This article originally appeared on www.thesavvycouple.com and was re-published here with permission.
Are you wondering how to better yourself? It’s not easy, but it’s achievable!
Self-improvement is a journey, and we want to help you get the most out of it. With practice, you can learn to be better at the things that are important to you.
To help you on this journey, we put together our Savvy list of how you can become better right now in little and big ways.
If you’re wondering how to better yourself, check out this list of 27 ideas! These ideas reflect many ways you can pursue self-improvement, no matter what your goals are.
How To Better Yourself
Table of Contents
1. Identify Your Life Priorities
Many people have a long list of things they’d like to do. They’ll get started on one thing and then realize there are forty-five other things they need to get done before they can even get back to the initial task.
In this scenario, nothing is getting done! There is no sense of priority to knock tasks out of the park.
Instead, choose a small number of tasks to accomplish with laser focus. This is the only way to ensure that you make continuous progress towards becoming a better person.
2. Set Your Life Goals
Types of goals to create the best life in your eyes might include financial goals, personal goals, and goals for your professional life.
An excellent place to start is with a combination of short and long-term goals for each category. Think of investing in retirement, buying a home, or planning more vacation days – things that will help you soon and help you down the road.
Investing is a great financial goal to have that lays great groundwork for your future, and it’s simple to start now using Robinhood. Or, if you’re a more advanced investor that could use the help of a robo-advisor, check out Betterment.
Make sure to plan how you will achieve your goals, and then break them down into monthly action steps.
3. Deepen & Value Your Relationships
Relationships are a huge part of your daily life, but it can be easy to prioritize other things over them.
However, when you realize that relationships are the most essential thing in the world and take the time to strengthen these bonds, you’ll feel more fulfilled. This is especially important for having a happy marriage.
Deepening your relationships with your spouse, best friend, and children can help you become your best self. If you struggle in this area, carve out time on your calendar for date nights, playtime, phone calls, and game nights with your loved ones so you can show them how much they matter to you.
4. Develop Your Communication Skills
Communication is one of the most important aspects of self-improvement because it is essential to strong relationships, good social skills, and self-expression.
The better your communication skills are, the easier it will be to express yourself.
You can seek appropriate support to handle negative emotions during tough times by being better at communication. You’ll also be better at resolving conflicts with your family and issues at work.
Public speaking is a great place to start. If you’re not a fan of speaking in front of people, practice more often by volunteering for presentations at work or joining a local speakers club like Toastmasters.
5. Establish A Work-Life Balance
To be your best, it’s important to find a work-life balance. Learning how to balance work and play will make both more enjoyable for you, which will help you be happier overall.
Setting personal boundaries with work (such as what times you won’t check email) is especially important to make sure you have time for your life and can switch out of work mode.
Pay attention to how you’re spending your time. If most of it is spent on work-related tasks, set aside work for only work hours, and use your personal time for yourself, like finding a new hobby.
If your job is taking too much of your time or causing too much stress, consider switching to a lower-stress job or utilizing one of your high-income skills to make more money in less time.
6. Watch Less TV
Try incorporating other hobbies into your downtime instead of watching TV shows to relax.
This will help you become more productive during the weekdays because you’ll be getting things done instead of wasting time in front of a screen.
Identify ways you can unwind without grabbing the remote. A good alternative to watching TV is to listen to the radio or podcasts instead. You could also use this time to read a book or practice some self-care, like taking a calming bath.
7. Spend Less Time On Social Media
Spending too much time scrolling through your social media feed takes away from your productivity and makes you feel like you’re not doing anything important.
Find a healthy level of social media use for yourself, and you’ll find that your self-esteem will increase since you’re not spending all day thinking about what other people are doing.
Consider doing a total social media detox, it could have a huge impact on your self-esteem and make your time more productive.
Cut down on the amount of time you spend on social media to zero, and then gradually increase it- but avoid bad habits long-term like being on your phone more than ever before!
8. Read Often
Wondering how to better yourself quickly? Pick up a book!
Taking time each day to read is one of the best ways to improve yourself and learn new things. If you don’t have time to read a whole book, read a chapter or two each night before bed.
Reading a good book every once in a while can be fun, but making it part of your routine will help you gain wisdom from people who are experts at what they write about. Reading also helps improve your vocabulary and writing skills and can help you understand the world.
9. Write In A Journal
Successful people often write in journals and credit their success to this practice. Journaling helps you organize your thoughts, prioritize the most important tasks, and sort through what’s on your mind all at the same time.
