we build a wall, and to be fulfilled, we need to let down any and all walls we may have built.

Being true to ourselves and our deepest desires is so important.

Do something you truly love

Doing something because we truly love it is key. We should never hold back or keep ourselves small. We should think about what we actually want to create and experience in our lives and then say NO to everything that isn’t in alignment with that. Our purpose and joy will always go hand in hand.

Prioritize your life pleasures

In my opinion, prioritizing more pleasure is essential for genuine lasting fulfillment. Pleasure includes sex but is not limited to it. There are many forms of pleasure, from taking a bath to eating some chocolate to walking along the beach.

Pleasure isn’t something that needs to be earned or worked for; it is our birthright.

In our culture, we have unfortunately made pleasure taboo or something to feel guilty about. Pleasure is what we like to do for fun! Taking life too seriously causes way too many headaches.

We all work nonstop, and then maybe we allow ourselves some pleasure at the end of the day if we aren’t too tired. Well, I think if we normalize more pleasure and prioritize it, we will find that all areas of our lives will become more fulfilling.

Pleasure is energizing; it lets us tap into more creativity, and we naturally become more productive and experience more joy.

Pay attention to your body and listen to what it’s telling you

It’s easy to take our health for granted. We often only think about it when something goes wrong. But as a physiotherapist, I can tell you that prevention is always better than cure. Below I’ve provided some advice on how to live a fulfilling, healthy life.

Make sure to stay active

First and foremost, make sure to stay active. Exercise is great for maintaining your physical health, as well as your mental well-being.

Find activities that you enjoy — whether it’s walking, running, or yoga — and commit to doing them several times a week. This will help maintain muscle strength and flexibility, reducing the risk of injury and also help you stay in shape.

Identify any issues with your body early on and minimize their impact

Another vital thing to consider is your diet. Make sure you’re eating healthy, balanced meals and getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals. Eating a variety of whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds can provide essential nutrients for optimal health.

Pay attention to your body and listen to what it’s telling you. If you’re feeling any kind of pain or discomfort, make sure to seek medical advice as soon as possible. This will help you identify any issues early on and minimize their impact.

Finally, most people go through life without ever taking the time to figure out what they really want. They just do what everyone else seems to be doing or follow whatever path is set out for them. But this isn’t a fulfilling way to live. You need to take the time to find out what makes you happy and then pursue it with all your heart.

My road to becoming a physiotherapist wasn’t easy. However, I now am in a position where I can do what I love, helping people heal and gain back their independence.

Have the flexibility to make changes when needed

Living a fulfilling life is something that many people strive for but find difficult to achieve. To do so, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of what you want out of life and set goals to help you reach those goals.

It’s also important to stay focused on your goals and be willing to adapt and make changes when needed.

Here are a few other tips for living a fulfilling life:

• Think about your values, priorities, and goals

Start by taking some time to reflect on what you truly want out of life. This might mean thinking about your values, priorities, and goals, as well as what makes you happy and brings you fulfillment.

• Set specific goals that will help you achieve your desired outcomes

Next, set specific goals that will help you achieve your desired outcomes. These might include things like improving your health, pursuing a new hobby or interest, or spending more time with loved ones.

• Stay organized and on track

To stay motivated and on track, it’s important to stay focused on your goals and regularly evaluate your progress. This might mean setting reminder alerts on your phone, using apps or tools that help you stay organized and on track, or enlisting the help of a coach or mentor who can support you along the way.

• Be willing to adapt as needed

In addition to setting goals and staying focused, it’s also important to be willing to adapt as needed. Life can often take unexpected turns and throw us off course, so having the flexibility to make changes when needed is key to living a fulfilling life.

Whether you’re just starting out on your journey to living a fulfilling life or are already well on your way, remember that the most important thing is to stay focused on what’s important to you and keep taking steps toward achieving your goals.

With time, persistence, and flexibility, you can create a truly fulfilling life that you love living each and every day.

Do the art of letting go

Letting go of past mistakes or hurt is probably one of the essential things in a fulfilling life. Letting go helps release anger, sadness, or even hate. It brings on peace and joy.

Self-reflection is key

Self-reflection on who you are and what you do daily is key to living a fulfilling life because it brings you peace. Nothing can stand in your way when you have that peace within yourself. If you find that during that reflection, you feel you can do or be better, you can do so.

Shut out negativity

Don’t listen to the naysayers around you. Keep positive vibes for yourself and others, and be around like-minded people. This is harmony in a fulfilling life.

