28 Brilliant Tips for Living Life

By Leo Babauta

Sometimes the littlest change can make a world of difference.

Start waking a little earlier and spending some quiet time to start your day? The rest of the day has been transformed.

What little change might change your life? You can pick one or two from the list below at random — I can almost guarantee that one of them will do worlds of good for anyone.

I compiled this list this morning after asking on Twitter: “What’s your best tip that has made life better/easier?” The result was a wonderful influx of brilliant wisdom. Thank you, my friends.

Enjoy.

  1. Use travel delay as opportunity to stop rather than get stressed. When the world stands still, let it. [Karl Durrant]
  2. Whenever your spouse says something the first thing you should hear is “I love you & want to spend my life with you”. [David Inman]
  3. Stop clinging and embrace change as a constant. [Isabelle Cholette]
  4. Try and give people the benefit of the doubt if they snap at you. Might be something going on you don’t know about. [misslmdavis]
  5. Wash your bowl immediately after eating! [niekstarr]
  6. The daily practice of silence. [dimovich]
  7. Life is so much easier when you make a decision within 5 minutes. Longer than that and you get bogged down & never decide. [Tiffany Cooper]
  8. Friendship is a gift, not a possession. [Chris Reetz]
  9. Mostly nothing is that serious as it seems in the first moment. [Julian Pollman]
  10. Before you go to bed, write down only 3 things that you want to do the following day. This is how to prioritize. [Ziba]
  11. Do the most important task first thing in the morning. [Jordan Ayres]
  12. Make all driving a mindfulness practice. Well being and safety! [Branden Barnett]
  13. When you think you want something, put it on the planner a month from now. When that month rolls around and you still want it, OK. [connie baber]
  14. Smiling … seems to help with most things. :-) [zen fostering]
  15. Love where you live, and work in walking distance from where you live. [Anoel]
  16. Expecting less or nothing, and just being. That way disappointments are nil and you are pleasantly surprised often. Simple. [Traci]
  17. Allow extra time in your schedule for wandering. [dylan]
  18. Meditate — it makes everything fall into place. Being happy makes life so much better and easier! [Gabriel Rocheleau]
  19. Do something relaxing before going to bed. No electronics. [Rozanne Paxman]
  20. Don’t fold clothes. Saves time and hassle. [Rachel Jonat]
  21. QTIP: quit taking it personally. [Will Hopkins]
  22. To avoid cluttering: After any activity, put everything in place. It only takes 5 minutes vs. 3 hours if you allowed to pile things up. [La Piña]
  23. Organic steel cut oats. YUM! [Prem]
  24. Realizing that you treasure experiences over possessions makes life better. [Sophia Khan]
  25. If you lick a glass before drinking from it, your lipstick doesn’t smear the glass. [natalie fergie]
  26. When in doubt, take a deep breath. [Kevin Cuccaro]
  27. Define what’s necessary; say no to the rest. [Dana]
  28. Expect nothing. Welcome everything. (from a homeless man with AIDS on the streets of Vancouver.) [Sarah Chauncey]
image