Is your life in shambles? Don’t worry! You can get it back on track and feel better about yourself, starting right now. All you need to do is pick yourself up by the bootstraps and get going with these 20 simple self-improvement tips that will put you on the path to success. It’s time to regain control of your life, make new friends, fall in love with your old hobbies again, and feel great about everything you do!
Start by getting organized
It sounds obvious, but it’s also one of the easiest ways to increase your productivity. Make sure you know what your daily schedule looks like before you go to bed at night so that when you wake up in the morning, you know exactly what tasks need to be done and how much time each activity will take. This will give you a sense of purpose and create an organizational system that helps keep your day-to-day tasks under control.
Make a list of things you would like to do
People who have fulfilling careers and relationships generally have a purpose. When you’re lacking in a purpose, your life can feel meaningless. That’s why it’s so important to make a list of things you would like to do. Some are big-picture goals, and some are smaller steps towards those bigger dreams.
Write down your reasons why you want to achieve them
Make a list of your personal goals and priorities. Write down a quick description of why you want to achieve each goal, and keep them posted on where you’ll see them every day. Remembering your motivations will give you something to remind yourself of every day; they’ll also serve as reminders in case you forget why these goals are important!
Reward yourself after reaching an objective
Rewarding yourself for reaching an objective is a great way to stay motivated. Most of us can handle a little bit of self-indulgence, and studies have shown that it improves motivation and productivity when used in moderation. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy because if you tell yourself that you deserve something bad, there’s a chance that your body will believe it.
Take care of yourself before anything else
Do whatever it takes to be healthy and happy. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep and eating right. As Dave Asprey, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, says, If you take care of your body, your body will take care of you. Put yourself first—you can’t help anyone if you don’t feel good in your own skin. And by taking better care of yourself, you might find that everything else naturally falls into place too!
Say no when needed
A big part of getting back on track is taking a look at your priorities and seeing where you can cut back. It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by how much we take on—whether it’s work, family, friends, hobbies, or whatever else—that it becomes nearly impossible to say no when needed.
Keep it simple
You might be thinking that you need complex methods in order to become more organized, eat healthier, or save more money. The opposite is true. Simple systems and strategies can help anyone get back on track.
Focus on your health
When it comes to achieving a sense of well-being, your health should be a top priority. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you won’t be able to take care of anything else. That doesn’t mean you have to start exercising every day and cutting out all sweets—but it might mean turning down that second cupcake.
Be nice to people around you
Focus on being kinder and more empathetic towards your co-workers, family members, and people you meet out in public. Simply by adding a few new kinds of words or random acts of kindness per day, you can improve your relationships at home and at work. If you keep going with it, you will soon notice how much happier everyone is when they are around you. With that kind of impact on other people’s lives, there will be no stopping where good karma takes you!
Help others, but don’t forget about yourself
If you help others and never take time for yourself, you’ll start feeling sorry for yourself. But if you put yourself first and ask others for help, you’ll find that people are more willing to do things for you when they know what it means to you. Helping others is wonderful, but make sure that your needs are being met as well. Remember: A healthy body helps a healthy mind.
Don’t be afraid to try new things
Everyone feels a little lost sometimes. No matter what you’re going through, there’s no harm in trying something new or putting yourself out there—in fact, it can do wonders for your life. It doesn’t even have to be anything huge: Pick up a new hobby, enroll in an art class or take salsa lessons with a friend. Think of all of these experiences as ways to challenge yourself and discover new aspects of your personality.
Carve out time for you every day
It may sound counterintuitive, but carving out some time to just spend with yourself each day can be incredibly restorative. Take some time each morning—or even before bed if that’s easier—to meditate, think over your day, or simply just allow yourself a few minutes of alone time. The benefit is two-fold: Not only will you feel better after some alone time, but you’ll also be able to devote more attention and energy to your relationships when you actually interact with others.
Spend more time with friends and family
Spending more time with friends and family will instantly improve your mood, which in turn can help you fight off sadness and get out of a slump. It’s easy—stop working so much! We all need an escape from work at times, but be careful not to let it become a habit. Allocate a specific amount of time for work every day, and then spend some quality time with loved ones after you clock out.
Do an online course
There are hundreds of free, online courses you can take. This is a great way to fill in your own knowledge gaps and pick up new skills. Taking an online course might help you feel more confident about what you’re doing next, even if it doesn’t directly relate to your current work situation. Browse sites like Coursera or EdX for some inspiration.
Consume positive podcasts and videos
When you feel down, watching or listening to something positive can get your mind out of its rut. Look for videos and podcasts that are motivational and inspiring, so you can feel more encouraged about your self-improvement goals. Many people find it helpful to have a variety of videos and podcasts at their disposal for different moods. That way, when they’re feeling down, they know where to go for a quick shot of inspiration.
Stick to an exercise routine
Exercise has a huge impact on our physical and mental health. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exercise can help: it lowers stress levels and boosts energy. We all have 24 hours in a day—if you use 15 minutes of that time exercising daily, you’ll feel more energetic without feeling more pressured for time.
Learn a language
Learning a new language has never been easier with apps like Duolingo, which will make it easier for you to learn from anywhere. With a more in-depth program like Rosetta Stone, you can also immerse yourself into a new culture and become fluent in no time!
Eat healthier
When you’re eating healthier, it’s a good idea to not deprive yourself. When you deprive yourself of food, your body gets stressed out and wants more food. If you eat too little, your body goes into starvation mode and slows down your metabolism. Over time, that can cause you to gain weight! The best thing is, to be honest with yourself about how much food your body needs—and then plan for it.
Listen more than you speak and speak only if you have something important to say
You can learn a lot by listening to people and observing how they live their lives. If you’re not listening, you’re essentially wasting time that could be spent learning something new. When it comes to conversations, everyone knows how important it is to listen more than talk—but most of us fail at practicing what we preach. To improve your relationships with friends and colleagues, simply make a conscious effort to focus on what they are saying.
Take daily action even if it is small at first. The littlest steps add up in the end.
You are capable of doing anything you set your mind to; sometimes, life has a way of slowing us down and getting in our way. It’s important to take action even if it’s small at first. The littlest steps add up in the end. You have what it takes so don’t give up just yet! The world needs you now more than ever before. We need your light and passion now! Never quit! You got this!!
Conclusion
A successful life is rarely easy. While some people are born with a silver spoon, many of us had to learn how to get back up when we fell and kept going after every failure. The fact that you’re reading a self-improvement book means that you want more out of your life—you want more success, more happiness, and ultimately more fulfillment in whatever area you’re looking to improve.