One of the best ways to self-improve is to accomplish your goals.
This can lead to pride, self-respect, and to a better sense of responsibility.
1. Recognise your own path – when it comes to reaching your goals and improving your life, you need to be the leader. You are in control of what you want and your goals should come down to you and you alone. Just because your Dad wants you to be a lawyer and your Mom wants you to have 5 children does not mean this is what you have to do- it’s your life and thus, you are the boss.
2. Disassociate yourself from negativity – in the same way positive thoughts lead to positive results, negative thoughts lead to negative results. Negativity may be all around you- bitchy co-workers; unhappy neighbors; a depressing partner. Disassociate yourself from those types of people. You are in a happy, positive place- no negativity allowed.
3. Define your goals clearly – goals are what make life worth living. Think long and hard about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to get there. Make steps, including financial costs, and put in as much detail as possible- the more defined your goals are, the easier they will be to achieve (and the more rewarding when you get there).
4. Push jealousy aside – when you watch someone on a parallel path reaching their goals a lot sooner, it can be hard to sit back and be happy for them. But this is what you are going to have to do. Getting rid of this envy and resentment is a big hurdle in improving yourself. But, once you overcome these feelings, you are a lot closer to reaching a state of Zen-like success.
5. Use visual reminders as boosters – being able to clearly see your goal can help motivate you and keep you focused on your game plan. Many people will post a picture of their ‘dream body’ on the fridge when they are trying to lose weight. Others will use their ‘dream car’ as their computer screen saver at work when those tough days get them down. A visual reminder can boost your motivation and drive to succeed.
6. See yourself at the end – as mentioned above, visualization is vital to reach your goal and improve yourself. This is why it’s important to visualize yourself there. See yourself fitting into that size 10. Feel the breeze on your cheeks as you drive that sports car. Seeing is believing.
7. Use timelines – tracking your success can help you put your goal into perspective and see how far you’ve already come. It’s important for self-improvement that you recognize your feats and be proud of what you have done, or are planning to do.
8. Reward yourself on the way – be happy with your progress. Whether your goal will take you twenty days or twenty years doesn’t matter- the important thing is that you are doing it. You are getting there. To keep yourself motivated every step of the way, you need to reward yourself with small treats. Be proud of how far you have come and prepare for the journey ahead.
9. Look for role models – look to those who are on the same path as you for inspiration. Perhaps this is the CEO of the company; perhaps this is your father. Try to immerse yourself in their life and ask questions. Their positive energy may just rub off on you. And, if not, at least you are learning from the experts how to get where you want to go.
10. Make room for failure – it can’t be a smooth road all the time- there have to be plenty of bumps along the way. In fact, it is these bumps that make the road worth traveling. Failure is a big part of our lives and we need to learn to live, love, and laugh at failure rather than give in to it. Henry Ford once said that every failed attempt is just another opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Failure is experience and experience is power.