Journaling is great for developing self-awareness of your thoughts and emotions. What you write can help you find out if you tend to be self-critical or judgemental of others. Then you can use these insights for personal development to become a more compassionate or self-compassionate person.
Try writing “morning pages” each day. Morning pages are three pages that you write without any distractions or filtering- just you and your thoughts.
10. Prioritize Sleep
It’s essential to get enough sleep every night. Being tired makes it hard to focus, leading to feelings of frustration and unhappiness.
This can be difficult if you’re trying to better yourself because it might make it harder for you to control your emotions and make the right choices.
It’s good to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night! To get better quality sleep, you may need to go to bed earlier than usual and spend time relaxing- or cut out afternoon caffeine. This might sound tough, but it will be worth it in the end when you wake up feeling refreshed and renewed.
11. Invest In Your Mental Health
Taking care of mental health issues before they get too serious can really improve your life. Don’t let negative emotions prevent you from living the life you want and becoming a better person.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or another mental illness, make sure that you seek help from a professional instead of trying to solve the problem all on your own.
Therapists can help you through the self-reflection process to become the best version of yourself. That other person listening can point out ways to help yourself, ways to avoid feeling worse, and overall just help you get through challenging moments.
12. Pay Attention To Your Money
Having good money habits that support your financial plan is vital if you want to better yourself. Most people want to save money for things like a down payment on a house or to take a trip, but a bad habit of overspending or not saving can wreck those goals.
An easy way to create good money habits and save more money is by starting a budget. You can use the budgeting app Mint to track your spending automatically.
It also means that you should avoid wasting your hard-earned cash on things that don’t matter by living frugally. The Honey extension will save you money by automatically checking coupon codes while you shop online.
13. Avoid Toxic Settings
Negative people can be a toxic influence on your life. Certain places- even your workplace- could be toxic settings you should avoid.
Some uncomfortable situations will push you outside of your comfort zone in good ways, but toxic is a different level than difficult or different.
If you think a place or person is making you unhappy, don’t feel like you have to stay!
Start surrounding yourself with people who genuinely care about you and want to see you happy. Find potential friends in people who make you feel confident instead of constantly trying to bring you down.
14. Focus On Gratitude
Gratitude is a great tool to help you appreciate things that are important in your life- instead of taking them for granted or feeling like you don’t deserve them.
Sometimes we forget about all of the good things happening in our lives and the world. A gratitude journal can help you focus on what’s going well in your life and the things that make you happy.
When you have a grateful thought or feeling, write it down in a gratitude journal or just think about what you’re thankful for. This is a good way to develop a positive thought process so you can become the best version of yourself.
15. Make A New Mindset
Your mindset has a significant impact on your life- it can be hard being a good person or a happy person if your mindset is always negative!
Some people see the glass as half full, while others see the glass as half empty. Who do you think is having a better experience as they travel through life?
You have to learn to be positive in order to better yourself. You should avoid negative thoughts and complaints because this will prevent you from having a positive outlook.
When you’re feeling down, remember the things that make you happy and grateful.
16. Exercise Frequently
Exercise will help reduce depression, improve your mood, keep you in good health, and give you more energy throughout the day. If you don’t like exercising or aren’t used to doing it often, take small steps to get yourself moving every day.
The physical activity you choose to engage in doesn’t have to be anything big at first. For example, simply go on a walk and establish this as an exercise routine.
Start somewhere and slowly improve yourself. As you get better, it will become more enjoyable and easier for you to do more frequently. Having a weekly exercise routine will help you stay in shape and feel better!
17. Start New Hobbies
If you’re unhappy with your life or don’t like how you’re spending your time, get a hobby. Sometimes hobbies can lay dormant when you’re wrapped up with work.
Think about what you were once passionate about and see if those things still interest you.
Some hobbies can become careers while others are just for fun. If you want a new hobby but you’re not sure what to do, check out these ideas for fun things you can do nearby.
18. Learn A New Language
Learning a new language can open many doors, and not just in making new friends or having a more authentic vacation experience.
A new language can change your current or future career path, in addition to being another way of improving yourself.
If you’re interested in learning a language, you’ll have to put in a conscious effort to study it. It might take some time and practice but if you stick with it, you will eventually get there.
There are plenty of apps, like DuoLingo, that you can use to learn other words in a language that you are a little familiar with or to learn an entire language from scratch.
