I often have personal goals that go unfulfilled for years before I find the time to pursue them. It’s not that I couldn’t fit them in, it’s just that they continually take a back-seat to watching a movie or hanging with friends. I mean, who really wants to spend hundreds more hours in front of a computer learning the latest in PHP coding (yes, that’s on my list), anyway??
In trying to figure out how to motivate myself to fit it all in — and still have time leftover for relaxing — I came up with a list that could be helpful for my fellow Urbanette’s. If you’ve made a personal vow to get your bum off that chair and better yourself for the sake of yourself and society, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Make a commitment. Most people are afraid of commitment, but what’s a vow without one? Dedicating yourself to making a change is half the battle.
Cultivate new habits. Wake up ten minutes earlier, go eco-friendly when shopping, make a daily ‘Top 5’ to-do list, and take the stairs. Make sure this new set of habits includes the kind that are good for you. If you have trouble remembering them, set calendar reminders, put post-it notes around your apartment, make lists, or get people to remind you. Once you’ve made it through 21 days with your new routine, it will become a habit.
Get rid of the bad habits. Quit smoking, staying up late, biting your nails, procrastinating, making snide comments, and everything else that’s evil. I know it’s easier said than done, but you know yourself best, so you’ll know what will work. Not getting to bed on time is my personal worst bad habit. I always want to watch that ‘one more episode’ and I pay for it the next morning. If you’ve got the same issue, here are 10 hacks that have helped me get better sleep.
Exercise. Few things are better for your mood, sex drive, energy and brain than regular exercise. Figure out what you enjoy, whether it’s riding around on your bicycle, spin class, lifting weights, yoga or pilates, and do it for an hour three times per week. It’s an investment in your health and happiness.
Learn how to cook. If you already know how, then learn to do it well! Try cooking some of these delicious vegan recipes; they can inspire you and they’re healthy. You’ll eventually be known by your friends’ children as that awesome aunt who makes the most creative dishes. Then you can throw saucy dinners, lunches, and brunches at your place. You will soon discover the rewards of cooking. It’s a hobby, a way to stay healthy, something to show off at dinner parties, and a refuge when things get messy at work and at school.
Learn about health. If you’re on pharmaceuticals, do some research and find a way to get off them as soon as possible. Pick up some books about herbal medicine, essential oils, and health. Learn how your body (and your microbiome) works so you can make it last longer.
Publish a blog or journal. If you’re not a good writer, keeping a journal will help you keep track of your progress and your cheat days. If you’re a good writer, and want to write but don’t want to dedicate the time to start your own blog, you can contribute articles to publications that accept guest posts, like Urbanette. I find that blogs open to the public receive loads of positive feedback and encouragement. If you do decide to start a personal blog or vlog, don’t mind the haters. Just carry on.
Once you’ve made it through 21 days with your new routine, it will become a habit.
These suggestions form the foundation you’ll need to keep yourself focused. Here’s another list of things you can try to improve your marketability:
Read. If textbooks, newspapers and journals bore you to sleep, explore the alternatives. News blogs, op-eds, and social media offer interesting ways to keep yourself informed of what’s currently happening. It also gives you tidbits of information that you can use as conversation starters.
Study another language. Sure, you may know English and belong to the biggest country that speaks it, but how do you think you’ll communicate with locals when you’re on a trip abroad? Try learning Spanish or French. Learning a new language teaches you perseverance. It also sharpens your memory, especially when it comes to vocabulary and syntax. Perhaps most importantly, it teaches you to think critically about what you say before you say it.
When I started spending a lot of my time in France and Switzerland, I found that I could get along with minimal French, but learning the local language has become a priority of mine, as I want to communicate with locals on a deeper level. I’ve been using apps and free online courses to help me learn.
Learning a new language teaches you perseverance and helps sharpen your memory.
Develop an attitude. A good one, that is. Try being nice to everyone – and by everyone, I mean all other people outside your work zone and circle of loved ones. Always carry a smile on your face and be courteous to others, especially towards the elderly. Nobody likes being treated badly. Mind your manners and speak with respect, because even bitches hate bitches.
You are already a masterpiece to begin with. You’ve made it this far in your career and relationships, but there’s always room for more, don’t you think?
What are some ways you’d like to improve yourself, and how do you plan to go about doing it?
Self-development should really be seen as a life-long process. We should always have new goals, things to look forward to, new experiences we want to have. All of these things make us a more rounded person and the more rounded we are, the more successful we will be.
Truly. Self improvement is at the core of success. It’s about learning to become the person who will succeed.
The first step towards change is deciding that you want to do it. Blogs, books and other resources about self-improvement can definitely help. However, to make personal growth more efficient and effective, it’s best to do it with the help of a personal development coach. That way, you know that there is someone who is carefully facilitating your journey towards growth and that you are doing it through effective methods.
Great article! I live and breathe self-development. Even started a Self Development Authors Classroom Club on Facebook. We can never get enough of growing.
Some really solid advice: I also believe that overcoming procrastination is the biggest hurdle to success. You can read all the self-improvement books in the world, but it’s all pointless if you don’t put that knowledge into action.
Whatever area of your life you’re working on, that’s part of growing as a person. You have to constantly look at what you can improve and have the awareness to know what needs to be done to do it.
Self-improvement over the years has become the main method for achieving my goals in life. I’m lucky that I was probably always that way inclined.
For me personally, self-improvement has taken on a central role. Part of the thought process of deciding how I want to live my life involves observing the habits and lifestyles of people who exhibit the kinds of values I want to achieve in my own life. No, that’s not envy. I simply see the values of other people that I may not have or have very little of.
If there’s one habit I’d advocate as being the most important for living a fulfilled life, it would be self-improvement. Self-improvement is so important that for most people I’d even say it was essential. As humans, developing new skills and growing as people is central to our vision of self-worth and sense of achievement, but I think it goes deeper than this.
By self-improvement, it can help you find your life’s purpose. Like if you feel trapped within a life that’s unfulfilling or everything feels out of sync.