How to Be and How Not to Be Miserable (Part 1)

In April of 2021, a video on YouTube was published called “How to be miserable for the rest of your life”. In it, the narrator facetiously documents several habits that you can incorporate into your life if you want to ensure that you will be unhappy, disorganized, and miserable.

Patrick spent a segment on The Patrick Madrid Show talking about these bad habits and why doing the opposite is so beneficial for leading a happy, fulfilling life on a physical and spiritual level.

  1. Wake up whenever you want. The first step to unhappiness is to sleep in regularly and make sure that everyone else has gotten a head start on the day before you. When you sleep in, you lose any chance of starting the day off on the right foot. Anything you scheduled for the morning is shot.

On the other hand, you have the option to get up at a regular time. On the weekdays, maybe it’s a little earlier than on the weekends. But the goal is to be consistent. Have a set time and stick to it. When you’re able to stick to a schedule, even if it’s as small as getting up on time, we give ourselves an early win and that can catapult us into victories for the rest of the day.

  1. Make sure your house is always a complete disaster. We all have that one friend who can’t seem to keep his room or house or office in order. It’s covered in clutter, dirty laundry, old papers, and dust. They can never find anything, and it always smells weird at their place. It’s a pigsty. They say the state of your room is the state of your mind. Have a miserable house, have a miserable life.

Instead, practice the virtue of order. An easy first step to practice order is to assign everything a place. You don’t have to be obsessive about it, but make sure everything has a home so that you know where it goes, it goes there when you’re done with it, and you know where it should be when you need it. Don’t hoard possessions. When something reaches the end of its lifespan, get rid of it. On the other hand, don’t be wasteful; be resourceful.

  1. Whenever a productive thought enters your head, push it out. After all, you just woke up. You have plenty of time to get to what you need to do. Just assign all those tasks to the future version of you. They’ll be feeling more productive.

False. Do it now. Seize the day. Grab the bull by the horns and get something done. If you did happen to wake up late, all the more reason to get things done. You’re behind the go-getters of the world and you need to catch up. Just like waking up on time can give you a boost, getting tasks done like cleaning your room and making your bed can set a standard for the rest of your day. Victories only.

  1. Look busy. When you do sit down at your computer or desk to get some work done, simply look like you’re getting things done. Put yourself at ease by opening documents and resources. Then, instead of actually working, open social media and scroll around. As long as those documents and resources are open, you’ll feel like you’re doing something.

Another lesson in order. Just as the physical things in your life have a place, so do the digital apps and social media platforms that devour your time and productivity. And that place does not happen to overlap with our workspace. Don’t let your social life or leisure time bleed into work time.

  1. Wait for opportunities. Just wait for it to happen. Wait around to land your dream job. Don’t go out and meet other people, network, or go the extra mile in your career. Wait around to meet the girl of your dreams. Don’t go out on dates, don’t make new friends, and don’t open up about your feelings. Believe that everything you want will come knocking at your door.

No, get out of your comfort zone. Push the boundaries of your comfort level by showing people who you are, that you have value and a personality, and that you have something to offer. Figure out the most effective way to attain the things that you want out of life and take action.

  1. Make Your Default Answer ‘No’. When your friends ask you to go out, say you’re too busy. When your boss asks you to lead a meeting, find an excuse. Become so good at saying no that people just stop asking you to do things. That way you can get away with doing what you want in your little bubble forever.

Similarly to taking action, reject your impulse to stick to the status quo. Get out there and do something. Your momentum from making a proactive decision will lead to more dynamic life experiences and open your eyes to becoming a more fulfilled person. And who knows? Your choice to go out for a drink or lead a meeting at work could lead to a life-changing opportunity.

To be continued.

Tune in to The Patrick Madrid Show weekdays 8am – 11am CT

John Hanretty serves as a Digital Media Producer for Relevant Radio®. He is a graduate of the Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas. Besides being passionate about writing, his hobbies include drawing and digital design. You can read more of his daily articles at relevantradio.com and on the Relevant Radio® app.