For some people, New Year is just another day on the calendar. But the idea of viewing this day as the first page of a blank notebook where you can write your new story is quite sensible. If you need that starting point, here it is. At the same time, you can start your path to self-improvement anytime. You just need enough motivation.
There is a good adage: to become worse than you are, you don’t have to do anything; to keep your level, you have to work hard; to become a better person, you have to work even harder. Self-improvement is the direct way to a happier and more successful life. If a person stays on the same psychological and spiritual level, they notice how it negatively influences different spheres of their life. That’s is why self-growth is so important these days. Constantly learning something new, you develop personally. This helps you understand the sense of life and start getting the best out of it.
The process of improving yourself is unceasing. Person’s potential is limitless and so is the flow of knowledge. You achieve a good result, and a better one is ahead. It’s quite easy to get addicted to self-perfection, as you always feel you can become even better.
Usually, people feel the inner urge to self-improvement. They believe if they change something about themselves, their environment will change. This is the right approach. When you’re in a constant state of self-perfection, you look for ways to enrich your knowledge and skills. It’s never for nothing. You become an interesting personality, you meet new people, you open new opportunities for yourself, including career ones. There can be different aspects of your life you’d like to improve: your character, what and how much you read, time management, your relations with people, your health, your career, etc.
Primedating.com gathered different expert tips from multiple sources to help you perfect yourself doing simple things, and here is a list.
Be more selective when it comes to what you eat. Seriously, begin with changing your eating habits. Healthy food is a good for you. Tyr to cut down on coffee and drink water instead. Find healthy substitutes for sweets and fast food.
Find your passion. If you got stuck in a routine, find the way out by starting a hobby that will distract you and let you do what you’re really passionate about. Perhaps, it will be something totally new, not connected with your current job, that will get you out of your comfort zone.
Make new friends. New acquaintances mean new emotions, knowledge and interests.
Read books. Develop a habit of reading on a daily basis. TV and magazines will never compete with books. You are what you read, so choose your information sources wisely.
Learn foreign languages. Challenge yourself by learning a foreign language. You’ll get not only new knowledge but learn a new culture and get an extra skill that may come in handy when traveling or searching for a new job.
Keep track of your budget. An interesting observation: the more people earn the more they spend. Learn to plan your budget. This way you can accumulate a good sum for your next holiday.
Update your resume. Even if you’re not planning to find a new job, do it. First of all, you’ll be able to assess your progress in the professional field. Secondly, it may inspire you to finally find a dream job.
Throw away all unnecessary things. When you clutter your house with old stuff, you not only “steal” extra space but also pile up a negative energy of the past. So, get rid of the thing you keep “just in case”.
Learn to deal with stress. Stressful situations are unavoidable, so the only way to be happy is to know how to deal with them. Some people resort to meditation, some do yoga, some do sports. You need to come up with your own way of overcoming negative experiences.
Travel. The world is full of beautiful places you must see with your own eyes. Instead of saving money for a new phone, put it aside for your amazing travel experience.
Take a rest from social media occasionally. Remember that social media can be harmful to your mental health. When you scroll through beautiful pictures, it’s easy to get the feel of how boring and senseless your life is. What you should keep in mind that Instagram pictures often have very little in common with reality. So, instead of checking your feed before you go to bed, read a book instead.
Create a favorable environment around you. Things around us can either inspire or depress us. So, wear clothes you like, declutter your house and create a cozy interior, keep your workplace in order or in the state of a creative mess, as you wish.
Find a rival or a model. Competition is the best spur for personal growth. When you have a competitor, you automatically get necessary motivation. It can be either a particular person or the old version of yourself. Having a model, an example to follow, is also good for you.
Use your day effectively. Time management is a very precious skill. Drawing schedules can be very helpful. To increase your performance, experts advice to wake up early. Also, it’s important to have certain aims at the beginning of a day – those will help you leave your bed in the morning.
Improve your appearance. Self-improvement can begin from improving your “exterior”. It’s a good start. If you wanted to change something about your appearance, then it’s time to. Getting a new hairstyle, losing some weight, having a better skin, a tattoo – do what you feel will boost your confidence.
Progress professionally. Developing in a professional sphere is one of the ways of self-improvement. It’s important not to lose ambitions, keep a quick mind, and show initiative. Standstills in the career can result in losing confidence and even depression.
Since your work is a big part of your life, it’s important to develop in this sphere. Here are a few tips on becoming a better professional.
Train self-discipline.
Your performance depends on your ability to be organized, not on your boss who acts like a slave driver. A good manager is the one who gives freedom to his employees. A good employee is the one who uses this freedom wisely doing the job well without external control. A good example of self-discipline in the workplace is checking email with a regular frequency not piling up emails and then sorting them in agony.
Enhance your interpersonal skills.
You shouldn’t forget that employers value not only your professional skills but also your ability to deal with people and be part of a team. This is what they call soft skills. You are in a working environment but you interact with people who are living beings with their own strengths and weaknesses, characters, reactions, etc. How to develop soft skills? First, become a good listener. Second, learn not to be afraid of opening up to your co-workers.
Develop in your niche.
Attend different lectures and seminars to keep up with the latest trends in your field. Some companies offer their employees development programs, but if yours is not among them, it shouldn’t stop you from perfecting your professional skills. Gain new skills and show them off in the workplace.
Take on extra work.
Working overtime is not always good because there always should be time for rest. It’s okay to work some extra hours if the deadline is coming, but don’t undertake too many responsibilities that you have to work overtime. But if all work is done and your schedule is quite free, ask your boss for some additional task or offer your colleagues to help with theirs. The latter is even better, since you can also strengthen your interpersonal skills.
Learn to manage your workload.
If you’re overloaded with tasks, learn to say no to your boss explaining that you need to maintain a good work-life balance. If you’re a manager, you can delegate some of your tasks to your employers thus showing your ability to trust your colleagues. You can also ask for help. Don’t be afraid of it. If you have good relations with your co-workers and you often offer them your help, it will be natural to ask for a favor.
Welcome feedback.
Sometimes it may seem to you that your performance is quite satisfying, but the opinion from outside can have an eye-opening effect. Ask your boss to have regular feedback sessions (once a month, for example) to ask them about your performance and what you can do to perform even better.
Set goals and be proactive.
If you want to become a better employer, you should set ambitious goals. The ones whose achievement will challenge you making you leave your comfort zone. This is a direct way to improving yourself. Discuss your goals with your manager and team. This will motivate you and provide some support.
Hope these tips will help you become a better version of yourself and succeed in all spheres of your life.
Aleksander Pichkur, writer