Lets face it. Life gets tough sometimes and difficult to balance. I can speak personally and say, as a relatively recent graduate I had so many expectations for life after college. I thought I would have jobs lined up from all over the country and salaries that would reassure that college was definitely worth the fight. Can I get real with you all? – This was SO not the case and everything I thought I really wanted to do didn’t happen. Instead of sitting around wallowing in what I didn’t have or what I couldn’t do, I realized I had to create my own happiness. After a few self realization moments plus trial and error I came up with 5 changes I knew I had to make to increase my happiness.

1. I Invested In Myself 

What’s not a better way to increase your happiness by putting some happiness back into yourself? Since I have more of a ‘give’ personality opposed to ‘take’, I have always been that person that tries to pour into others and really boost them up especially regarding what they want to accomplish. I realized that I too needed some of that for myself. I created a mental list of how I wanted to invest in myself which included perfecting my personal make up craft and rebranding my blog. Although they may seem small to some, these were really important to me because they are my personal interests (ya’ll know I love branding). Pouring back into yourself truly makes a difference. 

2. I Became Focused On My Goals and Aspirations 

When I tell you there is nothing like truly focusing on a goal you want to accomplish. Staying focused and putting energy into that drive instead of what you don’t have really helps. I would recommend either writing down or creating a mental list of things you want to accomplish – whether big or small. One of my true goals is to work for myself and help others, so lately I’ve been spending time along with my husband to reach these points. Stepping out of my comfort zone and working to achieve these goals has surged my happiness.

3. I Don’t Compare Myself To Others 

One of the keys to true happiness is loving yourself and what God has blessed you with. Instead of telling myself I’m not good enough, I’m not at the level that someone is at, or down playing my growth; I celebrate all that I have accomplished. We’re in the day and age where social media is everything so it can be difficult to not feel as if you’re behind. The moment you realize that what you have is yours and not to focus on others trust me you’ll see a surge in your true happiness.

4. I Got More Organized 

So you may be thinking, how the heck does organization lead to happiness? If you ever feel scrambled, confused, or overwhelmed with all that is going on; it may be because you have some fixing up to do. I recommend that you sit down and create a list of everything that is disorganized in your life and how to fix it. Once I did this I was able to increase my productivity which in turn made me happy!

5. I Made It My Mission To Do What I Love

Whether it’s volunteering or starting a YouTube channel, actually making it your mission to do the things you enjoy will increase your morale. For example, in the back of my mind I always knew that I wanted to contribute to a publication but of course wasn’t sure how that would happen. I was approached by the awesome magazine you see me reading in my photo above to become their Fashion Editor and I was so ecstatic!  Being able to write for Revived Magazine, a publication that is filled with relevant content regarding the Black community was perfect because not only did I envision this but it is for a good cause. Not letting anyone deter you from doing what you love is the major key!

I hope these tips can help someone out there who may feel down in the dumps because they aren’t at a certain point in life or doing what they truly love. Give these a try and I hope they can help create your happiness as well!