There are so few guarantees in life, but the more closely you follow this list, the better your odds at fulfilment. I would never expect you to hit every single one of these. Hell, I probably only hit 60%, but you can hit 39 of them if you wanted to.

Life advice is fleeting if you don’t put things into action. So, no matter how many you put in front of yourself as to do’s, you have to follow through on that promise to yourself.

Buckle up friends and find some of the keys to enriching your life.

1.Pay Off Debt

Debt can be the anchor that we drag along the bottom of the ocean while trying to sail off into the sunset. It is the result of overspending, and as you head further into this list, you’ll see a lot of ways to minimize debt. Starting today, make a plan to eliminate your debt, and start sailing anchor free.

2.Be Frugal

Frugality is a way of life. You don’t wake up one day and decide to be frugal. Every aspect of your life has to arranged just so, then you can begin to understand the benefits of spending way less than you make. You don’t have to be extreme about it, but getting rich does require it.

3.Give To Charity

Giving can be the most enriching and rewarding experience in our lives. It doesn’t have to be the holidays for you to do something for someone else. It does not matter if it is clothing, money, or your time, make sure you are giving to those who can not help themselves. This will fill your heart up with pride and make your community a better place to be.

4.Quit Bad Habits

We all have them. We all fight to get rid of them. Whether it is smoking, drinking, gambling, or spending, bad habits will turn your life into a walking nightmare. Maybe not quite that drastic, but they are draining your bank account. This isn’t about morality or what you should and shouldn’t do as an adult, this is about putting that cash towards a better life.

5.Make A Budget

We all need one, but this is one of the hardest things to sit down and do properly. Even if you do the budget part properly, do you follow it to the number? You may not need to track every penny, but you need to know where your money is going to get a handle on your finances. Start a rudimentary budget that tracks the major expenses and weed out the expenses you don’t need. Easy Peasy.

6.Get Fit

Two simple words, three letters each, and one of the hardest things you could ever do. Get Fit. We all dream of sculpted beautiful bodies that glisten in the summer sun. The problem is life happens and we neglect to ever get to this dream. Or at the very least strive for it. Getting fit, and the road that leads to it, will make you a happier, healthier person. Having this as one of your goals in life, will make sure that you are around to enjoy the other tips on this list.

7.Celebrate Success

You lost 10 lbs. Celebrate. You saved $1000. Celebrate. You graduated college. Celebrate. If you don’t acknowledge that you have reached a goal, what will spur you on to the next? Give yourself a carrot to reach for and each goal after will be rewarded in turn. Just be mindful not to blow cash or calories, but reward yourself accordingly.

8.Get A Side Hustle

Hey we get it. Your day job sucks enough and you don’t want to come home and start working on another job or project. The problem is, if you don’t do more, you’ll never have more. Don’t settle into a routine of work, tv, sleep. Create a side hustle that not only pays you, but makes you happy. Aspire to be more than you are today.

9.Create

If you create everyday of your life, you will find as much fulfillment as you can handle. It doesn’t matter what you create, just freaking do it. I write at least 1000 words every single day whether I feel like it or not. When I finish, I feel as though I have made my day that much better. I feel as though I have accomplished something with my time. Find your creative juices.

10.Get A Hobby

A hobby can be almost anything. A hobby can even be your side hustle, if you are creating something that can be sold. See how these all fit together? Your hobby doesn’t have to make you money, but it gives you something that makes your mind and body work as one. TV is not a hobby.

11.Mentor A Child

Mentoring is companionship and passing along the knowledge you have acquired in life. Show someone else what you have learned and give them something to aspire to. You do not have to be a perfect person to be a mentor, you just have to care and give your time.

12.Invest

Savings are useless if you are shoving them under your mattress. You may enjoy pulling it out and swimming in all that cash, but it is doing nothing for you. You have to invest and make that money work for you, 365 days a year. The more you invest, the more you get in return. Do not skip this step, period.

13.Save 50% Or More

If your goal is to retire, early or otherwise, you need to save money. Not the 10% that you are told to save. You need to save large quantities of money. I would personally recommend you save 50% or more of your take home income. This requires that frugal mindedness that we talked about earlier, but it also requires you to be debt free. If you can hit this goal, you will find the riches you desire.

14.Make Goals

What good is doing things without a goal in mind? I don’t mean “retirement”. You need short term goals. Consistent levels that you attain that keep you motivated and on track. If you have a lifetime of goals, that you celebrate accomplishing, what could ever stop you? Take each step forward and actually complete what you set out to do. Then you can retire.

