If you knew three proven ways to improve your happiness, would you do them? What if they were simple to do, but took a committed effort on your part? In researching what makes people happy, I’ve come across a lot of different ideas. There are three things, however, that almost everyone that studies happiness can agree on. Zig Ziglar called them the Three Gs. Meik Wiking includes the same ideas in various ways in his Little Book of Lykke. You can read more about my experiences with his work here and here. The Three Gs are Grow, Give, and have Gratitude.
In fact, these three things are recommended over and over. There is one catch though. It’s consistency. We often look for the quick fix in life, but real change and improvement take dedicated effort over time. In practicing the Three Gs, you need to keep at them. Having gratitude once in a while will only improve your happiness once in a while. The same goes for growing and giving. So if you’re ready to put in the work, read on to see how the Three Gs can help you improve happiness levels in your life.
Use the Three Gs to Improve Happiness
Growth
As human beings, we are naturally inquisitive. We have the capacity to learn and grow throughout our lives. Studies show that learning new skills slows the aging process and that we can grow new brain cells even late in life. Learning and growing is not just for the young!
How can you promote growth in your life? Sign up for a class. It could be on anything from painting or gardening to learning a new language or coding a computer. The choices are almost endless. The key is to pick something that interests you and learn about it.
If you’re not the studious type, that’s okay too. Teach yourself a new skill. Watch a YouTube video for some instruction. Visit museums, an aquarium, or a nature reserve. Learn about the world around you by being out in it. Learning is not limited to the classroom.
Growth also comes from interacting with other people. This is why taking a class is doubly beneficial. Not only do we learn from the teacher, but from our fellow classmates as well. But we can interact with others in many other ways and develop better communication skills too.
Set aside regular time in your schedule to grow. Make your on growth a priority. See what it does in your life and especially how it can improve your happiness.
Giving
There are as many ways to give as there are needs to be filled. It can seem overwhelming when we consider all the needs that are out there. But it is easy to make a difference in your own small way. You just need to start and to give.
Some Easy Ways to Give
- Find a charity you think does good work and donate money to them.
- Give time in the form of volunteering. Local schools, libraries, community centers, and shelters are all in need of volunteers.
- Practice Random Acts of Kindness. Check out my 101 Ways to be Kind and Promote Kindness post.
- Practice forgiveness. There’s a reason the word “give” is found in forgiveness. Give pardon to someone who has injured you and to yourself when you fall short.
- Be a good neighbor
- Give a sincere compliment or thanks to someone in your life on a daily basis
Gratitude
There is always something to be grateful for. We spend so much time thinking about what isn’t going right in our lives that we often overlook the millions of things that are going just fine for us. I guarantee that if you make a lists of things you have to be grateful for and a list of things that are bringing you sorrow, your gratitude list will be much, much longer. Be honest with yourself. Be thoughtful. Look for the good and you will find it.
If this seems overwhelming to you, start small. Write down 5 things each day that you are grateful for. And the end of the week, you’ll have a list of 35 things! Be specific and be original. Don’t write down the same things each day.
The next step is to share that gratitude with others. Let people know you’re thankful for them. Send a note. Send a text. Give a smile and a compliment. Sharing your gratitude reinforces the habit in your life and also improves the lives you touch through sharing.
The Three Gs Challenge
Do you want more happiness in your life? Consider trying the Three Gs Challenge. Spend ten minutes each day on each of the three Gs. This means ten minutes on growth. Ten minutes on giving. And ten on gratitude. That’s only 30 minutes each day.
Do this for one week and see how much you improve happiness levels in your life. Then stretch a little more and add another week to your challenge. After seeing how that second week goes, extend you challenge to a month.
I’m not saying your whole life can turn around in a week or a month, but it can significantly improve. Taking it one week at a time is a good strategy to keep from being overwhelmed. Consider it exercise that is building your happiness muscles. Start with lighter weights and build up to heavier ones.
There you have the Three Gs of Happiness. I’d love to hear what your experiences have been with them, either in the past or if you try the challenge. Please use the comments section below to share. And also consider using the social media buttons to share this post with someone who might need a little help with happiness.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
