Just for the record, I am not an expert on this topic, I merely would like to give you tips that have worked for me, as well as for some of my friends who are living the single life by choice. What I mean "by choice", this simply means not relying on another person to make me or my single friends happy, and truly understanding that in order to be happy, again in my opinion...one must learn how to create happiness within themselves first.
SO LET'S DIG IN SHALL WE!
1. Read Books - Now I know that this may seem unusual for some of you, and trust me when I say this, I was not the type of person that enjoyed reading as a child, but from my experience, this is something that always kept me busy, meaning it kept my mind occupied and at the same time, I was able to gain knowledge that help me towards my future projects and social skills. I do recommend only reading books that interest you, and believe me, you will know which books are for you or not. Start with 10 minutes or 10 pages a day, and then eventually one book a month =)
2. Exercise - You're like, "I know this already", and I bet you do, but most people don't do what they already know which is why most single men are not happy. We all know what we have to do, but are we doing these things? From the beginning, I was always a self-motivated person, especially if I have a goal set, but if you are the type of guy that needs constant motivation, or you easily get bored, I would encourage you to find a workout partner, or join a gym. Unlike me, some people need that social environment to workout, and that's okay, just as long as you are working out and being active. There are a lot of free group fitness classes from Crossfit, to P90X, to Dance and even obstacle race training if that's what you're into. Just like reading, exercise will keep your mind occupied and also get you in shape and looking good just in case you end up finding your soul mate.
Hotel Gym Body Beast Workout
3. Find a Hobby - I know that sometimes we get all wrapped up into work and business that we forget about the things that we really love doing. Finding a hobby and doing this every week is something that always helped me get my mind off of the fact that I was single =). As long as your hobby isn't taking over your life or your business, and affecting your work life, then I highly recommend being consistent with it. Sometimes we get bored too, I know, so this is when it might be a good idea to bring some friends into the mix, or find online groups or meet ups to mingle with others who have the same interests as you.
4. Socialize - Now I wouldn't get too crazy with this one! I think the last thing that any single guy who is trying to be happy should be doing is bar hopping and "pretending" they are happy. Social drinks are always ok in my book, but once you get to the point where you feel that alcohol and drugs is the only way to make you feel happy, you will end up making it worse, and trust me......you will never achieve your goal of happiness as a single guy by going that route. I enjoy occasional drinks especially when I am traveling to different countries, and celebrating success of any kind with some adult beverages is awesome, but once it gets addictive, it will be much more difficult to become truly happy. If you think that you are not fun without alcohol, then maybe you need to find some new friends, just saying =)
Dinner with my friend Laura in Philly who I met traveling in Miami
5. Eat Healthier - I found that the more crap that I put into my body, the more I felt like crap. Once I began to eat healthier along with daily exercise, something magical happened, I just organically started feeling better and really appreciating things a lot more. Of course if you are not used to eating healthy, it may take some time to adjust and learn, just like any change of lifestyle, it will be tough, but ask yourself this question, "how important is it for you to be happy?" Eating healthy helped me learn to be more creative, and what I mean by this, I had to learn how to budget more, and learn how to make certain ingredients taste good. Once my body adjusted, it was like a whole new world. There are a ton of clean eating and fitness groups to join to help you get started, that's what I did. I know that there are a lot of diet plans and nutrition information out there to easily get you overwhelmed, I recommend starting off by cutting down on your fat and sugar intake, and just take it from there.
6. Travel - I cannot begin to tell you what independent solo travel has done for me! I think I have learned 100X more by traveling over all of my years in public and financial education institutions. I learned so much about who I am, my talents, and what I am capable of just by traveling and exploring on my own. So many people think that solo travel is scary and boring, but let me tell you from my experience that the people that you meet will be some of your closest friends. I have met so many people from different parts of the world that I can literally call this planet my home. Now I know that solo travel is not for everyone, but how will you know if you don't give it a try?
Bridge Jumping in Ecuador
7. Start a Business on the Side - I know what you're thinking, "I don't have the money to start a business!!!", well I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. 7 years ago, I started my business with only a $40 investment, and at the time, I only had maybe less than $50 in my bank account. Starting a business can be scary, but it can also be a fun way for you to turn your hobby into a paycheck. Creating an extra income on the side is a lot easier than most people think because get this, you are in total control of the time that you spend building it. I remember working 3 jobs and starting my online business, I would go on my bathroom breaks and do email follow ups. If I only had 10 minutes to work my business, I simply took full advantage of those 10 minutes. For me, being happy has to do a lot about living life on my own terms. Some people can work a job for 40+ years, I just wasn't that type of person. If you're reading this, just know that you can do more than you think, and starting a small business is VERY possible, you just have to stretch your mind just a bit more. As with all of the above, starting a business will keep your mind sharp and active, and you never know, you may find that special someone.
Spending time with my daughter and working my online business
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So I hope that some of my tips will help some of you. And technically, I guess these tips could also work for some females, so feel free to soak it in girls =). And again, although I am not an expert by any means, and I am still single as I am writing this post, I will have you know that I am super happy and living my life! Yes, I do have my bad days, but the key is to try to stay consistent with the things that I mentioned above, along with surrounding yourself with positive and uplifting people.
There is nothing wrong with the single life. Whether you are single or taken, we are all still human, and it is up to us to create happiness, no one will do this for us, NOT EVEN A SOUL MATE. So go out and live your life!
