Whether you have children, nieces, nephews, or others that are younger, it’s important to pass key life lessons down to them.

Even when they are young, investing in their personal development can create a lasting impact on them and in turn… future generations. I have made it a priority in my personal life to spend time every day investing in my daughters.

Here are key life lessons I’ve been passing on to them:

1. Prioritize Your Happiness

You are in charge of your own happiness and it’s no one else’s job to make you happy. This is a daily choice that you have to make and requires a conscious effort. Otherwise, you can easily let other people hi-jack your mood.

These are a few ways you can set yourself up to choose happiness every day:

Daily Gratitude Practice

Starting your day with a gratitude practice. This simple habit will re-wire your brain to look for the good things in life. When I first started gratitude practice, I hit all of the big things in life I was thankful for… like family and health. Now, I write down smaller things that I could easily miss if I wasn’t looking for them.

Meditation

Spend at least 5-10 minutes in meditation every day. When you meditate, it releases endorphins and serotonin. These are the chemicals in the body responsible for making you “feel good”. I recommend that you use a guided meditation app to get started.

Set Goals

Every year, create new goals and then work towards reaching them. Reaching your goals helps to boost your confidence, help you to be more optimistic, and have the ability to cope with difficult times.

I write all of my short-term and long-term goals on a sheet and review them every morning before I start my day to keep them at the front of my mind. Writing down your goals and visualizing them increases your chances of reaching them.

Speak Daily Affirmations

Daily affirmations are positive sentences that you speak out loud to yourself every day. Practicing daily affirmations can actually activate the reward center of your brain and help you feel accomplished. I find affirmations that go along with my specific goals and read them every morning as part of my routine.

Avoid Negativity

Do everything you can to reduce your negative influences. Surround yourself with positive people that have a growth mindset. Also, limit your exposure to negative news, social media, and other sources that can drag you down.

It’s important that you do not base your happiness on things or people. Be happy with the highs and lows in life and be thankful.

2. Relax and Decompress

Be hard workers, but learn to reward yourself when you have put in the work to succeed. Learn to relax and take time to enjoy the world around you. Figure out ways you can decompress and spend time on the things that help you unwind and relax.

These activities can be things like sports, reading, yoga, mediation, or even a simple bath. Once you have figured out ways to relax and decompress make them a regular part of your everyday schedule.

3. Work Hard

Develop a strong work ethic, have ambitions to accomplish things in your life, and love what you do. Work hard on whatever the task at hand is, be a team player, and a good friend. Pushing through the tough times helps with your mindset and pushes you when you want to give up. Keep working hard!

4. Make Relationships a Priority

The most important thing you can do in life is to make relationships a top priority. Do not let work or school consume so much of your time that you do not have time for others. Spend time with the people you love.

Try to connect with the people closest to you, daily. Make a phone call, text, go on a lunch date, or a grab quick cup of coffee with the people you are in relationship with. Value your relationships with others and they will grow.

Even as young kids, they can learn to take their personal development seriously and start working on goals. It’s our job to invest in the future generations.

Contributed by guest author

Ryan Cote started The Morning Upgrade Blog to inspire other people to put a morning routine in place to take their personal development to new levels.

He writes about health, mindset, learning, and how he uses his morning routine to help him develop in these areas.

Join Ryan in making personal growth a top priority in your life by investing in morning routines.

PLUS check out these free gifts from friends…CHECK out the following great resources as well…Forward Steps Personal Development » Key Life Lessons To Pass To Next Generations

Hi, I'm Thea Westra at Forward Steps (forwardstepsblog.com)

Since March 2003, I've been sharing practical, positive, thought provoking and inspiring self improvement content online. My aim is simple - to offer tips and resources that help us enhance our daily experience of life and to keep stepping forward. Perth, Western Australia is the place I call home and I'm the author of "Time For My Life: 365 Stepping Stones". You might also know me from the Forward Steps personal development blog and the daily series of "365 Forward Steps Notes", all designed to add wings to our unique life journeys.

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