Living life to the fullest, taking risks, living in the moment and seizing the day, isn’t that what life is all about?
Carpe diem is a liberating, strong message that reminds us that life is now and life will always ever be now. All we have to experience in life is this present moment so it is up to us to take responsibility and seize the moment to the fullest.
This also means that we shouldn’t waste a single moment, it means to give our best, eliminate what’s holding us back and free ourselves to be who we really are. This is a tall order and on a daily basis, when we have to juggle work, family and a million other responsibilities, making the most out of every single moment seems impossible.
But there are a lot of little things that can make a huge difference. Here are our TOP 10 tips to seize the day in simple, achievable ways.
#1 Stop Waiting and Start Living
It’s a common mistake of the majority of people. We plan and get ready to live instead of living right now. While we may wait for the perfect time, situation, circumstances, people, skills, resources, money, self-esteem… to show up, we miss out on life. There is no need to prepare for life. It is happening right now, so start living this very moment. There is no time like the present and we must realize that the time to seize the day and live fully is right now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not in a year from now. Have the courage to say yes to life and loosen the breaks that are holding you back. Put yourself out there, experience life and have fun right now.
#2 Remember What’s Important
We tend to put work and obligations before anything else, but it is essential to remember what is truly important to us and spend our time there. If we can focus on what is important in our life, we have the ability to eliminate the noise from everything else that isn’t important. Remember what’s important and say ‘YES’ to what matters to you while learning to say ‘NO’ to all the clutter that is holding you back. If we say yes to the things that aren’t important, we waste valuable time that we could be spending on things and people that matter.
#3 Be Courageous
Fear is the one thing that is holding us back from living life to the fullest and seizing the day. Stop wondering and overthinking and instead push yourself to do what you know is right and will make you happy. There is nothing worse than a missed opportunity, simply because you were scared. Kick yourself in the butt, find your courage and seize the day. Take initiative and focus on what it is that you want to do in this very moment and then go out and do it. You can’t lose by doing what’s right, the worst thing that could happen is that you end up with a learning experience that will give you a chance to do better the next time.
#4 Live Your Dream Now
Live your dreams right now and build a personal vision. Nobody can tell you who you are and what you should or shouldn’t be doing. Take your dream and make it a reality, enjoy the process and live every single step fully in the present moment. Remember, it’s not the goal that’s important, it’s the journey that matters. Don’t let go of your dreams and live them right here, right now.
#5 Stop Making Excuses
Take responsibility for your life and don’t blame anyone for the way your life turns out. It doesn’t matter what your parents, your partner or your friends did. You are responsible for your life and nobody else. Instead of making excuses, you need to take responsibility. It doesn’t matter what obstacles and challenges are in your life. You can achieve anything you set your mind to, so quit excuses right now and achieve excellence despite your current circumstances.
#6 Bring Your Best
Whatever you do, give it 100% and give it everything you’ve got. If you do that, you can look at yourself, knowing that you gave it your best and with that you have seized the day. Be proud of what you do, live up to your own expectations and don’t settle for second best, especially when you are capable of so much more. Don’t waste your time faking it or doing something half-heartedly. If you do something, give it your all or don’t do it at all.
#7 Show Up Fully
Whatever you do, wherever you are, be present and give 100% of your attention to the task at hand or the person in front of you. This way you can experience life to the fullest and increase your quality of life exponentially. While it is obvious to most of us that showing up fully is the only way to live, we still fail to achieve it often. Align yourself with the flow of life and be there fully so you can enjoy your life and seize the day.
#8 Give
One of the most gratifying ways to make the most of your day and seize it to the fullest is to do something nice for another person. Whether that’s buying chocolate for a co-worker who helped you with your project or simply smiling at a stranger in the street, doing something nice for someone else pays off in a big way. Research shows that if you do five acts of kindness a day, your life is much happier than the life of people who don’t do any acts of kindness. And the feeling of happiness lasts for days after you’ve given to others. Commit yourself, pick one day a week and perform five acts of kindness, you’ll be amazed at the results.
#9 Do Something Different
We as human beings are creatures of habit and we spent most of our days living the same routine over and over again, which can get boring pretty quickly. Don’t get swept up in the routine of your daily life, but live a little and do things differently. That doesn’t mean a major change, it could be as simple as taking a different route to work, reading a book on a topic you don’t usually read, learning a new language, going to a museum, visiting an art show, exploring different restaurants and cuisines. Make it a point to do something different and freshen things up.
#10 Look Up
One of the best ways to be in the moment is to notice the things around you. Rather than putting on blinders and simply going from point A to point B, keep your eyes open and notice things that you don’t usually see. Look up and marvel in the astonishing architecture of a building rather than looking down at the pavement and see if noticing new things makes any difference in your day.
As soon as you open your eyes in the morning, you start a new day. Know that you have the power to create an amazing day and seize it fully or you can let the day seize you. The choice is yours. Instead of focusing on the grueling day ahead of you or all the irritating people you may have to deal with, set the mental stage in a positive way and decide that you feel good. Steer your emotions, feelings and thoughts in a powerful and positive direction that will allow you to create a day in which you are energized, motivated and feel good, no matter what you will be doing.
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR LIFE AND SEIZE IT FULLY
Joschi & Monika
#BoldNaked