10 Tips on How to be a Better Version of Yourself
Take a pause and think about your life right now.
Imagine your life five years from now. Where would you live? What would be the state of your health and appearance? Who are the people with you? What kind of people can you see surrounding you? What would your relationships be? How much money would you have? Are you happy? Satisfied and fulfilled?
Are the images clear and on target on what your life would be?
It is said that we are a product of our thoughts. Based on our thoughts, we make our decisions. Our decisions today lead us toward our future.
Since our future depends on our thoughts, why not think (and FEEL) what is best. Why not create the best version of your life?
What would your life look like if you made the decision right now to improve every aspect of yourself every day from this point onwards?
What kind of impact would that commitment have on you as a person?
What does the best version of yourself mean?
There are three components of a man: body, soul, and spirit. For a great majority of us, we are equipped by God with the basic knowledge and wisdom not only to survive but to excel. It is right there inside us, waiting to be tapped.
It simply means “improve yourself”, “reinvent yourself”. My old, reliable friend Dictionary said to reinvent yourself is “to change the way that you behave or the things that you do so that people think of you as a different kind of person”; “to produce something new that is based on something that already exists”.
We’re all familiar with the term “reboot” for computers. When a computer program locks up or simply does not respond as it should, one solution is to reboot the computer. One common way is to press down on the Ctrl+Alt+Del keys simultaneously. Rebooting is a troubleshooting method to give your computer a fresh start.
At certain stages in our lives, we may be forced to seriously look into what is happening – maybe a divorce, a break-up, a financial failure, disasters, physical trauma, sickness, big-time loss, being fired. Even celebrations like our 40th birthday or the graduation of our youngest child may trigger us to think and take stock of our lives.
Sometimes, an area of your life is somewhat off track and makes you feel bogged down and cannot move forward.
Major life changes are heart-wrenching. But when you learn to focus on your goals, they can be catalysts to propel you toward a better you.
Where are you in your life right now? What’s stopping you at this moment?
Okay. Let’s get to work. Start setting yourself up for success. Start declaring war on yourself – war versus mediocrity, war versus hopelessness, war versus meaningless existence.
1. Know yourself and know your "why"
Self-awareness is the key to become confident. What makes you get in the morning every day?
Have an honest self-assessment of your strengths and gifts. Be aware of your weaknesses and limitations. Realize what you are capable of and the possibilities available for you. Discover your inner and hidden potentials.
2. Recognize that there is a need to change
Once you accept that there is a need for change, you have already made a giant step. If there are any fears, confront them head-on. Make peace with your past.
One brilliant suggestion is for you to write down your top fears. Look at them one by one. Are they real or just ghosts in your head?
No matter what your age is, it is never too late to start. We are blessed with a second chance called “today”. To reinvent yourself whether you are 40, 50, 60, or at any age, is the most valuable gift you can give yourself.
“You’re never too old to set another goal or dream a new dream.” ~C. S. Lewis
3. Set your goals
Have a goal strategy to achieve more. Set the timeline. Remember the old template for goal-setting: S-specific, M-measurable, A-attainable, R-realistic, and T-timebound.
Focus on the goals toward the version you want for yourself, not anybody else’s. As you work on your goals, stop criticizing others. Stop judging people. They have their own struggles to deal with anyways.
Bear in mind to include your other interests in your goals. Remember the mantra: everything in moderation.
Life is meant to be enjoyed – but with moderation. Moderation is about finding a balance between two extremes – deprivation and overindulging.
4. Stop the negative self-talk
Remember, it starts with what you think of yourself. Think, and speak about your success.
Stop criticizing yourself:
“I could never lose 20 pounds.”
“I’m so stupid, I could never do that job.”
“I’ll look stupid and weird if I try to wear some of those
clothes.”
It would be for your own good to identify and break negative patterns. Be conscious whenever you have them and be quick to choose to replace them. Do not stay at your pity party too long. Make a conscious effort to find things to like and love. Channel your efforts into something constructive. Find something to be grateful for.
