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Introduction
No more excuses. After this, there will be no more excuses to not getting done the laundry, the dishes, your homework assignment, or anything related. Far too many people aren’t willing to go through the process of self-improvement to improve themselves not only physically, but also mentally and financially.
Here, I will provide you all the information you need to get started right away.
What is Self-Improvement?
As defined by the Wikipedia, self-improvement, (also known as “Personal Development”) consists of “activities that develop a person’s capabilities and potential, build human capital, facilitate employability, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations”.
In simpler words, self-improvement is the willingness of becoming a better, more capable, wealthier, high-quality, and ideal man or women. Instead of following the path that everyone else is taking these days, you can follow the self-improvement path and become a better person as time passes. Wouldn’t you like that? Wouldn’t everyone like that?
Why To Participate in Self-Improvement
It may be the present day. You think you’re good, fine, okay, and in no need of assistance. The main problem or two here is that you eat junk food, always come across regrets, have no money, and have never even gotten close to your true potential. And if you really are in that position you are, you probably go through each day knowing that you waste every second of your life, knowing that you have a true potential inside of you, that’s waiting to be awoken by your call. Here, we wake that up.
My Story
The lives of many people have changed as a result of hopping on self-improvement. Take me as an example. Just a little over a year ago, I used to be the same type of student like everyone else around me. I wasted time all the time, played video games 24/7, ate horribly, didn’t care about my health, very rarely cut my hair, and only dedicated his life to waking up and hopping on a video game that wasn’t even that good for several hours every day. Life was like that for a very long time. My mates and I all lived like that for a while, but since then, a lot has changed.
Now VS. Then
Ever since that sole moment, I’ve dedicated as much time as possible to learning new lifelong skills, increasing my value, fulfilling my purpose, and accomplishing what I’ve meant to accomplish for a long time now. With the power of self-improvement, I’ve changed things around drastically. And back then, I didn’t have anyone to depend on. It was the summer, my friends were still hopping on video games 24/7, and it was only me that I could depend on. Now, there’s a lot more people that you can watch to change your life. And if you’ve taken time to research this topic even a little bit, then you know exactly who I’m talking about.
Now, I’ve grown out of those habits and am know writing this blog along with a couple of other new mates that I’ve made along the way in the past year. And if I was able to make such a drastic change in the space of just a year, then so can you. In the next section of this article, you will undergo your first actionable step, which is where you can take the steps provided and start creating a positive impact on your life asap.
Actionable Step 1
I want you to research self-improvement for a few minutes. That’s all I’m asking for here. Don’t take any notes, just read. Get familiar with the information that you are reading, and view images, watch videos/lectures if you need to get it engraved into your head. If you care enough, it shouldn’t be very difficult.
The next thing I want you to do is take note of 1-3 goals (better if done on a physical journal) that you have wanted to accomplish in the past month, but haven’t been able to. Once that’s done, I want you to brainstorm how you can get that/those goal(s) done. Don’t use Artificial Intelligence, don’t phone a friend, and don’t use a family member for assistance. Just brainstorm. To make this easier, ensure that the environment that you’re currently in is quiet. There should be no noise, just you and your thoughts roaming around.
Listen to what your thoughts have to say, and note those down. Once you have the list completed, I want you to assign a due date. This due date must be a promise that you are willing to complete it, no matter what. You will not let another excuse get in your way and ruin this journey for you once again. Now that you have all those 3 things noted down, I want you to start taking action asap. Do not throw another excuse this time again by saying “tomorrow”. No, no, no. You start today, not tomorrow. If it wasn’t for the word “tomorrow”, you would’ve already been far ahead of this step.
Prerequisites to Self-Improvement
If you’re just getting started, there’s really nothing you need besides a journal, internet connection, and an electronic device. With those, you are all set.
But of course, there are a few more things. And no, you aren’t going to need to purchase anything. These next few things are:
- The Right Mindset
- Willingness to improve
- Determination
- Curiosity
- Ambition
- Willingness to never give up
- Patience
No matter what, you should be willing to push through the challenges that you will come across when learning self-improvement. Furthermore, if you really thought the journey was going to be light and easy, then you were hugely mistaken. But, why would that disturb you? Don’t you have the rock-hard mindset?
