Seize the moment is a mantra that many people live by. It’s an inspiring phrase for those who want to feel in control of their lives and take charge when it comes to seizing opportunities as they arise and happen.
But how do you seize the moment?
Let this article be your guide! We’ll explore practical ways to seize the moment and take more control of your life, both now and in the future.
What Does Carpe Diem And Seize The Moment Mean?
The term carpe diem refers to urging a person to make the most of their present situation, while not stressing about the future.
Seizing the moment means doing the things that you want to do when the opportunity arises rather than waiting for a later time.
Seize the moment and carpe diem both focus on making the most of where you are at rather than putting it off for the future.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that you become reckless with life. Rather, it simply means taking steps to live in the moment. The truth is that happiness can often be found when you seize the moment.
A joy filled life is something that we all want. You would be amazed at how the little things in life ultimately make a large difference when it comes to your happiness.
The tips we provide below will improve your mood levels and are easy to apply within your own life, so that life and each day is more enjoyable.
Tips To Seize The Moment And Take Control Of Your Day
1. Seize The Moment By Saying ‘No’ To The Things Holding You Back
When we say ‘no’ to the things that are holding us back, it allows us to say ‘yes’ to the things that are important to us.
Every day you have a choice to seize the moment and say no, or keep letting life pass by. Ultimately, it is up to you and what type of life you want for yourself.
When we make decisions to say ‘no’ we essentially make room in our life to say ‘yes’ to those opportunities we may not have pursued before.
Related: Why Is It So Hard To Say No? How To Say No In The Best Way Possible
2. Seize The Moment By Doing The Things That Make You Happy
When we think about seizing the moment in life, often times people will do what they think will make other people happy.
Have you ever been in a situation where you did something because you assumed it was what your family or friend wanted and when they found out about it, they weren’t phased either way? Which meant that you could have done what you wanted to do anyway.
So often we do things to make other people happy and as a result we tend to overextend ourselves, which in turn can make us miserable.
Doing the things that make us happy is an important part of living a more fulfilling life.
Related: How To Succeed At Life: 10 Ways To Achieve Everything You Want In Life
3. Seize The Moment By Going For A Walk, Instead Of Watching TV
When we are feeling down or restless, instead of watching tv, go for a walk outside. You would be amazed at how much moving your body and exercising can do for you.
We all know that working out has numerous health benefits. However, a lot of people don’t realize it helps with uplifting our mood as well.
When you go for walks outside we recommend making sure that they are at least 30 minutes long. This will give your body the time necessary to release those feel good chemicals from your brain called endorphins.
Related: Bored With Life? Here Are 15 Things You Can Do To Make Life Exciting
4. Seize The Moment By Not Planning Every Minute Of Your Life Out
When we plan every single minute of our lives out, we may feel productive but often times can simply get burnt out. If you over plan, it can take away your creativity, spontaneity and relaxation time.
So instead of having every minute planned out on your calendar make sure to put in some unscheduled time where you are spontaneous with what you want to do next.
This will give you more energy and will also allow you to enjoy the journey of life more because it is exciting not constantly knowing what’s coming up next!
5. Seize The Moment By Learning Something New
When we focus on regularly learning something new, we open our world up to new opportunities and a greater sense of accomplishment.
We should take time to learn something new every day because this teaches our brain that there is always more we can do to learn and grow.
It also provides us with a sense of accomplishment because after learning something new, we have taken the time to do one thing for ourselves that day.
When you’re feeling stuck or depressed about not being able to change your current life situation, try changing what you are doing throughout your day instead by pursuing some kind of knowledge in order to feel fulfilled.
When we seize the moments on days where all seems lost, make sure that you don’t forget that there are other, beautiful moments waiting for you just around the corner.
Related: How To Succeed At Life: 10 Ways To Achieve Everything You Want In Life
6. Seize The Moment By Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to seize the moment and increase your level of happiness as well as, your sense of purpose. It’s also a great way to meet new people or re-connect with old friends and family members.
Volunteering your time helps you get back in touch with what makes us human, which is the ability to give selflessly without expecting anything in return.
7. Seize The Moment By Taking Risks
Another way to seize the moment is through taking risks. When we take risks, we can feel more alive and excited for the future. We must take risks to grow in life, while also pushing our boundaries to understand what we are capable of achieving.
Remember that failure is simply part of life, so take it as an opportunity to learn more about what doesn’t work for you. You can then move forward and make changes that will ensure you succeed.
Failure is never the end of the road, it simply means you need to try a different approach. So, don’t allow yourself to be discouraged by it.
8. Seize The Moment By Rewarding Yourself
If you have accomplished something that you have been working hard on, take a moment to remember all the effort you put into it.
Then reward yourself by doing something that will make your day even better. This can be anything from taking time for self care or giving yourself an allowance of some sort like having an ice cream.
The important thing is to do something that makes you feel good about what you’ve accomplished and reminds you how far we come when we seize every opportunity in life.
Related: Self Care Sunday: 28 Tips For Focusing On Yourself
9. Seize The Moment By Pursuing Your Dreams And Goals
Choosing to seize the moment when it comes to chasing our dreams or fulfilling goals is the perfect way to ensure that we are living the life we want.
