Alright, so it’s not New Year’s Eve, but the Covid-19 quarantine is still a great time to get some resolutions done. With everybody hanging out at home, now is the perfect time to start thinking about self-improvement. Like a butterfly escaping its cocoon, you can emerge from quarantine as the new and improved version of yourself that you always wanted to be. You don’t even have to take too much time away from your important Netflix binges if you don’t want to.
So here’s the real question: Where do you start? It’s easy to decide you want to improve yourself, but actually doing it is the hard part. Well, never fear, we’re here to help. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to set yourself up for a better you.
Change Your Mindset
Every house needs a foundation, and every campaign of self-improvement needs something to rest on too. Your first step should always be trying to develop a growth mindset. Essentially, this means locking in the belief that you can change. Instead of despairing about setbacks, just start thinking of them as challenges to be overcome. Set goals for yourself and smash through them. Remember to acknowledge your accomplishments, no matter how small they might seem. After all, every journey starts with just one step. Even making that first step is something to be celebrated!
Set A Morning Routine
This is a pretty big one, even though it might not seem like it. It’s really just building off the last tip about mindset. Your morning can have a huge effect on your mindset throughout the day, so it’s super important to make sure you’re always starting off on the right foot. The key to having a successful and productive day is planning. When you wake up in the morning, make sure you know what you have to do that day and think it through. Break it up into manageable chunks, and, before you know it, you’ll be setting yourself up for success every single day. It’s also important to eat a good breakfast, so set some time for that too!
Set A Bedtime Routine Too
There’s really no set answer for what the perfect bedtime routine should look like. It’s just something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. But the most important thing is that you take that routine and stick to it! This helps your body slip more naturally into a rhythm, and will leave you feeling refreshed every time you wake up in the morning. Try to avoid using a screen right before bed, because the light can keep you from getting sleepy. Instead, find something else that relaxes you, like meditation or reading a book. It doesn’t matter exactly what it is, what matters is sticking to the routine and getting your body used to it. If you have a partner, get them involved too! This can be a great way to spend a little time together every day.
Work On Your Interests
Whether its model trains, foreign films, or tabletop figurines, everybody has an interest. It can be a hobby, like a stamp collecting, or a skill, like playing the guitar. Whatever it is that interests you, there’s never been a better time to work on it than now. Even if your interests aren’t necessarily something that can make you any money, it’s still important to be a well-rounded person. Spending time on things you enjoy is a great motivator, and it helps a ton with improving yourself. Remember, there’s no need to force anything! If you’re enjoying an activity less than you used to, take a little time off. If you push yourself too hard, it can lead to a loss of interest in something you used to like doing.
Set Attainable Goals
Having goals is vital for personal growth, and lofty ambitions are a great thing to have. But keep in mind that you don’t always have to be taking on the whole world! Try to set some more easily attainable goals as well. Having objectives in your life gives you a sense of purpose and direction, and achieving them gives you a feeling of accomplishment that’s great for pushing you on to the next big thing. Try setting goals that are concrete, achievable, and time-sensitive. Then, sit down and break down the steps you need to reach those goals. Planning is always helpful when it comes to achieving your ambitions.
Reframe Your Failures
Failing at a task or goal is never easy. It’s even worse when it’s something that’s really important to you, like ending a relationship or losing a friend. But it’s important not to get caught up in the bad emotions that come from failure. It can be easy to blame yourself for everything and get depressed or lose motivation, but every failure is actually a chance for you to learn and grow. Try to look at your missteps from a different perspective, figure out what went wrong, and think about how you can avoid the same pitfalls next time. Remember, setbacks are temporary, even if it doesn’t seem that way in the moment.
Be Grateful For What You Have
This tip and the previous one are kind of two sides of the same coin. Moving on from failure is important, but so is taking stock of the positive things in your life. Don’t take anything for granted! Even when things seem dark, take a little time every day to appreciate the good things. Think about your close friends, your family, your pets, or anything else in your life that makes you happy. When we’re stressed or frustrated, it can be all too easy to lose track of what’s really important.
Find Ways To Motivate Yourself
Keeping motivated is always the most important thing for improving yourself. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint! You need to be able to work on yourself a little bit every day, taking small steps and gradually improving until you’re the person you’ve always wanted to be – then keep going! If you’re having trouble, you can arrange some motivational speakers to help you. It may seem a little cheesy, but these speakers are professionals at keeping people focused on self-improvement. Anything is possible when you have confidence in yourself, and listening to motivational speakers can be a great way to find that confidence within you.
It might seem like an impossible task, but self-improvement is something that is best done one step at a time. Don’t be afraid to rely on other people for help – that’s what they’re there for! With these tips and others, you should be on the path to personal growth in no time.