Related: 45+ Signs of a Negative Person (According to Experts)

Minimize your interactions with other people

Backstabbers will thrive for every mistake that you make. Hence, they will always watch your actions, listen to your words, and basically follow you.

To deal with them, you have to cut off where they feed. You have to minimize your interactions with them, so they have nothing to use against you. This is the only way to preserve your mental health and still maintain a civil relationship with other people. Otherwise, they will continue to do what they do, and it will only affect you negatively.

Related: 20+ Signs of Fake Friends: How to Spot and Deal With Them

Let go of negative feelings to free up mental and emotional space

Living a fulfilling life is a journey that requires effort and self-reflection. It’s a process of constantly learning, growing, and striving to be the best version of yourself.

Here are some tips for living a fulfilling life:

• Set goals and work towards them

Having clear goals can give your life purpose and direction. These goals can be big or small, but it’s important to work towards them and track your progress regularly. This sense of accomplishment can be a key contributor to feeling fulfilled.

When setting goals, it’s helpful to consider what truly matters to you and align your goals with your values and passions. It’s also important to be realistic and set achievable goals that you can work towards over time.

• Cultivate positive relationships

Building and maintaining strong relationships with friends and loved ones can provide a sense of belonging and support. Prioritizing connections with others can also bring joy and meaning to your life.

It’s important to surround yourself with positive and supportive people who will lift you up and encourage you to be your best self. This can involve building new relationships or investing in existing ones through regular communication and quality time together.

• Practice gratitude

Focusing on what you are thankful for can help shift your perspective and increase your overall happiness. Taking the time to reflect on the things you appreciate can also help put your challenges into perspective.

Gratitude can be practiced in many ways, such as keeping a gratitude journal, expressing thankfulness to others, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the things you have in your life.

• Take care of your physical and mental health

Maintaining good physical and mental health is essential for feeling fulfilled. This includes getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.

It’s also important to prioritize self-care and find healthy ways to manage stress. This could involve activities like meditation, yoga, or simply taking time for yourself to relax and recharge.

Seeking help when needed, whether that’s through therapy or other resources, can also be a vital aspect of taking care of your mental health.

• Find activities that bring you joy and purpose

Engaging in activities that bring you joy and a sense of purpose can be a key component of living a fulfilling life. This could be a hobby, volunteering, or pursuing a career that aligns with your values and passions.

It’s important to pursue activities that make you feel fulfilled and satisfied rather than simply going through the motions or doing things because you feel like you should.

• Practice mindfulness

Being present in the moment and paying attention to your thoughts and feelings can help you live a more fulfilling life. This can involve activities like meditation or simply taking a few deep breaths and being present in your surroundings.

Mindfulness can help you be more aware of your thoughts and emotions, which can, in turn, help you make more intentional choices and respond to situations in a more balanced and measured way.

• Give back to others; contribute to something larger than yourself

Contributing to something larger than yourself can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. This could involve volunteering your time, donating money to a cause you care about, or simply being there for someone in need.

Giving back to others can not only benefit those you are helping, but it can also bring a sense of meaning and purpose to your own life.

• Learn and grow as a person

A fulfilling life often involves continuous learning and personal growth. This can involve learning new skills, pursuing new interests, or simply seeking out new experiences and perspectives.

Embracing challenges and stepping outside your comfort zone can help you grow and evolve as a person, which can ultimately lead to a more fulfilling life.

• Find balance in the different areas of your life

Balancing different areas of your life can help you feel fulfilled and satisfied. This might include finding a balance between work, family, and personal interests or finding a balance between taking care of yourself and taking care of others.

It’s important to identify what is important to you and make sure you are giving the appropriate amount of attention to those areas of your life.

• Learn to forgive others

Holding onto grudges or resentment can weigh you down and prevent you from living a fulfilling life.

Letting go of negative feelings and learning to forgive others (and yourself) can free up mental and emotional space, allowing you to focus on the present and move forward in a more positive direction.

• Find your passion

Following your passion and pursuing things that truly interest and excite you can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment to your life. This might involve starting a business, pursuing a creative outlet, or simply finding ways to incorporate your passions into your daily life.

• Take time for yourself

It’s essential to make time for yourself and prioritize your own needs and desires. This might involve setting aside time for relaxation, hobbies, or personal growth. Taking time for yourself can help you recharge and feel more fulfilled in the long run.

Living a fulfilling life is a personal journey that will look different for everyone. By doing all of these, you can set yourself on the path toward living a fulfilling life.