Today you’re going to learn how to improve yourself everyday.
So many people always say they want to improve their live, make it better, become more confident or just reach that one goal. But more often than not they fail. The reason for this?
They receive the wrong advice and think they need to change everything at once and try to do the impossible.
So many websites and books tell us to just wake up one day and do everything differently and we just obey. Within two days we become upset and stressed and then fall back in our safe old habits feeling utterly disappointed in ourselves.
I am not telling you to do a one day overhaul. In fact in this article I am forbidding you to do too much at once. A new an better life is not something you achieve in one day. It takes soft, slow nudges – not brutal force. It should be blissful not stressful.
There are 25 easy steps and I am not telling you to take all of them, not even ten of them. Read this article about improving yourself everyday and take away what you need. Doing even one of these items will leave you feeling better and happier.
Just try it, see what sticks and have fun – that’s the most important rule!
How To Improve Yourself Everyday:
1. What is it that you want?
We might think that we know what we want in life, but more often than not we focus on a vague concept, instead of the bigger picture. To really better yourself you have to find a concrete goal to focus on.
Here is how we focus: turn of your mobile and find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed.
Sit down and focus on what it is you want and make it something appealing. Don’t say “I’ll never eat fast food or cake again”, you won’t keep that up. Think: “I’ll become fit and healthy”, that way you won’t regret the occasional slip up as much.
2. What Is It That Blocks You?
What is it that always stops you from making the changes that you want to make? Or what makes you start and then give up. Is the problem inside you? Is the problem the environment you are in?
If you can’t find the problem when you think about it, just do a dummy run: Start a new pattern you want in your life and write down everything that happens.
If you’re lucky, this might be the one that sticks. If you fail find the algorithm in your notes that sets you up to fail. Once you find that, find the way to eliminate it from your life or mindset.
3. The Right Plan
Once you find your blockage, you need to focus on unblocking yourself. You will need to use the latest hack from modern motivation psychology: the implementation intentions. Known as the key goal to success, this “what if” avoiding mindset changer can set you up to reach your goals.
It will change “what if” to “if-then”. For example: “If I get distracted from my studies because I keep checking my mobile then I’ll put it in another room.” Or: “If exercise gets sidetracked during the day then I’ll get up early and do it in the morning.”
4. Keep it small
A person that tries taking on too much at one time becomes overwhelmed. Your goals are supposed to make you feel good, not stressed.
If you plan to both exercise and sleep more make sure the two don’t overlap: how about going to bed early so you can wake up fresh for a morning session?
Make sure that your goal fits your life as it is. Completely turning your life around in day isn’t realistic: it takes at-least 66 days to build a new habit into your life.
5. If you want to go big, you still have to keep it small
This is something I can’t stress enough: big things happen in small doses. Don’t start out with a five mile jog if you haven’t exercised before – or if it’s been a while.
Start with a daily walk and gradually build up to jogging over time. If you keep up a daily walk for at least a month you can congratulate yourself with an amazing achievement.
6. Chart your progress
The more you remind yourself on what you’ve already achieved, the more you feel you’re achieving your goal. Create a personal diary (either on paper or on your computer) where you monitor your advancement on the things you want to change in your life.
Don’t make it a diary about your day to day life, though, this is just to focus on your goals.
7. It has to matter to you!
The reverse of the partner method is doing something to impress someone or because a person forced you into it. This is a no no. Never set yourself goals to please others, no matter how good they might sound.
Your life is yours and yours alone and no-one should force you to do anything you feel unhappy about. You only achieve a better life if you do it for yourself.
SEE ALSO: How To Keep Positive Mindset And Gain Mental Energy: 17 Smart Ways
8. Allow moments and days to be aimless
Sometimes you need your mind to be blank so take time out from the endless ambush of news, screens and contacts to close your eyes and empty your mind.
Read an non-challenging book, watch a TV show that’s just “mindless fluff”. If you give your brain a few check out moments it will be stronger and ready when it counts.
Rest is essential for the brain because ever since the invention of TV and internet we take in more news and images a day than our ancestors did in a lifetime. Giving your brain a rest during the day is as essential as stretching your muscles after a fitness session.
9. Starting early
If you do something productive early in the day that rush of accomplishment will stay with you for the rest of the day. It will also leave you feeling calmer as “I’ve already done …” will make it easier for you to take a few breaks.
Reward yourself with a power nap, a walk or buying a nice book or magazine.
10. Make taking a break fun
Don’t use your break moments to do left over charges. Do something that relaxes the brain. The best way is to do whatever you do away from the computer.
But even if you have to stay at your desk do something fun: watch a few you tube sketches, have a silly chat, read a book. Doing something enjoyable always helps the brain no matter what it is. You can even do some desk aerobics or desk yoga!!
11. Find a moment to be outside every day
Just ten to twenty minutes outside can amp up your productivity and de-stress you a lot; As long as you move when you’re out there. This can be anything from a stroll while talking or texting on your phone (if you really have to!) to a short jog.
12. Find your happy relax moment on the go
If you still think that you don’t have time for a break maybe you could try this one: Is there an activity that you do every day that you could turn into your “relax” moment?
A short meditation instead of a panicked “what do I have to do” when you wake up for example. Maybe you could use walking the dog as your mindful walk.
Meditate on the bus, do your breathing exercises on the bike, Listen to brain meditations and binaural beats as you write on your computer (use a headphone in the office!)
