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Dr. Eric Perry
130 Comments

How to Assess the Quality of Your Life

Written by Dr. Eric Perry
Image Credit: Pixabay

“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” ~Marcus Aurelius

I am at a place in my life where I am able to slow down and momentarily pause. Every now and then it is important to stop to appreciate and reflect on our life’s journey. We must make a conscious decision to be fully present when facing life-defining moments. Learn to be happy and content now. Don’t rush to set another future goal that will only reward you with future happiness. It is a cycle that is difficult to break, but we should try to live life in short spurts followed by reflective pauses instead of never-ending loops with no respite. By always looking ahead, we forget there is life to be lived right now. Pause for a moment in the present and savor what life has to offer. Like I always say, why stop and smell the roses when you can live in the rose patch.

As I ponder the life I am living, I reflect on whether I am truly living my life or am I rushing through it mindlessly jumping over rote hurdles. How do we measure whether we are truly living? Is it by the length of days or the quality of our lives?  Some days may be long, but feel stale and unrewarding. Other days will pass in a blur of activity and feel full of endless possibilities. It does not matter what stage we are in life. I prefer to use the quality of my life as the unit of measure to define my life. Whether we have more time behind us than ahead of us, we can take an accounting of our lives and determine the areas we can improve in order to enrich our existence.

Here are some ways to assess the quality of your life:

1. How many times a day do you express joy?
Strive for a day full of laughter and happiness. Imagine that we start our day with a large empty container. It is our duty to try and fill it each day with as many positive emotions as it can hold. Life is special and we should treat it as such. Rejoice at being alive and don’t take any day for granted.

2. Measure your physical health 
Physical health plays a big role in our mental health. Make sure you are living a healthy lifestyle by eating right, exercising when possible and sleeping regularly.

3. Emotional footprint
Upon your death how would you like to be remembered? How many people have you had a positive impact on? It is important that your interactions with others leave a positive emotional imprint on them. Imagine each interaction you have throughout the day as a chain of positivity. What you give out will have a ripple effect on those around you and the world. Don’t break the chain of positivity.

4. Measure your growth
Decide on a time frame and reflect on where you were a year ago. No two people are the same so the amount of growth will depend on the person. Instead of using others to compare against, use yourself as a benchmark. Don’t just measure material gains. Look at your personal and emotional growth. Are you happier now than you were a year ago?

5. Have you loved?
One of the most important ways to gauge the quality of your life is to ask yourself if you have you loved in your lifetime? It does not have to be romantic love. It can be the love of family, friends and even love of your pets. The important thing is that you have felt the bond of love.

The thoughts expressed in this blog post are my own and are not meant to create a professional relationship with the reader. This blog does not replace or substitute the help of a medical professional. Please note, I am unable to answer your specific questions as I am not fully aware of all of the circumstances.

Kindly,
Dr. Perry

Copy of Dr. Eric Perry

“I help ambitious and high achieving individuals manifest a life of success and fulfillment in order to achieve the life they truly desire.”

Dr. Eric Perry | drericperry.com

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130 responses to How to Assess the Quality of Your Life

  1. dengelmannauthor says:

    Reblogged this on A Well-Tuned Soul and commented:
    Another great post from MakeitUltra! Eric , this is a beautiful writing that empowers us all to make “conscious choices”. Gives us the opportunity for growth, especially when we chose incorrectly. I think that leads to transformation. We are each a “work in process”.

    Debbie

    Liked by 6 people

  5. Miriam says:

    Beautiful post Eric touching on what truly matters in life. “Living in the rose patch”, I really like that. Wonderful things to ponder here, thank you.

    Liked by 4 people

  10. C ing through loss says:

    Great writing and post. I would like to share this on my blog with your permission. Congratulations on your PhD. You have endured a long process that will be completed soon. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I believe this article will resonate with many.

    Liked by 4 people

  16. Covert Novelist says:

    Your pictures of Paris were to my way of thinking, delightful. You have inner peace, happiness and joy as are readily reflected in your face. Inner peace is rewarding and fulfilling as is joy. Thank you for sharing these thoughts as they are really empowering and help everyone keep on track with what is essential in life, particularly for those whose lives are undergoing transitions of some kind. Very delighted you have reached an important phase of life. You are right, rushing headlong from one situation to another without pause thought contemplation acceptance and joy would be a useless waste of living.

    Liked by 5 people

  17. debyblogs says:

    Great post, Eric. I’m going to start ticking off this list now. And congratulations on your Phd.

