Happy 2017: Live Your Best Life Now, No More Waiting!

Live Your Best Life NOW: No More Waiting for Tomorrow

The start of a new year is a perfect time to reset your mindset. If there’s one little tweak you can make today to move closer to your dream life—do it now.

Don’t wait for everything to fall into place. Don’t wait for the job, the house, the six-pack abs, or the ideal circumstances. Live fully. Start with what you have. Right now.

Make Small Shifts That Matter

Cut back on crazy work hours. Use that time to reconnect with your people. Turn off the TV and make a call. Watch your favorite movie while you iron. Take joy in the little things.

And if your dream feels out of reach—like sailing the world on a yacht that’s millions beyond your budget—don’t lose heart. You can still live a full, joyful life right where you are. Adjust your lens and see how full the glass already is.

Yes, your partner could be more charming, your bank account fatter, your home bigger. But even if things aren’t perfect, you can choose to be happy now.

Stop Waiting to Start Living

I used to think I had to lose all the baby weight before I could enjoy swimming again. I waited to fit into gym clothes before I allowed myself to work out. I told myself I had to stash more money before slowing down my hectic career.

But then it hit me—tomorrow is already here. The future I was waiting for had arrived, and I was missing it.

I realized I’d been postponing my life. Rushing through each phase, always racing toward some distant joy. But life is not just about the destination. The journey itself is where joy happens.

The Power of Contentment

I used to think contentment was a cop-out. A lazy excuse for people who had given up. I wanted wild, delirious happiness—not some tepid form of acceptance.

But I learned the hard way—delirium is short-lived, and the crash afterward is brutal. What I needed was peace. Joy. That quiet satisfaction that comes from being fully present in your life. That, I discovered, is contentment.

And here’s the truth: contentment is a conscious choice. It’s also a spiritual one. For me, it became real when I chose Christ. If you haven’t, you can make that shift now with one simple prayer: “Lord, I choose You.”

Tough Roads Lead to Strong Souls

After graduation, I dreaded Nigeria’s mandatory Youth Corps year. I didn’t want to live in a far-off place and rough it out. But I accepted it, and I embraced it. I even shocked myself by designing a new hairstyle—dreadlocks before they were cool—and went all in.

I ended up posted to Kwara State, not Borno as I feared. I woke up every day at 5 a.m., ran in the cold, bathed with cold water, used a pit latrine, and laughed with strangers. I marched until I became a right-winger. I got a commendation, built grit, and proved to myself I could survive anything.

Live It All—Now

Looking back, those tough times didn’t break me. They built me. I learned that discomfort doesn’t last forever. What matters is how we face it.

So this year, stop postponing joy. Don’t wait for life to begin. This is your life—your journey. Own every step. Celebrate each mile. Even the messy, imperfect ones.

Because too soon, this phase of your journey will end. And the only question will be: Did you live it well?

 

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^{Ovie Farraday is a wife and mother of five (including 2 teenagers and a pre-teen) living in a sub-Saharan West African suburb.  She is married to an Architect and entrepreneur. Ovie Farraday is a pen-name.}