Having the right qualities is what’ll make you ready. Although you technically need nothing to get started, you must have patience, dedication, the right, and willingness to improve. Continuing without any of those will make it hard to continue and not give up. If you care enough about your personal growth, your development stage, your success, and your value, then you must be willing to push through even the worst of the worst. That’s the real stuff that sets you apart.
Actionable Step 2
I want you to sit down in silence yet again. This time, I want you to brainstorm life-goals that you have in 1 decade. These should be very major goals, not some minor goal that can be accomplished in a month. Is your goal to find a loving spouse, is to create a 6-figure business, or maybe it’s purchasing a dream home of yours? Here, nobody else can tell you this. It’s just you. No one else is here or will be here to answer these questions for you. Sit calmly and think. What are those goals that you want to accomplish in 10 years?
Once you have those down, I want you to note down what you do every single day. What do you do on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, etc. Think deeply here. You know exactly what you do on these days. Maybe you go out to eat ice cream with friends for an hour on Thursday, and study for 30 minutes on Monday. Be very specific here. Once you have that noted down, I want you to ask yourself this question: “could you accomplish this goal in 1 decade if you continue doing this?”.
If you said yes, then you are on the right track in life. If you said no, then that’s a sign that you need to change something. There’s something very wrong in what you’re doing, and you need to stop it asap.
“Stopping” whatever it is that is ruining your chances of accomplishing that goal of yours might take a while. But, whatever you do, do not give up.
How to get started in Self-Improvement
We already discussed what you need to get started with self-improvement. Here, the answer is actually a bit more straightforward. To really get started, here’s what you need to do:
- Get rid of old habits that are creating tension or causing damage towards your life
- Start gaining new habits that are beneficial in some shape, way or form
- Commence reading books on growth
- Begin setting goals and accomplish them as you go about life
- Journal every day about something (e.g. gratitude is a highly popular topic to journal about)
- Understand what your purpose is in life and how to fulfill that
Be willing to grow, adapt, and learn. Self-improvement is a wild journey, and you need to be willing enough to start adapting to new habits and dedicating yourself to them everyday. The suggestions above are some things that I too have done since my starting of self-improvement, and they are also things that you will potentially find that many other growth-related creators pursue.
Actionable Step 3
I have waited until the end for this actionable step and that’s journaling. This it the short 5, 10, or even 15 (at most) minute activity that many self-improvement creators suggest. But why?
The answer is that journaling gives you a perspective on life, and it also gives you something to look back on. Although you may not realize it now, in a few years, you likely would have wished that you’d be dedicated enough to taking notes on your daily life.
So, here’s the actionable step. I want you to sit in silence again, or play some very faint music that doesn’t disturb your thought process. From here, grab a journal or write inside an online document and just write what you’ve done today, what is on your mind, what you are grateful for, and anything else that your older self would have wished that you noted down. If you looked in a mirror, and saw your younger-self, what are some things that you would ask yourself? Once you have the answer to that question, note those down too.
With that done, your journaling is finished for the day. How did it feel? Was it good? I’m hoping it was, because over the course of the next few years, and if not, decades, I want you to take notes on life and your current environment. What do you find important? Note that down as well.
The Best Books on Self-Improvement
The following suggestions are based on personal and public opinion.
- Can’t Hurt Me – David Goggins
- Never Finished – David Goggins
- Atomic Habits – James Clear
- Awaken the Giant Within – Tony Robbins
- Do Hard Things – Steve Magness
- The Way of the Superior Man – David Deida
- No Excuses! – Brian Tracy
- Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
- The Big Leap – Gay Hendricks
Endnotes
Hopefully by now, you know excuses are no longer tolerated here. If you have a goal that you want to accomplish, even if it seems difficult, just do it. You are going to be in the same position that you are in right now if you don’t do anything. But if you take the hard decision, you’ll be a in a better position knowing that you were willing to do it. In other words, you avoid regret by enduring discipline. That’s the path that’ll make you unstoppable.
