I would wager that just about each and every single one of us experiences a lack of fulfillment in our daily lives. By that, I am making reference to the fact that while we may be productive and accomplish our usual responsibilities, we don’t necessarily feel fulfilled despite our productivity.
Daily responsibilities and tasks aren’t exactly things that bring us fulfillment once they’re completed. That isn’t to say that we can’t experience genuine fulfillment upon finishing something we know we have to conquer in our day, but, generally speaking, mundane tasks and obligations don’t typically grant us a true sense of feeling satisfied.
Say, as an example, you own a dog, and something you do with your pup every day is walking them. You’re conscious of the fact that this is a duty you must fulfill, and upon completing it, you move to the next duty. There isn’t a whole lot of fulfillment in this equation. Contrastingly, say you own a dog and have been working with them to be less reactive while walking them. Once you successfully tackle your dog’s reactivity, you’re arguably going to feel a sense of fulfillment, because this task is not one that has become a regular component of your day – rather, it is a personal goal you took on and are pleased to have completed.
Finding and seeking out ways to experience fulfillment in your daily life might seem unattainable at times, but it certainly doesn’t have to be overly complicated. It is important to distinguish things in our own lives that do provide us with a sense of genuine satisfaction that are a little bit out of the ordinary, because if we do not, we run the risk of falling into a rut and operating like a robot on autopilot mode.
Check out the following information regarding how to experience more fulfillment in your day.
“It’s weird to say here, but a calendar can be full and still feel weirdly empty. Meaning that you can have work, errands, texts to answer, food to buy, laundry to move from one place to another, and all the normal little tasks that make a week feel busy enough. Then somehow, in the middle of all that, there’s still this flat feeling sitting there like, okay, but is this actually it?
“Alright, so what even gives here? Well, for starters, none of this even means that life is terrible. Sure, you do need to recongize signs of depression, but its more than just that. It doesn’t mean someone needs to quit their job, move somewhere new, start a business, buy linen pants, and become a completely different person by next month (that’s basically a midlife crisis). But it does mean the whole ‘just get through the week’ setup can start feeling pretty thin after a while, right?
“And sure, people do get by each week, like people are thankfully still functioning; people are even changing habits like focusing more on screen-free activities, doing things, showing up for things, keeping their calendar alive. Which, yes, are all good things here, of course. But fulfillment is a different thing, and pretending a paycheck alone is supposed to provide it is where people get stuck.
“The Career-as-Identity Thing Needs to Just End
“Well, a lot of people grew up hearing that work was the big thing. As in, you pick the right career, stay sensible, work hard, build a life around it, and the rest will sort itself out. It gives off the whole ‘keep your head down and be grateful’ kind of vibe. But as you can see here, that kind of advice that sounds responsible until someone realizes they’ve built their whole identity around being useful.
“And look, a job can be important. Money matters. Stability matters. But it’s not your personality, your worth, your purpose, your social life, your creativity, or your reason for waking up every day.
“Some Evenings Need to Belong to You Again
“Rituals were mentioned once, and they’re good to have; at the same time, here, those rituals don’t have to be fancy either. They don’t need matching pajamas, a ten-step routine taking live resin gummies to relax, or a personality built around wellness like ‘That Girl’ aesthetic. But have at it if you want to go about rituals like that. But aesthetics aren’t the point; it’s about simplicity so you can connect with yourself and your worth (and ideally keep away from screens too).
“Your Phone isn’t Helping the Empty Feeling
“The comparison trap is honestly brutal because it doesn’t seem all that apparent, but clearly this is a problem. It just looks like checking your phone for a few minutes. Then there’s someone’s promotion, someone’s engagement, someone’s side hustle, someone’s vacation, someone’s perfect morning routine- well, it’s someone’s this, and someone’s that, basically.
“And you can’t help but feel something, right? But really, think about it for a moment; it’s a lot to pour into a tired brain and then expect yourself to feel grounded afterward.”
Photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash
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