Self-improvement is one of the most important traits a person can possess. If you don’t have that urge then you will never be able to get far and progress in your life.
We are all human so therefore we are not perfect, but there is always room for improvement and we should always try to be the best version of ourselves.
Here are some top tips on entering the path of personal growth and self-development.
1. Know yourself
Who are you? Who do you aspire to be?
Always remember to be yourself, and to focus on yourself and what YOU want. In a world that expects us to conform and fit in it is sometimes hard to just be ourselves, but it is better to avoid conforming to other people’s standards, expectations and ideals because often they are not realistic and aspiring to these can make us miserable. It is better not to care what people think of us because we will be judged regardless, so remember, be the best version of yourself, not someone else’s copy.
Remember: “It is better to be hated for who you are than it is to be loved for something you are not.”
Embrace yourself!
2. Get out of your comfort zone
Resting on your laurels means that you will not grow. Get out of your comfort zone, put yourself out there, take risks and aim to do something different, such as learning a new skill or hobby.
3. Develop a thick skin
You cannot please all of the people all of the time and like I mentioned before, certain people will always find any excuse to put you down, belittle you and judge you.
Unfortunately, that’s life. The best thing to do is to develop a thick skin. Treat other people’s bitter and jealous comments as water off a duck’s back.
4. Learn to assert yourself
In life we often go through tough situations. One of the most important skills you will ever need to learn is how to assert yourself. That means standing up for yourself, making your feelings known instead of bottling them up and putting your needs as first priority as well as other people’s.
5. Adopt good habits
Struggling with time keeping? Learn to complete tasks earlier. Having a hard time staying organised? Get a diary and write down to-do lists and deadlines. Unable to keep yourself motivated? Remember to focus on your goals and remember why you started. Adopting good habits means that you will not fall behind and you will go even further.
6. Create a plan and a list of goals
Where do you see yourself in 1/2/3/5/8/10 years’ time? If you know your ambitions, write them down so that you have a clear view of the goals you would like to achieve.
7. Be kind and generous
Always be kind and generous, for everyone is fighting a battle and the world operates better on kindness and generosity. Set out to help others but if you can’t help them then at least don’t hurt them. There is nothing to be gained from being bitter, nasty, horrible and spiteful to others. If you feel the need to be vicious towards others then that says a lot more about you that it does about others. Genuine acts of kindness will get you far.
8. Remember the simple and the most important things in life
It’s so easy to get caught up in the daily grind of life, but it’s imperative to remember the important aspects of life. It’s all about the little things, like going out on a walk in the park for fresh air, spending time with a best friend, picking up the phone to call a sibling, smelling the blossoming flowers or smiling and saying high to a neighbour when you walk past them in the street.
9. Learn new skills
Learning doesn’t end when you finish school. Learning is a lifelong journey. Take up a new hobby, whether it’s crafting, designing, coding, painting, learning to play a musical instrument or taking up a new sport. Adding more strings to your bow is quite impressive and it shows that you are a well-rounded person.
10. Be happy!
It sounds like the simplest advice one could ever give, but it’s so true. Be happy! Life is far too short to live in misery. See the positives and don’t dwell on the negatives.
