16 Easy Ways to Get Started With Self Improvement
Are you interested in continuing to grow? Do you want to learn more about self-improvement? In the past I would seek things outside of myself for happiness. I’d go out to eat or buy more clothes I didn’t need. It wasn’t until I started working on the inside that I discovered I was much happier. (Not to mention saving money on needless things!) Personal development is a journey that you can start as soon as today! The work is truly never done and here are 16 easy ways you can get started with self improvement.
Read Every Day
In order to get started with self improvement, you need to be open to learning. Some of my favorite books that got me started in my personal development journey were The Universe Has Your Back, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, and The Five Second Rule. Books are amazing because they can transport you inside the minds of people who are currently doing what you wish to be doing! I’m a huge proponent of getting around the people doing what you want to be doing. If you feel a bit isolated, reading books is one of the best things you can do!
Plan Your Days
You will never find the time, which is why you must make the time.Have you ever driven somewhere that you’ve never been before without first planning how you’ll get there? No, of course not! Be just as conscious of the journey that is your life. Planning your days is like a daily roadmap of what you want to get done and when you’ll get it done. In my free productivity training, I go over how to plan your calendar and set yourself up for successful weeks! Pro tip: Make sure you are checking your calendar often throughout the day. Going back to the driving metaphor, think of how often you need to check your GPS throughout your journey!
Have a Morning Routine
In that same vein, take special care with planning your mornings. I truly believe that how you start your mornings will set the tone for your entire day.I credit my ability to be productive and still feel like I have time for other things due to my morning routine.
Be a Watcher of Your Thoughts
We have roughly 60,000 thoughts a day. How often are you watching those thoughts? Your thoughts control your feelings, your feelings cause your actions, and your actions create your results. When you try to make changes in your life without understanding your thoughts behind them it’s much more challenging.
Listen to a Motivational Podcast
Having a go-to motivational podcast will jumpstart your self improvement journey. I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks when I’m driving(not on a super long drive!), and even while doing daily chores.
Schedule Free time
I can feel the resistance from all you free-spirits out there. I get it, it sounds a bit too structured but hear me out. When you schedule free time in conjunction with everything you need to get done, it means everything is as good as done. Following through with commitments to yourself including free time is so important for your self-care and mental health. A bonus benefit is to get rid of the guilt that usually comes from doing nothing. If you’re someone who always feels like they need to be doing something, you know what I mean!
Stretch Beyond Your Comfort zone
In order to grow and improve, you must get out of your comfort zone. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll feel with being uncomfortable. In fact, you’ll start recognizing it as a sign of growth and it might even help push you! Think of it like exercise. You must push yourself and get past the sore stage to start building muscle.
Avoid Toxic Relationships
It’s no secret that who you spend the most time with will start to become a reflection of you. Jim Rohn famously said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Like attracts like. You can’t hang out with negative people and expect to become a positive person. Actively construct your environment and relationships and keep toxic relationships to a minimum.
Meditate
Meditation is a great tool to start becoming a watcher of your thoughts and bring more peace to your life. A regular meditation practice has been linked to lower levels of stress and an increase in focus.
Stop Caring What Others Think of You
Are you ready to feel liberated? Here is the biggest secret: stop caring what others think of you! Remember earlier when I said to become an observer of your thoughts? Notice how I didn’t mention anything about observing other people’s thoughts. This is because you can’t control what other people think about you! In times that you start to worry about what others are thinking, I want you to do 2 things. First, tell yourself you can’t control other people’s thoughts. Second, you need to decide whose opinion actually matters.
Get a Mentor or Coach
The fastest way to level up is to enlist the help of someone who can get you where you want to be. Coaching is a future-focused practice that can help you overcome obstacles and bring more clarity to your life.
Limit Screen Time
I’ll be the first to admit that I spend wayyy too much time with my face glued to a screen for non work-related things. There are so many more productive things to be doing with that time though. By limiting mindless screen time, you give yourself the time for more opportunities for personal development work.
Become Future Focused over Focusing on the Past
Have you ever thought about how much you think about the past? Reflecting and learning from the past is important but there’s no point in staying stuck there. Instead, bring your focus onto something you can change – the future. During thought observation mode realize how much you think about the past so you can shift it. Once you start focusing more on the future you can start creating your best life.
Find a Fulfilling Hobby
Hobbies, quite simply, keep us sane. A healthy hobby will give you drive, joy, and fulfillment. Have fun exploring your creative side and pick up a new hobby that lights you up.
Spend quality times with loved ones
Keep the connections with loved ones strong. Commit to dinner or a walk with no distractions like phones or tv. I love having day time random phone conversation from his office or to spend time while cooking and connect back with my husband.
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is so powerful because it really puts things into perspective.Feeling gratitude brings you back to the present and will make you a happier person overall. Allowing gratitude in when things are good and bad as well as feeling it ahead of time gives you back your power.
Get Started With Self Improvement
There are tons of easy ways you can get started with self-improvement! The key is to build up and start implementing more and more. You’ll notice with time that they start to complement each other! Congratulations on getting this far and starting the steps to committing to personal growth. Its a life-long journey that will not only impact your life but the lives of everyone around you.