One of the best ways to self improve is to accomplish your goals. This can
lead to pride, to 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 leads to negative
results. Negativity may be all around you- bitchy co-workers; unhappy
neighbours; 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, include 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 jealously 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 your self.
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 your self. 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 recognise your feats and be proud of what
you have doing, 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 matterthe
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 a 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
has to be plenty of bumps along the way. In fact, it is these bumps
that make the road worth travelling. 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.