Becoming your best self

Becoming your best self means achieving a state of personal growth and development that allows you to fulfil your potential, and live a fulfilling and meaningful life…

A few years ago, I woke up to the realization that my life was going nowhere. It made me do some heavy thinking. Since I've always taken pen to paper when attempting to solve problems, I wrote out a program for myself…

I listed what I considered to be the most important areas for becoming a better me:

Developing my self-awareness

cultivating my positive habits

improving my physical health

improving my mental health

and building strong relationships with others.

Since we're all different, the process of becoming your best self is unique to each of us. However, there are 6 steps that can help guide you towards achieving this goal. The idea is to monitor your progress over 30 days…

1. Define your Values and Goals

Make a list of your personal values and priorities. Think about what is most important to you, and what you want to achieve in life.

Write down specific and achievable goals (think O.S.T. goals) that align with your values and priorities.

Work on these goals a little each day (remember, tiny actions compounded over time results in huge changes). Ask yourself often, “Is what I'm doing right now moving me toward my goal or away from it?”

Go through your list of values and goals regularly to ensure they align with your vision for the future.

Keep an eye on your progress over the next 30 days. Do this by reviewing your goals and values each week and reflecting on how your actions align with them.

2. Practice Self-Awareness

Raising self-awareness through jounaling

Get yourself a journal.

Set aside a little time each day – especially at the end of the day – to write down and reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. E.g. You said 'yes' to something you know you have no time for. What made you do that? What was the thought? Identify the trigger. Over time, you'll be able to check certain reactive behaviour before they happen.

Get on YouTube and find 2 or 3 mindfulness techniques that resonate with you, such as meditation or journaling, to increase your self-awareness.

Be aware of your own feelings. Ask yourself randomly throughout the day, “How am I feeling right now? What made me feel like that?”

Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses and acknowledge them. You've now identified your areas for personal growth. Just the fact that you have written them down will put your attention on them.

Keep an eye on your progress over 30 days. Do this by setting aside a few minutes each day to reflect on your notes regarding your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Note any changes in your self-awareness.

3. Cultivate positive habits

Identify and list those habits that are holding you back from achieving your goals.

Make small positive changes to your less desirable habits and routines. Over time, these small changes will compound and eventually replace those habits that do not align with your values and priorities. Remember to ask yourself, “Is this going to move me toward my goal or away from it?”

Keep an eye on your progress over 30 days. Do this by noting your habits in your journal and reviewing your progress each week.

4. Focus on Physical health

Create a plan for healthy eating and develop a balanced diet.

Implement these habits by starting small, e.g. by adding a small mixed salad to your evening meals.

Create a plan for regular exercise and make time for physical activity each day. Start off gently, and get checked out by your doctor before starting on any new exercise regime.

Start small, e.g. taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from your work, so you have to walk more than usual.

Develop healthy sleep habits and get enough rest each night. Go to bed earlier. What more can I say?

Monitor your progress over 30 days by tracking your food intake, exercise, and sleep in a journal or app and reviewing your progress each week.

5. prioritize mental health

Practice self-care and make time for relaxation and stress reduction. Cultivate a wabi-sabi approach to life. Basically put: look for the beauty in the imperfection.

Consider seeking professional help or therapy for any mental health issues you might be experiencing.

Develop a support system of family, friends, or a therapist who can help you manage stress and cope with difficult emotions. For us introverts, this can be a really difficult one. But we need to make it happen.

Monitor your progress over 30 days. Do this by tracking and reviewing your stress levels, and taking note of any changes in stress-triggers; writing down your self-care activities, and tracking your mental health in your journal.

6. build strong relationships

Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who encourage you to grow and achieve your goals. Again, we introvert might have a bit of a hard time surrounding ourselves with people, positive or negative, but you get the point.

Identify toxic relationships and distance yourself from them.

Practice effective communication and conflict resolution skills to maintain healthy relationships.

Monitor your progress over 30 days by reflecting on your interactions with others each day and reviewing your progress each week.