15.Buy Used

New stuff is cool. It is also expensive and not always necessary. If you can save money and get a working item used, then why would you ever buy new? I’m not talking about underwear. I am talking about the things that we spend too much damn money on when they are new. Clothes, cars, furniture, even appliances can all be purchased for huge savings on the used market.

16.Indulge

Part of living life to the fullest is by indulging every once in a while. The problem is when we indulge too often. If you indulge at specific times, for specific reasons(celebrate), then you have good reasons to do so. Indulging is a reward that you must earn. If you have something that you compulsively need, save it for a reward. Sparingly. Learn to balance these indulgences with the rest of your goals.

17.Have Children

Children can be the greatest endeavor that we ever undertake. The thought of taking some beautiful child from infant to adulthood opens our minds to all of the opportunities and winder parenting can offer. Plan to have your children and budget accordingly. Teach them how to enrich and create. Don’t raise a mini you, teach them the best aspects of you.

18.Don’t Have Children

Children are not for everyone. There are just many reasons not to have children as there are reasons to have children. Being a parent is a lifetime job that some people do not want to sign up for. And that is perfectly acceptable. If you are one of these people, stick to your guns and save that extra money. Mentor a child instead. Be confident that your decision is your own and makes you happy.

19.Volunteer

Freedom is giving a part of yourself for the good of others. In this case, it is your skill or time that benefit others. Make your community better and you will reap the rewards of neighbors that care too. Create a better community by giving it the time and attention it deserves. Be the beacon that brings everyone else to help make things right.

20.Make Someone’s Day

We forget that we affect others lives constantly. Co-workers, spouses, lovers, children, the list goes on forever, but are you conscious about how you are positively affecting these lives? Make it a conscious effort. Taking the time to make their day glorious, will bring your day to a whole new level. Do that one extra thing that makes someone else happy and you will elevate yourself. Guaranteed.

21.Play Sports

You need to be active in life, whether you like sports or not. Your activity levels are directly tied to your health and mental well being. I have always found that jumping on a treadmill and running nowhere bored me to death. I am a huge proponent of playing sports and training for sports, because it gives you a set of goals to reach. It is also a blast.

22.Budget Your Time

How do we fit all of these glorious tips into our life and not feel overwhelmed? We make time for them. We create a budget and schedule that works to keep us motivated and on track to meet our goals. Look at your whole life and ask yourself if you have a lot of wasted time or are you maximizing the time you do have to create a better life. The more effort that goes in now, will give you the leisure time you dream of.

23.Read

I applaud you for reading our blog and reading this specific post. Reading is the fundamental necessity that makes us better as humans. It helps to keep our brains active and engaged, so I won’t hold it against you if your prefer non-fiction. However, there is a wealth of information out there to learn and apply to your life. Kind of like this list. And all of the other articles on our site. Just sayin’.

24.Listen To Music

Another way we can expand our minds and provide mental fulfillment, is by listening to music. A lot of music. Discover new artists and revisit the classics, it really doesn’t matter what type of music it is. Music fills in the gaps when your brain isn’t being filled with new information and it can be relaxing or engaging. Basically, give talk radio or podcasts a rest and listen to some tunes for a change of pace.

25.Never Stop Learning

Reading helps you to get your brain motivated and on the learning path, but there are tons of ways to supplement that learning process. You could enroll in courses, study a new topic, or start a business that requires you to learn the ins and outs of a new field. Expand your horizons and never stop learning new things.

26.Never Grow Up

Maturing is the process of taking all of the fun out of your life and flushing it down the toilet.That may seem a little extreme, but I have always viewed growing up as getting old. This doesn’t mean that you should shirk your responsibilities, but it does mean don’t stop having fun. Society has become relatively sterile and stodgy, while relaxing in other ways. Dress codes aren’t as strict, but we are expecting more and more from each other in the maturity department. Obviously, make sure you are respectful of others, but never give up your childish fun.

27.Reflect On Good Times

Too many times we wallow in self pity over mistakes we have made. Stop that. Everyone has at least one happy moment in our lives, but we too often dwell on the bad. This is one of the reasons people are so eager to write bad reviews, because the bad sticks with us more readily. Fight the urge to reflect on bad times or experiences and find the good moments that actually make you happy.

28.Learn From Bad Times

It is inevitable that bad things will happen to us. These are learning opportunities in disguise. If something fails you, you can prepare and modify for the next occurrence. Too often we fall into patterns of self blame and neglect to fix the issue and keep moving. If you look at every mistake as a learning tool, you will find that there are myriad ways to correct and overcome.

