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Out of 37 surveyed adults, aged 18-65, the majority noted that the biggest stressor in their lives was being productive and positive – in so many words, happy and fulfilled. This item beat out fitness, work/life balance, finances, work, parenting, AND COVID, which was quite eye-opening.

In a 2020 poll by Associated Press, only 14% of US citizens consider themselves to be happy. While this poll is unsurprising as it was gauged during COVID, political turmoil, and nationwide protests against police brutality, it aligns with an overall unease in most American adults.

Looking at the open-ended responses in my small survey, folks noted that they longed to create positive routines, stay in the present, get more organized, be more productive, and find purpose. All of these areas are certainly affected by our work, home life, and financial situation, but they are obviously geared to self satisfaction – a place we often ignore to deal with the aforementioned list of responsibilities.

I’ve harped on this topic before, but when it comes to self satisfaction, we need to hone in on the ‘self’ component. As a parent and wife, I can relate to needing to take care of a family and a home, but at the same time, ignoring my own goals never leads to happiness.

I encourage you to write down what would make you happy and contemplate how to make it happen.

Specifically carve out time to do this activity. If the answer is finding a new job, then you know where to begin; if it’s relationship or financial woes, it may be time for some tough decisions; if it is literally a goal to be more productive, stay accountable to yourself (or someone else 🙂 ) and keep a running to-do list.

Small steps can lead to big results. Take the first step to being happier and more fulfilled.