4 Habits The Top Elite Athletes Follow to Find Happiness

Most people think they would be happy if they had more "stuff" or more money. A better car or a better house sounds pretty good to most people. But more money and "things" don't necessarily make you happier.

George Bernard Shaw once said “Lack of Money is the root of all evil, ” but those who are successful will tell you it can improve your quality of life.

Having a car might make it easier to be happy if it means you don't have to walk everywhere. Having more money can make it simpler to be happy if you currently can't pay all your bills. So these things can remove some of the obstacles to being happy, but they don't provide happiness.

There are four habits the elites DO to bring joy in their lives.

The good news is that they're FREE!

Consider adding these practices to upbeat your happiness:

1. Get out of your comfort zone to show some love

Everyone needs someone to love. If you don't think you have someone to love, find someone. The world is full of people that feel unloved, so it shouldn't take you too long to find a volunteer. We all need someone to cherish and care for.

* Fortunately, the people and animals we genuinely love tend to love us back.

2. Do an activity you enjoy

There are plenty of wealthy people that are miserable because they don't spend their time doing something that they love. Life is about doing and experiencing things. If you spend all day doing stuff you love to do, it's pretty difficult to be unhappy.

* Find ways to spend your time in activities that are meaningful to you. Make a list and start incorporating those things into your life on a daily basis. If you can find work that you're passionate about, so much the better for you!

3. Add something to look forward to daily

If the only thing you have to look forward to is more of the same, dull routine, it's difficult to be happy. Everyone should have something to look forward to in the near future.

* Think about something you'd like to do or see. Maybe it could be something as simple as a yoga class. If you love going to yoga on Thursday nights, it can make your Mondays a little easier when you know that yoga is looming in your future.

4. Build a routine with joyful discipline

Perhaps your biggest challenge is dealing with downtime. When you're bored, lonely, anxious, or sad and don't have something to do, it's easy to resort to less than ideal behaviors. These behaviors not only accomplish nothing positive, but they can also make your life more challenging.

* This would include things like watching TV, surfing the internet, eating when you aren't hungry, shopping for stuff you don't want or need, drinking, drugs, serial dating, and more. These behaviors do nothing to solve the underlying issue and can create more difficulties.

* Coping with negative feelings effectively makes life much easier. Read something worthwhile, go for a jog, meet up with a friend and do something fun, make a new friend, or work on a hobby. Substitute your negative habits with new, more beneficial habits that bring you closer to the good life you imagine for you and your family.

* Learn to take a moment and pause before you go on autopilot. If you're going to the fridge and you're not hungry, simply STOP. Ask yourself why you're doing this and what other action you could take.

If you think you're unhappy because you don't have enough money or toys, you're probably mistaken.

Being an elite athlete for a long period of my life, I know athletes can also feel unmotivated at times, our discipline sometimes can feel like a sacrifice, and we also feel our routines becoming annoying. That is when we know we need to change something and add something new into our daily routines.

You have the right to change your routine every time you are not as excited or enthusiastic.

When nothing is working, though. I recommend you to plan a day in your week to wake up to no schedule, no plans or obligation. An actual day off.

Having meaningful relationships, something to do, something to look forward to, and not shooting yourself in the foot are the keys. Find ways to incorporate these ideas into your life, and you'll be much happier!

- The KiD

"Every Day Is Game Day"

“Love what you do and do what you love. Don't listen to anyone else who tells you not to do it. You do what you want, what you love. Imagination should be the center of your life.” - Ray Bradbury