Don’t do meditations or mindfulness in the car, though, that’s dangerous – listening to motivational songs and affirmations is okay. As said before: you can even do a brief power meditation as you start up your computer/laptop/tablet. You are never to busy to try and relax.
13. Get things ready before going to bed
Rushed mornings are awful especially if you find yourself staring at your closet in dread, unsure what to pick with minutes on the clock. Choose what you’re going to wear the next day early the evening before.
After this think about what else you might need and put it out. Getting details in order the evening before saves you precious time and stress in the morning.
14. Wake up at-least half an hour before you have to
It’s a myth to think that it’s that extra half hour of sleep that would help you to wake up feeling refreshed. You’d be surprised to know that this is not the case. Did you know that taking a few minutes in the morning to get ready for the day will boost your energy levels?
Waking up a little earlier means you can start your day slowly and relaxed. That extra hour means you have some time for yourself to wake up. It’s a step up from jumping out of bed, rushing into the shower, wolfing down breakfast and dashing out.
15. Just press “send”
Do you feel yourself shriveling up when people you feel are “superior” to you have to judge your work? Usually this means you step away from a chance and just don’t let people see anything, right? Or you spent so long agonizing over a letter you miss the date. Don’t.
Write what you want to say, spellcheck it and just press “send”. This might seem difficult, but it is the only way to stop self doubt in it’s tracks.
16. To Don’t Instead of to Do
Surprisingly it has been found that a “To Do” list actually halts your productivity. Instead of a gentle reminder it has been found to be a source of pressure. A lot of people feel anxious when looking at their list halfway through the day and can only tick of one or two finished tasks.
The failure often either causes them to give up on the list all together or they try to get everything done quickly — neither of which brings you happiness.
This is because people make the wrong kind of list: if you write down everything you want to do in one go you’ll start feeling trapped. Instead, write down two things you really want to get done before going to bed and focus on those two only.
Don’t write down two massive projects, but one big goal and one small. If you do this every day you’ll find that within a month all your projects are running along smoothly.
17. Learning
Nothing will make you more positive about yourself than learning about something new. And now this is more easy than ever. There are dozens of free highly accredited classes online you could take on to learn your new skill.
SEE ALSO: How To Write a Thank You Note: 34 Best Tips For What To Say [And How]
18. Does it bring you joy?
Look at your life, the people, the things you collected and ask yourself: does it bring you joy? How do you feel after talking to a person? Energized? Good! Happy? Good! Drained? Wrong! Deflated? Wrong!
If you feel upset, exhausted or low after talking to someone, cut them from your life, no-one has the right to make you feel that way. The same for the items around you: do they remind you of good things?
If not, redecorate a bit or de-clutter. You could even restyle some items to save money. It’ll give you a positive rush.
19. Stop it
If your insecurities sneak up to you stop them in their tracks. Think or say “STOP IT!” loudly and try to refocus on something stupid. Train your brain into thinking up the lyrics of a weird childrens song when you start thinking badly about yourself or something you want to do and soon you’ll be distracted.
20. Appreciate Me-time and quality-time with others
These days we all rush through our days without seeing, feeling or even thinking. We stare at a computer at work and go home to stare at a different screen. We miss out on friends, family and even ourselves. This is a shame and a major source for depression.
We all should schedule some time in our days, at least three hours for family and ourselves. Time to talk, have fun and think. Time away from the screen is important as a lot of our lives might be online now, but those we are closest to are right next to us.
21. Get out there
If you feel unhappy in any place or situation or if you are unhappy with certain people in your life: leave or let them go. Holding on to anything or anybody despite it making you feel bad never did anyone any good.
You can waste years of your life trying to help someone, doing the right thing or fearing change or being alone. Don’t, in the end it just leaves you with nothing and you will have to start all over again.
Live life for you and try to be as happy as you can possible be, even if that means making changes.
22. Others vs. Me
Some people focus too much on others. They keep talking about what “they” have and what “they” did. Often, they feel jealous of other people’s achievements, but never dare to step up and take initiative themselves. They fear not being as “good” or “successful” as the other person.
This is a negative attitude.
Don’t think others find happiness and success because they are better than you, try to find out how they got there and let their stories inspire you instead of hold you back.
23. Everything Changes NOW!
We discussed this before, but I want to keep hammering on this one: never start all the important changes at once. Take everything one step at a time.
If people change their lives in one big go, they often expect the entire world to change along with it. When it doesn’t, there is disappointment and they fall back in their old (bad) habits.
Try to make a change every week or month. Begin with something you are certain to keep up and keep adding to your challenge until you are where you want to be.
24. Stop Waiting For “The” Moment
The perfect moment does not exist: we create it. There are no signs that tell us “now.” If we want to do something, or feel we can contribute something, we have to get it going ourselves.
Start it up, get people around you to help you along, and get it of the ground. If you don’t do it when the idea comes, either it will never happen or someone else does it and you lose out.
25. Forget About “Monday”
As I said: there is no perfect moment to start from. If you want changes, if you want a new life you’ll just have to start the moment you feel ready. A lot of people think: “Well, I failed to start my plan on Monday, I’ll just wait till next week.”
No. Monday is just “a day” a concept created to keep track of time. If you fail on Monday, make it Tuesday or Wednesday. Every day is the right day to start the journey towards the “the new and happy me.”
I want to thank you for taking the time to read my article about how to improve yourself everyday. I sincerely hope its contents have been a good help to you.