29.Start A Business

There are ceilings in our financial life that we will never break through without a metaphorical hammer. Your income level will not grow at an exponential rate with a 9-5 career. Starting  a business will put you on a new path, a path that opens up new opportunities and teaches you how to sustain yourself. You don’t have to make money for others your entire life. Millionaires create multiple streams of income. You’d like to be one of those, don’t you?

30.Write

There are many ways you can pass knowledge on to other folks, but my favorite is the written word. There are so many ways to express yourself through writing, that it opens a new world to you. And a new audience that you can entertain and inform. I use writing to help others make their financial lives better. You can use writing to accomplish anything. It could even be a stream of income and a business venture.

31.Keep A Diary

Taking photos is great way to keep your memories fresh and real, but writing things down that day will flesh out the experience for you. Writing in a diary, or a journal of some sort, will keep the things you want kept readily available. Remember when we told you to recall the good things and learn from the bad? Logging all of these moments makes it much easier to reflect and correct .

32.Count Calories

Everything you can consume, for the most part, has a calorie count attached to it. This is an amazing tool that allows you to stay on top of your food consumption. We may not like micro managing our calories, but being in a slight calorie deficit can lengthen your life. Excess calories can lead to conditions like diabetes and heart disease. We want long, healthy lives that are fulfilled by all of the ways prescribed herein. The best way to assure that is to purposefully track what is going down your gullet and cut back when need be.

33.Learn To Cook

It is a great luxury to have others cook for you, serve you, and then clean up after you. It also costs a lot of damn money. Take the initiative and learn to prepare good meals that you and your family enjoy. There is a certain level of pride that comes with mastering a dish that your family and friends can rave about. There is also a ton of money that stays in your account when you stop eating out. Win, win.

34.Have A Dinner Party

I have never been a fan of being the center of attention, but I do enjoy having a group of friends rave about the new dish I learned to make. My homemade pizza makes local pizza shops jealous. Have a dinner party that shows off what you can do, and have your friends bring a dish too. Rotate the location with your friends and do this regularly to foster companionship and keep you connected with your community.

35.Love With Your Whole Heart

We protect our hearts and feelings with walls that never seem to come down. Our friends are always kept at arm’s length because we think that letting someone get close will endanger our hearts and minds. While we should protect ourselves, and screen people before we let them in, once they get inside your fortress walls, love them completely. What you will get in return is a lifetime friend or lover. We won’t be able to predict every relationship, but opening up will have a better chance of them lasting.

36.Apologize

If you are in the wrong, apologize. If you are truly learning from your mistakes, you will know when you need to apologize. Pride is very dangerous, especially if you manage people or are a business owner. Humility will save you a lot of embarrassment later on. Saying “I’m Sorry” will preserve relationships, partnerships, and clients.

37.Start A Fun Fund

There are Emergency funds, Investment funds, College funds, and Business funds, but where is your next vacation being funded? You don’t want to pull from these other accounts to fund your fun stuff. It may work best to keep it in the emergency account, but make sure it doesn’t impact the readiness of those dollars. Keep your fun stuff separate so that you can account for it and not impact the other necessary accounts.

38.Plan Your Retirement

While your budget is doing the short term work of managing your expenses and allowing you to save for retirement, make sure you are planning what the hell you are going to do when you get there. Also plan how much you’ll need. Might need to plan where you want to live, too. Essentially, you will be starting a new chapter of life that needs a lot of planning. Luckily, it is really fun to think about!

39.Take Vacations

Traveling can be the most rewarding thing you do. Do not wait till you are retired to start traveling and seeing the places and people you want to see. Don’t wait to experience what the world has to offer and make a point of checking things off of your bucket list. There are lot of ways to fund these vacations, and retiring as early as possible will help create time. Do not wait to start living your life, though.

40.Retire Early

Freedom from 40 hours of working every week is the ultimate goal of this blog and I dedicate my life to helping you achieve that too. Retiring early is more than stepping away from work, it is the pure freedom to do what you want to at any moment. It is the prime example of enriching your life with activity, culture, travel, creating, and general awesomeness.

Aspire To Be More

While it isn’t impossible to do almost all of these, I don’t expect you to. I do however expect you to try and be more than you are now.

We can all strive to be better, try harder, and make a concerted effort to reach our goals in life. These 40 ways will give you an idea of what it takes to make your life fuller and richer, but it isn’t an exhaustive list.

Only you know what makes you truly happy and fulfilled, but I do expect you to make an effort to get there.

Freedom will not come without action.

Thanks for reading and we would love to hear some of the ways that you use to make your world a better place! Start a community in the comments below!