    Liked by 4 people

  18. Mrs. MD says:

    I don’t know how you do it, but every time I read a post from you it’s like you are speaking to me directly. You have a gift! Congrats on completing your dissertation!

    Liked by 6 people

    • MakeItUltra™ says:
      Author

      Thank you for such a great comment! I appreciate it!✨

      Like

  19. harotianessentials says:

    Thank you for this post. I find myself always worrying about the future. But now I realize I should enjoy the present alot more.

    Liked by 6 people

  23. winknbees says:

    Your words are well written. How does one live their own beautiful life? A constant question of mine. It saddens me to see so many around me who but for a choice are refusing to live.

    Liked by 5 people

  25. M.G. Daniel says:

    Congratulations on this milestone. And thanks for the great posts. Hope you will not stop looking forward to what and when the next one will be. 😊

    Liked by 5 people

  26. allysonapsey says:

    I love this post Eric! It speaks to my heart, and was the perfect morning read on a day with a lengthy to-do list. I especially appreciate the idea of thinking of each day as an empty jar to be filled with JOY!

    Liked by 6 people

  29. Nicolle says:

    Congrats on finishing your dissertation and soon to be officially a doctor! 🎊🎉🎈🎂🎊🎉🎈
    Great post as always, and I especially agree with the part about comparing against our past selves, not against other people. 😀

    Liked by 5 people

  30. lifewithotherthings says:

    Loved the post as in the mean time things are blurry but reading this opened my eyes to see what I have been through has made me the person who i am now totally different but stronger thanks and congratulations best of luck in listening to people complain about their life as I did 😊😊

    Liked by 5 people

  32. G.P Williamson says:

    It took me a long while to realise I was what I chose to see in myself. I wasn’t a victim unless I chose to be. I wasn’t ‘that kid in care’ unless I chose to be. Today I describe myself (when asked about the past) as a survivor of circumstance. However makeitultra’s post hit home because – he’s right, and the more we hear these things perhaps the more we’ll actually live by them and then the more we’ll believe them. One of my favourite quotes ‘If I believe I have the ability to achieve something. I gain that ability, even if I did not have that ability to begin with’ – Mahatma Gandhi.

    Liked by 6 people

  34. livyourlife says:

    I’m a first year masters student and I really want to go on a complete a PhD after, but I continued to think that I wouldn’t be able to grow and expand my blog like I imagined. Until I read this post I had not realized that you are a PhD candidate. It was really nice to read that because you’re proof that you can still do academics while having a successful blog. On top of learning this fact about you, I also truly related to the assessments of quality of life. Emotional footprint is something I continue to keep in mind as I write my posts and share posts with others. Overall, great post!

    Liked by 4 people

  37. Wind Kisses says:

    THIS!!!! You asked if we found this helpful or uplifting. So, yes, I reflect on my life journeys and am someone who can find joy in rescuing a bumblebee from my pool, or in the simplest of things. I agree, but my first reaction when I read this was a sense of calm. Your writing didn’t blast to your audience “do this”, instead it seems to nudge the reader into saying, yes… take a minute to ponder, reflect and” invite this” into your life. Hope this made sense. PS. Doctor Eric Perry sounds quite nice. Congratulations.

    Liked by 5 people

  38. Dimples-Dot-Com says:

    Calming, refreshing and thought provoking… I would describe the post in a lot more words but there wouldn’t be enough space to do so… Haha. To laugh, to love and to live in the now. That is by far the best, most amazing take away I have gotten yet. Good read. Thumbs up Dr. Perry.

    Liked by 4 people

  39. tigre23 says:

    Thanks for sharing this, it is something I practice more now since the passing of a dear Uncle. It’s sometimes sad that something tragic needs to happen to remind you that life is a gift!

    Liked by 4 people

  40. jupiterlady says:

    Congratulations on your long, hard journey in getting your PhD in Clinical Psychology! I am 30 credits from getting my Master’s and I can tell you, it’s a lot of work! Thank you for sharing your insights. I enjoy reading your blogs!