It is but right to be conscious of what we feed our minds. My friend Maggie gave me a very valuable tip on avoiding negative self-talk. Whenever, you start to entertain self-doubt, or insecurity, snap yourself out of it. Learn to police your thoughts. Do this every day until it becomes automatic to you. Give yourself the gift of a daily reboot.
5. Make small steps toward the goal
Now that you have set your goals, break them up into actionable tasks. Commit with discipline. Push yourself to grow every single day.
Create a vision board to remind yourself of your goals as often as necessary.
Are you fat? Reduce eating sugar and exercise.
Smoke too much? Quit.
Bored with your job? Get a new career.
Friends dragging you down? Find new friends.
Nothing in your life will change in the next months unless you commit to discipline and follow through with action.
6. Read available resources and increase your value
No, you are NOT a commodity with equivalent monetary value. You are special. However, you may look at it in a similar way. To increase your value, think of yourself as a “Product”. Am I of value? Is my value improving?
Whether you are a career person, an entrepreneur, a mom, or a student, be better than you were yesterday. Be the best you can be in your chosen field.
I have been working in Finance for decades. It is challenging to set aside a portion of your time to improve your skills. But there is no excuse for this. You have to decide and invest in your future in order to further your career. My personal technique is to prepare my curriculum vitae every year whether or not I am looking for a new job. This technique makes me see if I have added something of value to my skills.
Nowadays, it is almost inexcusable not to find resources to gain knowledge and know-how on self-improvement. With the internet, information is available at your fingertips. There are self-improvement books, articles, blogs, videos, websites that are available for you. It only a little effort to find them.
7. Start writing your thoughts
I cannot stress enough the importance of writing your thoughts, or journaling.
Journaling –
· enables you to have a conversation with yourself
· can help you clear, calm, and organize your thoughts
· enables you to investigate your feelings
· enables you to release pent-up emotions and let go of negative thoughts
· enables you to take note of your goals and track your progress
Whether you write with your computer or write by hand, it can surely help you connect your thoughts and your feelings, thus enhancing self-awareness. Try it! You may lose a few minutes of your time but the benefit can last for years to come.
8. Accept help from other people
Receiving help can be one of the cornerstones of being human. Believe me, there are many good-hearted people ready to give you a helping hand in your journey towards self-improvement. Give others the opportunity to bless you and give you love.
Some people are not open to accepting help as they perceived it as a sign of weakness. Yes, you may allow yourself to be vulnerable. Yet, being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. Being vulnerable requires the strength of character.
We cannot grow alone. A fire will grow bigger and stronger when there is more than one firewood used. A fire will easily extinguish if only single firewood is contributing to its glow. Very soon you will have a dying ember.
9. Be Healthy
When you take care of your body, you will most likely improve in other areas of your life as well like relationships, mental health, even income. If you do not take care of your body, who will? Besides, it makes you feel happy.
Schedule a “me-time” regularly. Use the time for a pedicure, a massage, or go shopping. Are you eating healthy food? Are you doing enough to be healthy? Take care of the only body you have.
Some people feel guilty when taking a break for self-care. On the contrary, you cannot help others if you are unhealthy.
10. Pay it forward
Decide to be a blessing. Help generously. Make kindness a priority. Volunteer with a genuine spirit to share. Treat people like you want to be treated. I am sure you will experience joy in sharing with others.
Conclusion
In this journey called life, we may fail many times. Failure and frustrations are part of life. Change what you can; accept what you cannot. Most of the time, failure jolts us to get our act and life together to become a better version of ourselves.
If you feel that you’re stuck in a pattern, you’ve been following the wrong path for too long, or your life needs a jolt, you need to reboot. You can get started with the 10 reboot strategies explained above. Live your best life by rebooting any area of your life in which you need a fresh start.
Remember not to lose hope.
Are you ready for Version 2.0 of yourself? If Version 2.0 fails, there are countless versions available you can start with today.