As Leo Babauta of Zen Habits pointed out this week, happiness can start now.  We can choose to stop waiting for happiness and making it contingent on some future goal (a job, a spouse, “enough” money, etc.). If you’re ready to start enjoying your life today, not tomorrow, or the day after, or at some point in the future, consider starting with these:

Spend a few extra minutes in bed today, luxuriating in the warmth of slept-in sheets.

Eat breakfast without multi-tasking. Enjoy the sight, smell, and taste of your food.

Play a song that gets you revved up before you start your day. Repeat as many times as you need. (”Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake is my embarrassingly regular go-to song. I get to feel like a bad-ass and complete dork at the same time. Sweet!)

Stop saying, “I’ll be happy when…” You don’t need security, true love, prestige, or good taste to be happy. Food, safety, and a good sense of humor will get you through in a pinch.

When you step out the door for the first time, take 10 seconds to really notice your surroundings. Drink them in without judging. (Even if, like me, you live uncomfortably close to cow pastures…)

Remember how badly you wanted to be an adult so that you could live life by your own rules? Enjoy the fact that, for the most part, you get to make your own decisions today.

Say “hi” to your coworkers instead of brushing by them. Ditto for family members.

Celebrate inconsequential victories just for the fun of it. Didn’t burn dinner? You clearly rock.

Leave a kind note for someone to find. Your spouse, child, or janitor will appreciate it, and you’ll probably feel better as well.

Stop waiting for someone else’s approval. If you like where you’re at (or simply where you’re headed), that’s good enough.

Check your progress on your larger goals. The steps you take to get there can be the best part.

Give in to a craving! Nearly everything is okay in moderation.

Find five minutes to sit back and just breathe. Close your eyes and let your concerns take a backseat for just a few moments. Remember that even high priorities are rarely as urgent as our adrenaline tells us they are.

Smile for absolutely no reason. You’re alive; that’s a pretty damn good excuse. :)

Slip into a pair of comfy socks.

Set aside 15+ minutes for something that’s purely fun. Not all hobbies need to have a purpose or redeeming value. Remind yourself that’s it okay to just have fun.

There are many, many more ways to start enjoying life today. What do you do to take satisfaction in everyday living?

Creative Commons License photo credit: mikebaird

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