5 Tips on How to Start Your Self Improvement Journey
Have you looked at yourself in the mirror, and then started crying because you do not like the person you saw? Have you cried yourself to sleep, and then woke up feeling pathetic? Have you ever broken down just because you dropped a pencil, and then thought that everything you did was a failure?
And then one time, your brain told you “you know you can be better, right?” Then, you nod, crying. “Yes, I can be better.”
If you have experienced these, I just want to tell you that, yes, you can be better. You have way much more space for self improvement!
It feels nice to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Before getting excited, and running through that dark tunnel, let’s plan first on how to get there. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you will feel empowered to start your growth.
Tips on How to Start.
There are many blogs that give tips on how to improve oneself. But, reading all those tips can be overwhelming. We should prepare ourselves first because self improvement is not easy.
Many people jump right in without a plan, and the same people get back right away to bad habits. And this can be frustrating.
To avoid too many disappointments (trust me, there will be many downs here and there), we should make a plan on how we will do this. Below are tips on what to do when starting self improvement.
1. Establish a Growth Mindset.
Growth doesn’t happen overnight. It is a continuous process. This mindset helps us not to think of the result every now and then, which makes us frustrated when we do not see any improvement. Self improvement takes time. A sunflower takes a while to bloom, but when it does, it is magical.
2. Set Up a Life Vision.
A life vision is who we want to be in the future. This is our personal ultimate goal. This should answer why we are all doing these “discomforts.”
Why am I on a diet? I want to eat in a buffet.
To be a healthy person.
Why am I exercising? I just want to lay down and watch TV.
To be a healthy person.
Why am I sleeping early? I want to binge-watch the whole night.
To be a healthy person.
Here, “To be a healthy person” is the life vision, and it is okay to skip the buffet, lessen TV consumption and watch one movie only to be this person in the future.
Setting a life vision is important so we can have a guide and to know our priorities. All we do should be in accordance with our life vision.
3. Know your Strengths and Weaknesses.
Knowing our strengths and weaknesses helps in identifying which of our characteristics can be used as an advantage, and which ones need improvement.
For example, I want to save money, and eat healthy food.
I know that I am a good cook. I can use this to make meals that are healthy and yummy at the same time. However, I can be lazy at making meals. This means that I need to do something about this. Maybe rearrange my kitchen? Prepare meals ahead of time? Anything will do as long as I will cook my healthy food.
Cooking your own food is cheaper plus we know the ingredients used which are healthy, so that’s a double check for our goal.
4. Remove Distractions.
There will be many distractions in achieving our life vision. And we can’t afford to be distracted. If we get distracted, we won’t know until when we get sidetracked.
When we are still starting, it will take time for our body to adapt. This period is crucial because it’s either we get ourselves into the zone or get back to our old ways. And we do not want the latter, since this can disappoint us. Others (meaning I) do not respond well with disappointments and lose motivation. All progress can be wasted once motivation is gone.
Self improvement needs a lot of willpower. By removing distractions, we do not spend a lot of our willpower avoiding them. We can focus more on the “do’s” than the “don’ts.”
Always crave junk food? Get rid of them. There shouldn’t have any junk food in your place.
Spending too much time on social media? Have a social media detox.
Friends are not supportive? Take some time off away from them. Or maybe you’re in a wrong circle.
Prioritize your growth.
5. Write These All Down.
This is really important in starting self improvement. When we write something down, there is this sense of commitment. Our plans are final. We can revise them along the way, but we are pushing through.
When we write something, we can reread it later. So, when we are starting to get sidetracked, we can get back to this. This also means that we can’t use the excuse “I forgot.”
“I am starting to prioritize my growth, for my self improvement. It will be harsh but I can do this.”
“I am doing this so that in __ years, I will be _____.”
“I am very good at ______, so I will use this to ______.”
“However, I am not good with ______, so I’m going to _____ to improve this.”
“I can be distracted by _____, and I am staying away from it.”
Get a journal. Write these all down. And then follow through.
Now go and conquer yourself.
We need to prepare ourselves before starting self improvement. This is to make sure that we achieve whatever we want to improve in ourselves. Starting something is never easy especially when we are going to clash with our old habits. This is why it is important to plan first before starting.
To add, I am going to remind you, including myself, that if ever you tripped along the way, it is okay. You may rest for a while. The important thing is you continue. Do not go back. Take all the time you need. Eventually, you’ll reach the end of the tunnel. And remember, you are not alone. Comment down below when you’ll start!
Always rooting for you,
Meredith Blaise ♡
Ps, I made a planner to help you start your journey!
2 Comments
Stephanie
I loved this post, so many great points! I think starting with a positive mindset it perfect, and also to just enjoy the process!
Meredith Grace
Glad you loved it! Enjoying the process makes this journey more fulfilling, right?