According to the World Health Organization, as of 2013, the United States’s average life expectancy was 79.8.
Seems like a long time, right? Well, consider this: that equals out to about 4,161 weeks, or 29,127 days of life.
The purpose of that statistic is not to make you scared, but rather to remind you that we each have about 29,127 days to cherish and to live up. And we should be making every single one of those days count.
But how do your make your day count? Here are some good ways to start.
How to Make Your Day Count
1. Work towards a goal
The main reason why days tend to lose meaning and slip away is because we’re not working towards anything. Sure, we’re going to our jobs or doing menial tasks we must do, but we’re not actively pursuing a goal. And if we’re not doing that, then we’re not improving ourselves.
Related: 5 Steps to Personal Growth and Development
Think about it: is there a hobby you’d like to be pursuing? Perhaps it’s something you used to do, but it just faded away in the busyness of life. Or, perhaps it’s something you’ve never even attempted, but have always wanted to.
Start dedicating time to that hobby or goal daily. You’ll not only be doing something you love, but you’ll be making progress—and thus, you’ll make your day count.
2. Start a 30-day challenge
Does starting a hobby seem overwhelming? If so, it’s understandable. What if you don’t like it? What if you don’t have enough time?
In his TED Talk, Matt Cutts suggests a brilliantly simple idea to combat this: try a 30 day challenge. That is, try something totally new for 30 days. 30 days, he argues, is the perfect amount of time – not so short that you don’t get to fully experience the new “thing” you’re trying, but not so long that it seems inconceivable.
Related: 7 Ways to Start a New Habit
Your challenge could be working on that hobby – playing the violin for an hour a day, for example – or it could be something completely different, like cutting dairy out of your diet. The beauty of these challenges is that you can do whatever you like. Doing a 30 day challenge will ensure that you live life fully…for 30 days. And then you can continue, or start a new challenge. The world is your oyster!
3. Exercise
Not sure what goal you want to pursue? Getting a fit, healthy body is a great start!
Exercising every day will boost your endorphins, which will make you happier throughout the day. You’ll find you have lots of energy to pursue your goals.
Related: 6 Ways to Start and Stick With an Exercise Plan
But if you hate the gym, don’t force yourself there. Find another active activity that you like, such as jogging outside or biking.
Consider: seeing improvement in the mirror every day is certainly something that will make your day better…and improved health may lengthen the number of days you have!
4. Help someone
Sounds cheesy, but what better way to make your day count than to help someone? It’s always an amazing feeling to help somebody in need. And even better: kindness can be good for your health!
Every day, try helping somebody in need, whether that’s a friend or family member, a random stranger you see in the street, or an organization that needs volunteers. You might be surprised how fulfilled you feel.
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5. Start saving up for something that you’ve always wanted
And I don’t mean a fancy sports car to impress your next-door neighbor. Think about it – is there anything you’ve always wanted, but you kept pushing in the back of your mind because you just couldn’t afford it? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to make a trip to visit family in another country…or perhaps you were always an avid gamer when you were younger, but you haven’t bought yourself a console since.
Related: How Money Can Buy Happiness
Pick something that you want for you, and start to set aside a portion of your paycheck for it every week. It will start to give you a renewed sense of purpose, and it’s a great feeling to watch that little sum grow to your goal amount!
6. Do that “thing” you’ve been meaning to do
Say that every time you walk into your messy bedroom closet, you find yourself saying, “Man, I have to organize this”…but it’s been two years, and you still haven’t. Well, that’s a sign to take action. Break up the task into little sections, and complete a section a day until your closet looks perfect.
Related: How to Organize Your Kitchen For Health in 7 Steps
Maybe your closet is already organized, but this still applies to you; all of us have that thing that we’ve been meaning to get around to. If it will improve your quality of life in the slightest way, why not do it now?
7. Spend time with someone you love
The biggest way to have a great day: spend time with your loved ones. Take the kids out for ice cream, have lunch with your sister, or go on a hot date with your significant other. Spending quality time with people (or even pets!) you care about will make your day warmer and give you a renewed sense of purpose.
The Takeaway
We each are given one life, and that life is comprised of only so many years, weeks, days. In order to live it up, we need to work on making each day matter. You can make your day count through working on hobbies or 30 day challenges, exercising, helping someone in need, saving up for something that you’ve always wanted, doing that “thing” you’ve been meaning to do, and spending time with loved ones. Live every day to its fullest, and you won’t regret it.
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Sammy Nickalls is the former content manager of Inspiyr.com and is a freelance writer for various sites, including HelloGiggles, YourTango, Quickbooks, and TWLOHA. Follow her on Twitter @sammynickalls.
Photo by xclarexbearx