If you have a dream or goal that is important to you, then do not let anything get in your way of following it and achieving all that you can. Sometimes this means having the courage to pursue something even if it seems like no one believes that we will be able to succeed.
Related: 9 Reasons To Never Give Up On Your Dreams And Achieve Your Goals
10. Seize The Moment By Taking Care Of Yourself
Pursuing our goals should never come at the cost of neglecting ourselves mentally, emotionally and physically. We need to be able to take care of ourselves, so that we’re able to take on challenges when they arise.
Although it may be difficult to prioritize yourself if there is a lot going on, with practice we can find ways that work best for us, such as setting up an alarm or reminder each day to take a break, so that they become part of our daily routine.
For example, many people like to do their meditation or prayer first thing in the morning before heading out. This is because prayer and meditation provide peace and focus, which helps them take on their day.
Related: 114 Self Care Quotes To Change Your Mindset And Take Care Of Yourself
11. Seize The Moment By Fueling Your Body With The Right Food
It is also important that we take the time to care for our physical body and fuel it well. If you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, make sure you eat a balanced and healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner each day with plenty of water in between.
When we are physically healthy, we are readily available to seize the moment and enjoy each day to the full. This is because, we have the energy needed to complete the tasks at hand.
Related: Self–Care Sunday: 28 Best Tips For Focusing On Yourself
12. Seize The Moment By Getting Enough Sleep
Another important aspect to understanding how to seize the moment, is getting enough sleep. When we are well rested, it’s easier for us to be more creative and productive throughout the day.
A minimum of seven hours is recommended each night for adults aged 18-60 years old. If you are someone that enjoys taking naps just make sure that they aren’t too long or too frequent, because this can interfere and negatively impact a peaceful night’s sleep.
Related: Reasons You Are Waking Up Tired After 8 Hours Of Sleep And Solutions
13. Seize The Moment By Understanding That You Are In Control
Often when it comes to life, it can be easier to blame other people for what happens in our life. However, it is so important to understand that you are in control of your life.
It’s important to acknowledge what happens and has happened in your life, both the good and the bad. When we don’t do this, it makes it difficult for us to determine how we are coping with different situations in our lives and often times we can see ourselves as a victim.
It also becomes more challenging for people close to us who care about us because they usually want to help but may not know where or how to begin. Acknowledge what has gone on, whether it was your fault or not and make a decision to not let it define you. Take control of your life and move forward because if you don’t, it will just hold you back.
Remember that you are in control of your actions and reactions. You have the ability to ensure that your life is moving forward and in a positive direction.
14. Seize The Moment By Recognizing Opportunities
Another way to seize the moment is by being mindful throughout each day and by recognizing opportunities, as they arise rather than waiting until later on to take advantage of them. This can sometimes be a difficult thing to do, as it requires you always be on the lookout for something new and different that has come into your life.
However, when we are able to recognize opportunity when it arises, we have a greater chance of taking control and pursuing it.
Related: Getting Yourself Together: Practical Tips To Help Get Your Life Sorted
15. Seize The Moment By Through Constant Reminders
One way to take full advantage of seizing the moment is by having a constant reminder with you. Some sort of physical object that you carry on your person and keep in sight at all times.
It could be a photo of a loved one in your wallet or you could use a token and leave it in your pocket as a reminder everyday that it is important to live in the present.
16. Seize The Moment By Focusing On The Present
Our brains are wired to look towards the future or dwell upon what happened in the past. However, if we want to seize the moment, our focus needs to be on the present.
This isn’t always easy because it can often feel like nothing good comes from just focusing on one moment at time. However, this mindset will help you become more aware of how rewarding seizing opportunities can be when they arise in front of us.
One way to stay mindful throughout each day is by taking five minutes and writing down positive things that have occurred and what you are grateful for. This will help you focus on the present and also allow you to feel grateful for what you have and where you are going.
Related: How To Get Out Of Your Head, Live In The Moment & Conquer Overthinking
Seize The Moment Quotes
Now that you understand how to seize the moment each day. Below are some quotes that will inspire you to not only seize the moment each day but also and enjoy those special moments in life.
“You’re either remarkable or invisible. Make a choice.” – Seth Godin
“Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.” – Wayne Dyer
“Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.” – Art Buchwald
“But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? – – Carpe – – hear it? – – Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.” – Dead Poet’s Society
“I’d rather have a life of ‘oh-wells’, than a life of ‘what-ifs’”. – Anonymous
“Be willing to go all out, in pursuit of your dream. Ultimately it will pay off. You are more powerful than you think you are. Go for it” – Les Brown
“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you really have.” – Eckhart Tolle
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Brene Brown
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
“How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?” – Seth Godin
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
The Bottom line
After reading this article, it will now be clear to you why it is important for you to seize the moment. It will allow you to live a life that involves chasing your dreams and finding happiness in the process. You may not know what exactly your dreams are yet or how to get started on them but there’s no better time than now to start figuring those things out and chasing them down.
The process of improving our lives can feel overwhelming at times, which leads many people to just put off their plans for something that “will happen someday”. The sad truth for many people is that “someday” never ends up coming. Make a decision not to let that be your story. Take the time to apply these strategies and seize the moment because life is too short not to enjoy every moment of it!
