What Would It Take To Make Your Life Happier?
I’ve got my fingers, toes and belly button crossed you haven’t said money. Because COME ON GUYS, LET’S DO THIS.
If you’re on the poverty line then alright, you can back away – more money would make your life easier and therefore a bit happier.
But in general we’re a bit obsessed aren’t we? Like, how often have you heard someone say (when I say someone, it could totally be you) ‘I don’t understand why (insert celebrity name) is so moany on Twitter. Like, what has she even got to worry about? She has so much money.’
I’m definitely happier now than I was as an unemployed graduate with no income coming in, but that’s because I felt so lost, so completely let down by the world, so crushed by my own ambitions and not just because my bank account looked a bit harrowing.
We need a basic level of money to be able to afford to support ourselves – put a roof over our heads, eat decent meals, pay for heating, pay for WIFI (it’s of vital importance, alright?) but after that? Why are we so focused on getting more and more, oh and then a bit more? And maybe some more?
Why can’t we just accept happiness with what we have – just welcome it into our lives in the moment? Appreciate the little wins, the little successes, the little completed goals.
The people behind Post-It notes recently commissioned a survey to find out exactly what we think will make us happier.
You might think it’d be nice things like quality time with pals and family, maybe it’d be more holidays lazing on a beach, maybe more time in bed (I’d like all of these please) but you know what came out on top because OBVIOUSLY – money.
Over a third of us think more money will make us happier and the ideal salary for us Brits? £80,8040. Seriously. Like I wouldn’t even know what to do with that money, I’d be just rolling around in fresh salmon and champagne and Charlotte Tilbury make-up and private pilates classes. I’d probably also be a bit of a dick.
The research found that our ideal life would involve working 27 hours 20 minutes a week and having two children, which, if you count Rudey and my cuddly toy as children, is totally my life right now. And I stand by it, working less hours, bringing myself on par with places like France where you’re not allowed to work more than 35 hours a week, has made me much more chilled, much less angsty and much happier.
The part of the research that made my heart hurt a little bit was the finding that we’d like to live within 10 miles of close family and friends. So yeah, it’s not hurting because OMG THAT’S HORRIBLE WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO LIVE CLOSE TO NICE PEOPLE, it’s hurting because 50 or 100 miles is kind of a lot more than 10 miles. My lack of nearby close friends and family is probably one of the only areas of my life that I feel like could be improved. But I felt that way even in London – that this difficulty in being able to just ‘pop’ round someone else’s house made my life a bit less loved and sparkly. Like my Sim’s social bar was in the red zone and you seriously needed to just call up all your neighbours for a chat on the phone just so the damn Sim wouldn’t refuse to leave the house because it was ‘depressed’. Bloody thing.
Aside from all the research into what we believe will make us happier, Post-It have launched a campaign with Katie Piper – the nation’s favourite aspirational role model. Because she is isn’t she? She’s the sort of girl you want to be able to say something mean about and you just can’t, FFS.
It’s called Make It Happen and is basically about believing in making your dreams happen – spurred on by the fact 16 per cent of us apparently don’t believe we’ll ever even coming close to achieving our dreams. Come on guys, bury the self-doubt away in the pit of your brain along with your teenage crushes (Aaron Carter was cute then, alright?) and that memory of that time your Nan showed you her boob (true story).
Katie Piper said: ‘It’s great to have a life plan but we need to ensure that we don’t get disheartened if things don’t go to plan.’ So much yes to this. Just, so much.
I sometimes get insanely flustered by the fact I was supposed to be getting married at 26 and having a baby at 27, which just FYI is like next year. And I know I’m not the only one, I know we all put this insane pressure on ourselves to stick to plans we made when we were like 16. SIXTEEN. Like we were in any place to make mature decisions about our adult lives.
Katie also said: ‘You should never give up on your dreams. Just be prepared to modify them, and continue to keep them at the forefront of your mind as life throws up different paths and challenges. A combination of positive thinking and plenty of support from friends and family can really help you get that bit closer to your goals.’
‘Be brave. Set some small, achievable goals to aim for, and go for them. Don’t give up. Anything is possible.’
So yeah, here’s another attempt from me to be happier, smilier and brighter every single day. I’m writing down my little life goal because once you’ve written it down EVERYTHING becomes more set in stone. Like when you write a to-do list, or a blog post idea on a Post-It (me, every single damn day). I’m going to keep this little note above my desk, next to the flowers and the candles in the hope of it inspiring me to keep focusing on MY goals and MY happiness when I’m feeling a bit eurgh.
P.S. I REALLY like the colour of this coral Post-It note. It’d make the perfect summer nail varnish shade. OK, P.S. over.
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