We know that to lead a balanced, fulfilling life it’s important to live for yourself first. This way you can meet the needs of others around you.

Many of us, however, feel guilty at the thought of focusing on ourselves before others.

We know we can’t pour from an empty cup, yet we’re always looking for ways to do so. This is simply not possible.

So, how do you go about Living for yourself first when it comes to daily life? 

What does it look like and what’s the best way to do this?

Today I’m sharing 17 life tips to help you start living for yourself, to fulfill your own needs and to become the best version of yourself.

Live For Yourself Meaning

When you live for yourself, this means creating an authentic life that brings you joy, satisfaction and meaning. This ultimately allows you to show up for your commitments in life, whether it be family, work or relationships.

When you live for yourself you are:

• Creating your best life
• Focusing on your personal growth
• Seeking out new ways to live life in the present moment
• Taking control of your own life first, without guilt
• Following your own desires and passions

To understand the meaning a little more, here are a few inspiring quotes about living for yourself...

“Live for yourself there’s no one else more worth living for.” – Neil Peart

“Don’t live for others, live for yourself, because others will not always be there, but you will be you for the rest of your life.” – Jesus Coca

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

17 Ways To Live For Yourself

1. Follow Your Dreams

The first step when it comes to living for yourself is to Follow your dreams.

We have just one life to live, so following your dreams is one of the most important things you can do to live for yourself. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Following your dreams starts with surrounding yourself with people who have similar goals in life. After all, it’s a common belief that who you spend time with determines who you become. 

There is a popular quote by John Rohn that says…

“You are the average of the five people you spend time with”. 

David Burkus, Psychologist and keynote speaker, would actually disagree with this statement as he believes that the people who influence your life are a lot more than the five mentioned from John Rohn…

“You’re not the average of the FIVE people you surround with. It’s way bigger than that. You’re the average of all the people who surround you. So take a look around and make sure you’re in the right surroundings.”

Regardless, that fact is true that in order to reach your goals and follow your dreams align yourself to people who want to do the same.

2. Stop Worrying What Others Think

It’s normal for all of us to give into social pressures from time to time, but consistently worrying what others think is not good for your mental health and is certainly not how you live for yourself.

There are many situations we worry about what people think, such as…

• How we dress or look
• What we say in a meeting or what we didn’t say
• Decisions we make
• The list goes on

When you worry less about what others think and stop looking for external validation you’ll have space in your mind to focus on what you want and what is best for you.

It’s okay to be different. So do what you love and focus on that.

Related: How To Focus On Yourself and Not Others

3. Do Something You Love Every Day

Joy and happiness are the essence of life and absolutely a big part of living for yourself.

Whatever you love to do, whether it’s a hobby or something in your daily routine, make it a priority.

When you do something you love every day, no matter how small you’ll begin to appreciate the little things in life which can change your outlook – even during tough times.

Some of the daily things I love doing are drinking a hot, cozy cup of tea first thing in the morning, chatting with people I love on the phone and getting outside in the fresh air.

What could you add to your daily routine that would bring you joy? Share in the comments at the bottom of this post.

4. Discover How To Be Your Authentic Self

You might be thinking, “I don’t even know who my ‘authentic self’ is”.

To help you discover who your authentic self is, here are a few questions you can think about…

• What are you passionate about?
• What are your core values?
• Is there anything you’d like to change in your life?
• What can you not live without?
• What can you live without?
• What does your ideal day look like?
• How do you want you life to be in 5 years time?

These are big questions, but there will help guide you to discover who you really are, what you stand for and what matters most to you.

Once you answer these questions it’ll become apparent steps you could take to start being your true self and live on your own terms.

5. Challenge Yourself

Let’s face it we all want an easy life, but an easy life doesn’t always get us what we want. It’s good for us to practice stepping outside our comfort zone from time to time. 

This means challenging yourself to grow.

Some examples of challenging yourself are:

• Learning new skills
• Standing up for yourself and your personal boundaries
• Learning to say no
• Changing negative thoughts and self-talk
• Applying for a new job
• Breaking a bad habit

When you challenge yourself new possibilities in all areas of life become available.

What you thought you once couldn’t achieve is one step closer.

Related: 25 Best Ways To Challenge Yourself To Grow

6. Surround Yourself With Positive People

Who you spend time with can leave a lasting impact on the life you live. So, turning toward positive people who build you up and support you is hugely impactful. 

