You might not have the exact life you want, but there’s a good chance you can love the life you already have.

We have a strong ability to make ourselves unhappier than we need to be. We’re also a little slow to implement the improvements that would make our lives more enjoyable. We’re focused on the bad things, fail to see the good things, and tolerate more than we should.

You can love your life with just a few small changes, such as:

1. Get rid of the things that annoy you. Life is pretty good if you don’t have anything that bothers you. You don’t need an amazing car to be happy, but it’s hard to be happy if your car is unreliable.
   
   • Make a list of everything that gets on your nerves. It might be an overflowing kitchen junk drawer, a squeaky bed, leaky faucet, insufficient income, or weeds in the yard.
     
   • Start working on this list and eliminate them one at a time. You’ll be amazed how much more you like your life as the list gets smaller.

2. Reach out to your friends. Life can get so busy that we lose touch with the people we enjoy the most. Loving your life is largely about removing the negative and adding the positive. Add your friends back into your life.
   
3. Give yourself something to look forward to. One of the things we all need in life is something to look forward to. Plan something in the future that excites you and your life will be more enjoyable.
   
4. Focus on making regular small improvements to your life. Another thing we all enjoy is the feeling of making progress in life. Whether it’s losing five pounds, learning a new scale on the piano, or adding another $100 to our bank account, we enjoy seeing improvement.
   
   • Pick a few things in your life and focus on making a little progress each week.
     

5. Let go of the past. Spending time and energy reliving negative experiences from the past only degrades your mood and your life. Let it go.
   
6. Keep a gratitude log. List the things that make you feel grateful. This is a great way to recognize the positive things that already exist in your life. Make a habit of writing down at least five things each day.
   
7. Keep your eyes open for opportunities. Opportunities to enhance your life are all around you. There are people to date, jobs that pay better and are more enjoyable, potential friends, activities you’ve never considered, educational opportunities, and many other opportunities right in front of you.
   
8. Take care of yourself. Get some sleep, hit the gym, eat better, and buy some new clothes. Be nicer to yourself and notice how much more you enjoy your life.
   
9. Participate in a hobby that you love. There’s more to life than work and maintaining your life. A hobby is a great way to explore your interests and have some fun.
   
10. Remove distractions. Distractions rob you of time and inhibit your progress. You can’t make your life completely free of distractions, but you can come close. You’ll be in a position to love your life more if you’re not distracted.

Your life is better than you think. You can also make your life significantly better with just a few small changes.

Happiness is a skill more than it is about having a particular set of circumstances. When you do the right things and have the right perspective, your life will be much more enjoyable to you. You can love the life you have without doing anything drastic or winning the lottery.