I'm sure you answered that with a yes.

It can also feel like digging your way out of a hole in the sand.  And ...the universe seems to be working more against your favor than in your favor.

There are actually a number of fairly small things that you can do to change your outlook, improve your health and make your life better.

This article lists only five. Granted some of them take some commitment, but try out a few of these and see if that uphill battle doesn’t get a little easier.

This could be a club, or a gym, may be a sports team, a church (not that a  church should be a social group but there should be some great people there). 

Or it could be just a group of palls that goes out for drinks once a month. The important thing is having friends. And I mean friends, not just someone that is going to take up your time but not give you value. 

Probably because of the potential for lowering stress, people with strong and healthy social networks are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight and to live longer than those that don’t.

We are designed to be around people and to get and give support to others.  

Somebody said, "if you are lonely when you are alone you are in bad company."  You get to much in your own head. In other words you are the only one talking to you.  And you have to be careful because...

Fear and doubt take over. You start to lose self-confidence and become even more isolated. 

Find somebody or some group of people to belong to, to give and receive with.  You will live longer (or many have ) and have better life experiences. 

Experiences are what we should be after, not just stuff.  We forget the stuff the day after Christmas, but experiences make our life better and we remember them. 

For quite a while now, many experts have understood that following a religious faith genuinely helps people in a number of ways.

1. It gives us a sense of purpose.
2. It makes us feel like we’re part of something larger than just ourselves.
3. It encourages us to be understanding, forgiving and generous.
4. It makes our lives better and it makes us better people.

While the religious can and probably will argue (this author has his own conclusion also)  that their religion is the best, most religions have very similar basic philosophies. It sounds crazy, but think about it:

• Which religion says that we shouldn’t help the poor?
• Which religion says that we shouldn’t be kind and forgiving? 

The name of the deity may or may not change, but what that deity asks of us is more or less identical from one religion to the next.

So find one that you like, study the teaching and watch the people to see that it is being practiced and not just a social club. If you find it to be true, stick with it.

And, if you please the Eternal One here on earth, then eternal life there (Eternity) could be yours also.  There you go, more motivation for making a better life. 

Learning a “Modern Language” like English, Spanish, French, German, or Chinese, can be practical in a business setting, or just while you’re walking around town. Our society is so diverse with culture it could help you understand more of what is being said around you. 

Also, learning any additional language comes with a number of benefits...

First it helps you to learn and remember other things.

And second, it helps you to see things from new perspectives.

Some universities may let you check out classes on foreign languages.

Many local community centers may have classes in foreign language that are open to the public.  You may be able to find books on learning new languages at book stores or thrift stores near you. 

You could download any number of free or cheap apps to learn another language on your mobile phone, tablet, or computer.

If you are a yard sale or garage sale type person you may find programs that people bought but never opened or just used it a couple of times.  I have found Nightingale-Conant programs still in the plastic wrapper and got them for a dollar. 

If you hate your job and your company, you can read this as “quit your job and start over,” but you don’t have to.

If you worked hard to get where you are and you like the work that you do, consider a lateral job change in your own company.  Or possibly a vertical change, like become the manager. 

See if you can work in a new department for a bit, even if it’s just filling a position while someone is on vacation or while management is looking for someone to fill a spot permanently.

Changing jobs provides a nice change of pace, it helps you to understand your own abilities and versatility, and it helps you to understand what the world looks like from someone else’s office.

It can also help you uncover talents that you have or skills that you may want to learn that you never knew you liked.  This can help to make you difficult to replace when working for the other person. 

I have an accountant friend, think perfectionist, that loves doing woodwork and flipping houses, no perfectionism. But that is what he does as a side job. 

Even if you’ve already been there, or even if you can’t or don’t want to stay for a four-year degree.  College is a unique experience where you get to meet new people in an institution specifically dedicated to learning and looking at new ideas.

Even if you’ve already been to college, many find that the experience is quite different when they return later in life, even if it’s just to audit a class.

You may consider a technical school... I learned to be a welder.  Then later I returned to be a machinist and then a cosmetologist.   

Some of the things listed in this article are pretty big commitments.

Other things on the list, however, are things that you could do pretty quickly and with little or no financial burden.

Give them a try, and hopefully you’ll notice yourself feeling better before too long.

But... consider this also, on your journey to a goal you have set you should have mini-goals, also known as stepping stones or milestones. 

This is important because most humans want CHANGE. And we want it often.  We become board and distracted quickly!  

Proof... if your phone was to chirp because of a text message your mind would turn away from this post. Next time that happens remember what I just wrote.

Or a Facebook ding you would have to look and see who did what, when. 

Motivation is something you have to plan.  It is not just going to fall on you one day and then you are forever motivated.  You must plan and have habits in place to keep you motivated.    

Here is a Free E-book Get and Stay Motivated to Achieve Your Goals that can help to keep you moving ahead.  Get your copy today and see how those things can help you with this list of things also.  

P.S. Download your free E-book and you can learn... 

• The #1 challenge everyone faces when trying to reach their goals and what you can do to change it
• 5 things you can do to get your motivation pumping for every day action
• A simple, but effective way to stay motivated that takes only 1-3 minutes
• How to create milestones to keep you motivated and what NOT to do with milestones
• What to do when you are bored or frustrated with a task (that even seasoned entrepreneurs do)
  

Here are some other post you may find helpful also 

Which one is best motivation or inspiration?

​How to keep motivated to reach your potential

Doing More To Move You Forward

​We are a work in progress