    Liked by 5 people

  42. Katie Victoria Hulland says:

    This is AMAZING! and so relevant to how I am currently thinking and feeling. Life has strange ways of things coming to you when you are ready for them, and reading this has clarified everything I have started to ponder. Thank you so much I look forward to reading your other posts 🙂

    Liked by 5 people

  47. alishaimrann says:

    Reblogged this on Alisha Imran and commented:
    Hey guys! Check out this amazing blog by Dr Perry, his thoughts are so inspirational and motivating! It’s relatable to every day life xx

    Liked by 3 people

  50. avid reader says:

    At times in life you are stuck in a rut and you don’t know which way to go. It is at these times that we need to slow down and pause. The maddening rush to succeed ultimately boils down to nothing when we look back at life.

    Thank you for yet another wonderful article that asks us to pause and unwind. Fabulous.

    Liked by 5 people

  52. charack says:

    Always appreciate your posts, such a wealth of positive insight and inspiration. Thank you, and good luck on attaining your future goals (while thoroughly enjoying TODAY, of course!). 😉

    Liked by 3 people

  56. awakeningwildflower says:

    Without the loss of my five children, I’m not sure if I ever would have found the joy in my life…I’m not sure if I was paying attention. After death, there’s a pause for those of us who are left behind. We have to make a choice: who do we want to be after going through trauma? The option to curl up into a ball and give up is always there, but so is the option to grow, to live, to love, to be the amazing creatures we are capable of being. The attainment of joy, true joy, is ours if we want it, and that joy is unlimited when we cultivate a feeling of true gratitude for every thing and every experience in our lives–good or bad. Love for ourselves equates into love for others, thereby leaving an “emotional footprint” on this world that must vibrate with positivity.

    Liked by 5 people

  62. skepticyoga says:

    I have never seen that first measure before. How many times a day do you express joy? I don’t know why I’ve never seen it. It seems such a simple question to ask yourself, but leads to profound results. Thank you for that!

    Liked by 3 people

  65. shoniessky says:

    wow.. you have many great accomplishments and I wish you the very best at all you do! I love reading your work. Extremely insightful and Intelligent. I look forward to more. I’m new here so I am just getting started and already I am Intrigued. First and foremost congrats on all you’ve done! We all have a gift and some of us never use it, It’s beautiful to witness the few that do.

    Liked by 4 people

  68. meximinnesotana says:

    Omg, awesome! Congratulations on completing the dissertation!! That is a major accomplishment. I love the work you do and the topics you cover. Just this morning I featured your blog in my Saturday Share (new weekly feature). Cheers & thanks for sharing so generously with your blog community!

    Liked by 2 people

  69. Queleaquelea says:

    Wow. This- “we should try to live life in short spurts followed by reflective pauses instead of never-ending loops with no respite.”-is powerful. This is exactly how anxiety feels. Never-ending loops with no respite. Something about your writing just makes things make sense. I appreciate how you write and wish you continued success.

    Liked by 2 people

  78. Laura says:

    I love the idea of refusing to break the chain of positivity! This is such a thought provoking article…Thank you for sharing it. It’s given me much to think about.

    Laura

    Liked by 3 people

  79. Bwalya B Sampa says:

    Nicely articulated. The quality of life speaks more volume than the number of years we have been in existence. If asked to choose between one year of a fulfilling life and ten of misery, I would surely take that one year and make the most of it to be remembered or admired. Life is all about love. Love for one self and love for others. Love makes us do our best and give our most. Without love, there is no life!

    Liked by 4 people

  82. livinginspiredby says:

    Great article! # 2 Physical Health is definitely the top thing in my life, I need to work on.

    Liked by 2 people

  86. Jayaare says:

    Thank you for the reminder, Dr. Perry! It’s so easy to forget how to live in the moment, that we even should. And how our thought patterns affect the Universe.

    Liked by 3 people

  87. Richa Singh says:

    Its a reminder to the existing generation, Dr. Perry. Everyone is lost in a day’s life unable to figure out what they are on to achieve or how it is impacting their lives.
    A reminder to pause and seek pleasure 🙂

    Liked by 4 people

  88. quetzacoralblogs542082854 says:

    Well written! We should always try to analyze the present point of our lives and acknowledge something great about it.

    Liked by 3 people

  89. venky says:

    wonderful 🙂 I really like this … “Learn to be happy and content now. Don’t rush to set another future goal that will only reward you with future happiness”.

    Liked by 3 people

  93. EVERGREENLINGS says:

    This is really beautiful and so insightful. I have been very into my personal growth since last month and one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is about living in the present which is somehow have the same idea with this blog. I’ve been also blogging about my personal experience and I’m happy to take some notes from your blog, Sir. Thank you for this!!

    Liked by 2 people

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