Actionable Steps For Self-Improvement

Here are some actionable steps for self-improvement that you can start practisingt today. Start by acknowledging to yourself that you are fantastic just the way you are. Everything you’ve done and everything you are makes you you, which is a pretty awesome individual!

That said, we have to be honest with ourselves and say that there are things we’d like to see change. Maybe things like how you deal with challenges or what you do when confronted with a disrespectful colleague.

These little habits or tendencies may not only be frustrating, but they could also be standing in the way of you getting an awesome promotion. So, why let them?

Steps For Self-Improvement

Some aspects of ourselves we will be able to change and some aspects are basically fixed. So, we’re best served by focusing our efforts on the parts of us that we can change for the better.

Here are some steps for self-improvement that you can start implementing into your life starting now!

Get To Know Yourself

We take for granted that we know what we want. But unfortunately, no one teaches us how to determine our likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams. And it can take years for most of us to actually know who we are.

One of the most important steps of self-improvement is understanding yourself. So, get curious about what makes you who you are. Once you become familiar with all the layers, you can start making the changes you need to improve.

Look at yourself objectively and honestly and ask yourself these questions:

• What are my core values?
• What’s my biggest motivator?
• What do I enjoy doing?
• Who are my biggest supporters?
• What do I worry about?
• What don’t I enjoy?
• What are my strengths and weaknesses?

Stay Curious

Make a habit of learning something new each day for the rest of your life. Being exposed to new ways of thinking and doing has the power of changing the quality of your thoughts.

You get to see things from a different perspective, which gives you insight into new information. As a result, you can start changing how you live for the better.

Being curious doesn’t always have to be for the young and eager. You can do the same thing at any age to help you stay alert and active.

After all, if we’re not learning and growing, then we’re dying.

Here are some ideas to keep learning new things:

• Read one or two books each week.
• Take an online course.
• Sign up for a class at your local community center.
• Do something that scares you once a month.
• Try learning a new language. There are so many fun apps that can help you.

Practice Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness is the act of bringing attention to experience in each moment. It also involves an attitude of curiosity and acceptance (versus judgment) and seeing thoughts and emotions as transient states.

Like self-reflection, mindfulness can potentially make us more open to experiences and possibilities that can aid self-improvement over time.

Find Things To Be Thankful For

​Practicing gratitude or thankfulness is a great way to improve yourself. Gratitude is linked to greater well-being and higher-quality relationships. To get started with gratitude, you may want to make a list of things to be thankful for and add to it each and every day.

Sleep Well

If you’re a night owl or just like partying, then you have to put your obligations first. It’s okay to go out with friends and enjoy a night out once a month. Yet, it’s a whole different ball game when you spend every night watching mindless hours of TV or scrolling through social media.

That could be ruining your cognitive abilities, as well as your physical health. Plus, it’s wasting tons of hours when you could have been doing something else.

According to the Sleep Foundation, the average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Getting that quality sleep will help you wake up fresh, energized, and ready to embark on a new day.

Besides keeping you focused and alert, good sleep boosts your immune system, reduces stress, and helps you maintain your weight. In addition, sleep can lower the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and Type-2 diabetes.

Work Out

Your physical well-being has a direct impact on your mental and emotional state. Therefore, being healthy is important to living a high-quality lifestyle and not fearing what needs to be changed or improved.

More importantly, through regular exercise and eating healthy foods, you fuel your body and mind. So, you stop aching all over and start feeling energized. This is especially important as you grow older.

There are benefits to keeping fit, including being able to climb up a flight of stairs without feeling like your heart is about to pop out of your chest.  Let walking become your new mode of transportation, and your clothes look better than ever on you.

When you look good, your self-esteem gets a nice boost. You become more confident to try new things or meet new people.

Celebrate Your Successes

No one knows about celebrating successes perhaps better than Nelson Mandela. He said, “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead.”

Make a habit of recognizing your hard work, accomplishments, and the sacrifices you made to get there. Be proud of your progress and how you feel about everything you’ve learned in the process.

When you look back and know what you’re capable of achieving, you get a fresh insight into what needs to be tweaked for the next challenge. Then, you can make changes where needed to keep moving forward and improving day by day!

Combined, all these things factor above in how you feel about yourself and they are steps for self-improvement that you can implement into your life right away and start to reap the rewards.