10 Simple, Unique Ideas to Live Happier this New Year, Part 1
Here at MotivationIgnited.com we have shied away from posting articles that tend to be more generic or Top Ten lists that are written just to increase clicks to the sight. We have always tried to bring a unique prospective and a different way of looking at the everyday.
These values will not change as we head into the new year but as many of us are taking time off, spending more time with family
( which may or may not be a good thing ) and taking time to reflect, we thought, why not take a crack at a unique top ten, broken up into a few different posts, that may make you smile, and think, and just might give you a good idea to jump start a happier life in 2018.
3 Simple Ideas for 2018:
1). Buy a Plunger Before You Need A Plunger.
Starting off with an easy one. What is the one item you never, ever think about until after you need it? Right, a plunger, simple enough for practical purposes, and yet most of us do not own one. Get it, someone will have a very embarrassing moment in your house and you will be ohh so happy you had it ready. If the toilet is already backed up then its too late.
What is ever so much more interesting is if you apply this logic, to everything, about your life and you will be surprised how it fits. Fixing a problem, whether family, home, or work is always more difficult than preventing the problem in the first place.
Now yes, I understand that a plunger does not prevent plumbing problems. The idea here though is to start thinking about issues that may arise and be prepared in advance for them.If you have already thought of the problem, and have the perfect tool ( mental, emotional, or physical ) at the ready, you are in a much better place to succeed.
2) Buying The Cheapest and most Expensive models of anything are both bad deals.
Ok, when push comes to shove, I am always going to buy quality, but does price always reflect quality gains of the same amount? Not generally. Most of the time when you are spending more, you are paying for advertising, make up, and status. This new year, decide if the extra money you would spend just because something is a brand name is really a good investment for YOU.
Now, I am never going to be able to talk you out of your Coach Handbag or your Ralph Lauren Cashmere sweater. Sometimes we pay extra for an item because of the intangibles that make it important to us. So lets focus on the everyday items we buy:
Take batteries for instance. There is no evidence that a generic battery is any less effective that a name brand, and yet the name brands still out sell the generic 3 to 1. Take a look at this graphic:
A quick look at Amazon.com shows us that:
1) A 24 pack of AA Energizer batteries cost: $13.99 for a one time purchase
2) A 24 pack of Bexel AA Batteries will run you $6.50 for a one time purchase.
So clearly, you are paying for advertising and a name. Don’t waste your money.
So this rules out buying on the low end, but what about paying for quality. Yes there is enhanced value when you pay on the high end, but is it worth it? the argument here is not to buy the cheapest and not to buy the most expensive. So lets look at the other end of the spectrum and talk about one of my favorite things, wine!
I am a self admitted wine snob, but not a stupid one. I won’t buy the discount under $10 bottle of red wine no matter what you heard from your friend at work. Wine at $10 is just not worth drinking, life is too short! On the other hand you won’t catch me near a bottle at say $500. Scratch that, lets say $100. Will it be infinitely better than the $10 bottle? Of course, but is it That Much Better?
Nope. That $100 bottle is just as much of a waste of money as the $10 bottle, just for different reasons. Take a look:
The point here is that the top and the bottom don’t make sense. Pick out a $25 bottle of Paso Robles Cab and you are all set.
Apply this idea to your life. Are there ideas, patterns, ways of going about your daily life that you cheat yourself? Are you giving the bare minimum effort in certain areas and therefore your value is on the bottom of the spectrum? Do you overvalue yourself in certain areas and give off the opposite impression.
Simply put, You are better than you think you are AND you still have a lot to learn.
3) You Must Read to Exercise Your Brain
If you want to feel better about yourself, the best way to do so is to learn. No matter your age or income, technology has turned learning into something cheap and accessible for everyone. Learn something new, feel better about yourself.
A few suggestions:
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works alone can teach you everything you need to know about living with grace and happiness.
The sheer beauty in the the writing of The Poetry of Pablo Neruda, can change your outlook on life.
Sites like Kindle Unlimited and Scridb allow you to read almost anything, in any subject, for a one time yearly membership fee. Philosophy, Ethics, Mechanics, Space, Physics, Dogs, Wine, and Pinata Making are all available. If you cannot get to the library or the classroom, now it will come to you.
Not to mention the hundreds of free classes you can now take online, but more on that in our next post.
Ok, so three simple ideas to get you started, more to come in the next few days. tackle these and we will speak again.
Cheers,
GK
San Antonio, TX