19. Learn How To Play an Instrument
Playing a musical instrument can be very beneficial to your life. It will help you relax and get out of a stressed or anxious mindset. You also might make new friends that share the same interests and values as you.
Learning a new instrument doesn’t happen overnight, but if you practice a few hours a day you will improve quickly. You can also seek the help of a private teacher if you prefer one-on-one instruction.
20. Find Ways To Reduce Stress
If you’re spending all of your time stressed out, finding ways to reduce stress is important. Use relaxation techniques, like deep breaths for example, when you’re feeling stressed at the moment to calm down.
If you’re spending too much time at work, maybe the only thing that will reduce your stress is taking a staycation.
If your major source of stress is money, start tracking your finances. Personal Capital can help you keep track of your finances with a comprehensive dashboard that shows your spending, income, and investment performance all in one place.
21. Take Breaks & Dedicate Time For Yourself
If you’re spending all of your time working, studying, and hanging out with friends, there isn’t much time for yourself. If you feel like your schedule is overwhelming, try a few ways of simplifying your life.
Dedicate some time for yourself to do something unique every week, such as going on a hike or reading a new book. You could even set aside an entire day each week as a “no plans” day that you can just use to relax.
Taking breaks from work is important so that you don’t burn out. Even an hour away from your work to relax and do something you love is very helpful.
22. Take A Class
A great way to improve yourself is to take a class.
Classes can be very helpful in getting you out of a rut and onto a successful path that you enjoy. They are also great for improving skills you already have and want to get even better at.
Even if the class doesn’t have much to do with your career right now, you could find a new passion that makes you want to switch careers. Taking an online course is a convenient way to pursue personal development from the comfort of your own home.
23. Develop New Skills For Professional & Personal Growth
If you don’t have many career choices at the moment, try developing new skills. A new skill can be anything you want it to be, so why not try learning something new?
Developing specialized skills will give you a competitive edge when it comes to professional growth.
For example, Bookkeeper Launch and Proofread Anywhere offer FREE workshops that focus on teaching new skills that could turn into lucrative work-from-home careers.
24. Don’t Forget to Breathe
Focusing on your breath can help relieve stress and keep you present in the moment.
Just close your eyes and stay focused on the feeling of your chest rising and falling with each breath. You can do this with a guided audio program or simply alone in a quiet room.
Taking a few minutes out of your day to practice deep breathing can help you stay in the present moment and manage any stress that’s on your mind. It’s a great way to counterbalance thinking about “what if” or anxiety-producing thoughts too.
25. Eat Healthier
Eating healthy food like fresh fruit has many health benefits like weight loss, better skin, and more energy throughout the day. You don’t need to be on a diet to eat healthy, just practice mindful eating.
And if you feel too busy to eat healthily, you can make freezer meals or practice meal prep to make sure healthy food is always ready to go. To make meal prep even easier, check out this $5 Meal Plan.
Meal planning not only keeps you healthy but also helps you save money because you’re not buying things you don’t need at the grocery store. Download the Ibotta app to save even more money on your groceries.
26. Meditate More
Meditation is a great way to improve yourself and help you feel better about life in general. This can be done by practicing mindfulness or just calming your mind before going to sleep or getting up in the morning.
When you meditate, you relax your body and mind. You don’t have to meditate for hours – even 10 minutes a day can be beneficial.
It might take a few days for you to get used to sitting quietly with your thoughts, but it is worth it. I am a big fan of the Headspace app, which is a fantastic source of guided meditations.
27. Find Inspiration & Support
Family, friends, mentors, and community groups are all great places to get support. People can identify ways to help you with issues, or even point out blind spots you’ve been unaware of, both good and bad!
Talking to your family members about your feelings and struggles is a great place to start since they can usually help you if you need advice or encouragement. If your family lacks good support, try getting it from a friend or social group.
Another important component of personal growth is finding inspiration, which can often come from social groups. Spending time with people you admire and who inspire you to be better is one of the best ways to better yourself.
Key Takeaways About Self-Improvement
Self-improvement can come in many different forms, and it’s important to find what works best for you.
Whether you choose to take online courses, learn a new skill, or avoid toxic settings, make sure you’re constantly challenging yourself and growing as a person.
It’s important to take care of yourself mentally and physically, so make sure you do something that relaxes you and makes you happy every day. For example, there are many ways that you can improve your health like eating healthier, exercising regularly, and meditating.
We’ve shared our best tips with you and hope they have inspired you to start working on yourself today. What are you waiting for?