These two are the reason I want to live better and not suck.

Ever wake up and wonder what you are doing with your life, or if you are making an impact? Ever challenge yourself to live better – think beyond your day-to-day tasks and identify what you really want? It probably doesn’t happen every day because it can be overwhelming to think about. Unfortunately for us real-lifers, research proves that this type of global thinking improves our happiness.

These same folks also suggest meditating up to two hours a day, volunteering services, or engaging in charity work on a regular basis, developing deeper relationships with our loved ones, eating a plant-based diet, and exercising. Easy for THEM to say, right? Ughhh, I’m sure they don’t have toddlers, and bills, and a business to run, and a husband who travels, but I digress.

So even though it may not be easy peasy to accomplish all of the aforementioned tasks in one day, we can all strive for improvement somewhere, for some reason for the sake of fulfilling our authentic purpose and living our dreams.

What is your purpose? Why is it compelling to you? What activities do you engage in that support your purpose? Write it down, on paper, with a real pen. Go ahead, I’m waiting.

In practice, I encounter people (often women, but men do it too) daily who put themselves and their dreams last, which leads to illness, fatigue, and a restlessness that takes up space in their mind-body. The manifestations of these unrealized dreams can result in physical symptoms, or disrupt their energetic surroundings at home, or work, which also feels pretty “sucky.”

So, let’s get to it.  Here are some EASY things you can do. Some is inspired by Dr. Rob Yeung,The Extra One Percent, that will help you in your journey.

BE CURIOUS

Learn about things outside your current field of knowledge. Creative GENIUS comes from the strangest places, not from being in your comfort zone. Comfort zone is for lame-o’s.

TEAM IS WHERE IT’S AT

Join a team, at work, or socially so you can receive acknowledgement and feedback about how you operate. Feedback is imperative to growth. We kinda suck at judging ourselves, so we need others to help reflect information back in a PRODUCTIVE way, so we can make the necessary changes to improve.

OTHER PEOPLE ROCK

Focus your full attention on someone else. Practice active listening, empathy, and focusing outward builds emotional IQ and breeds success.

SAY YES TO BOTH

Why not think about doing both, rather than “either/or?” Most people think saying yes to different things is impractical, dorky, impossible, when in fact it can be fun, and creative to figure out ways to do “both” things you really want, rather than sacrifice one.

HOLLAR AT YOUR BOY

Whether you believe in a higher power, or not, it’s important that you bring yourself to account each day with an entity that is greater than yourself. Let’s be honest, you ain’t ALL that, and sometimes you need a REALITY CHECK. Consider what works and what doesn’t work. Write it down. Move forward. Bam.

CHALLENGE YOUR INNER A-HOLE

Everyone has a voice inside them that says, “I stink, I’m not good enough.” When that voice gets too loud, challenge that a-hole. He/she sometimes gets his/her wires crossed and needs a good adjustment. Check out Dr. Martin Seligman’s Learned Optimism for more details on how to do this with cognitive behavioral tools.

HANG WITH THE CREAM OF THE CROP

Don’t hang out with losers. Hang with people who are like the person you would like to become. Duh.

UPPER LIMIT PROBLEMS

It’s kind of unnerving to hear that your problems are “all in your own head,” or that YOU are YOUR only limit to your own success. UGHH, why can’t it be the little gnome under my bed that screwed me in business and at school? The biggest barrier to success is not skill, money, or experience, it’s psychological. Better face it now, then we can have more gnomes working for us, rather than against us.

Thanks for reading this blog! Let’s cut the small talk and get right to the good stuff, I’m way cooler and funnier in person, so click here to schedule your appointment. If you really want to gain karma points, follow me on twitter @drcoriseyhoon and like me on Facebook because that’s how I measure my true success. Feel free to e-mail me feedback at drcoriseyhoon@gmail.com!