At the same time, steering clear of toxic individuals will also help you feel more in control of your life. 

7. Practice Regular Self-Care

Creating quality time for self-care, rest and rejuvenation is truly needed to create a balanced life, but apart from relaxation – there are many other self-care activities that fulfill different areas of life.

The five main types of self-care are…

• Social
• Emotional
• Physical
• Intellectual
• Spiritual

To learn more about these areas of self-care check out this post. You can also try my ‘Building A Happy Week’ self-care plan.

8. Ask For Help

You are not a one-woman show. You are not responsible for everything, so ask for (and accept) help. Sure, you might be better at doing it yourself, but does it really matter? Do you truly need 100% all the time? 

No – in fact, it’s not even possible – so get the help you need.

You can ask for help and delegate in many areas of life. Before you do this write a list of all your responsibilities at work and home.

Then take a good look at the tasks you can either delegate or eliminate.

9. Create Some Time For Self-Reflection

Checking in with yourself often helps you consistently live the life you want.

Self-reflection allows you to see what’s working, what isn’t and new opportunities you can focus on.

Here are some self-reflection questions to get you started.

10. Do A Social Media Audit

Have a look at who you follow across all your social media accounts, especially if you spend a lot of time on social media.

• Do these accounts align with your values and goals?
• Do you find inspiration in the accounts you follow?

If the answer is no, unfollow. It’s that simple.

Then find accounts to follow where you are inspired.

If you have a specific goal or dream in life, follow people who have already obtained that goal. 

11. Set Some Healthy Boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries protects yourself, your time, your feelings and so much more.

Having boundaries can:

• Protect yourself from being taken advantage of
• Help you manage your time more effectively
• Allow you to create space for things you want to focus on

Setting boundaries can feel challenging at first, but once you know your boundaries it becomes easier over time to follow them.

12. Ditch Limiting Beliefs

We all have a narrative we play in our minds… 

• “I’d love to do this, but it feels uncomfortable”.
• “I deserve to focus on myself, but I just can’t find the time”.
• “I want to change, but I know that I never follow through”

If we consistently have a critical inner voice that shuts down who we really want to be, we’ll never have the courage to take the next step.

So, it’s crucial to identify any limiting beliefs you currently have and write them down like I did above.

14. Follow Your Intuition

Intuition is that gut feeling you can get when you have a decision to make.

It can also be an instant feeling you have about someone or something. It’s something we intuitively know but are unsure why.

When you follow that intuitive gut feeling, there is something behind it. Most likely your core values, your beliefs and what you know to be right or wrong.

So if you are in a situation where you strongly feel something, take note of it. Do your best to think about why you might be feeling this way.

They are there to point you in the right direction in life.

15. Create Your Own Happiness

So often we rely on others to make us feel happy, but to create your own true happiness – this starts from within.

Part of living for yourself is following a path that creates joy in your everyday life.

A great place to start is by appreciating the little things and simple pleasures in life.

16. Create Meaningful Social Connections 

When it comes to who we spend our time with, we want to have social connections and close friends that nurture our souls. 

Sure, it’s fun to have that ‘fun time’ friend, but when it truly comes down to it we all need that best friend or family member we can go to a deeper level with.

If you feel you don’t have this right now, it might be a good time to put yourself out there and meet new people, make new friends and create new lasting connections. 

17. Learn To Let Go

When you can let go of a negative past experience, intrusive feelings and thoughts or other bad things you’re opening yourself up to find inner peace. 

This way you can live for today and make plans to start living for yourself from now on. 

Letting go might mean letting go of a relationship, of perceived sentimental things that are actually holding you back or letting go of the past in general. 

Related: How To Let Things Go – 7 Steps to Move On

How to Start Living For Yourself: Final Thoughts

When it comes to living for yourself, there are so many ways you can do this. 

The key is to think about what you need today and do what you can to create joy, balance and abundance.

At times you might need to focus on following your dreams and at other times ditching limiting beliefs. 

Next Steps: No matter what your focus may be I highly encourage you to create some SMART goals to enhance your current well-being and cultivate a happy life for yourself today and always.

Related Resources To Help You Live For Yourself:

• 12 Meaningful Ways To Be True To Yourself
• 10 Ways to Focus On Yourself & Not Others
• How To Start Loving Yourself Again: 20 Self-Love Ideas

The post How To Start Living For Yourself: 17 Life Tips appeared first on Put The Kettle On.