It’s that time of the year again: the time of retrospection and resolutions, the time to make decisions about the coming year. And basically figure out what you want to do with yourself all over again. It’s always seemed to me like as the year is winding down, a new light magically awakens in each of us: we plan and we hope on what’s to come. I have no idea what’s on your list of resolutions, but today I wanted to talk about something I’ve noticed continuously pops up on mine: it’s a simple thing, called self-improvement.
I have the feeling that this little thing has been kind of neglected, though; pushed aside from our thoughts and resolutions by its’ much bigger and well known relatives like [making] money, [losing] weight and [finding] love. Everybody seems to strive for those and poor self-improvement is falling behind. We forget sometimes that the reason we evolved into what we are today lies in developing ourselves constantly. We kind of focus on the end goal more than on the path we need to take to get to it. The reason I’m suggesting saving some place for self-improvement on your New Year’s list is pretty simple: working on yourself matters.
Why?
Because we were made to move in the first place. Yep, even those of us that spend our days tied to a chair and staring at a computer screen. None of us were born to spend our lives in one place: physically or otherwise. And focusing on the way we grow and develop is one of the best types of movement we can engage in, because learning and improving what we know can easily make or break us; especially in today’s fast-paced world where everything can change in a matter of minutes.
What?
Improvement is not as confined as it might seem initially: there are so many facets of your life and abilities that you can focus on improving at any given time. Just ask yourself: what am I interested in? No matter if this is a general interest or a hobby or simply getting new curtains for your living room; there are so many new things you can learn. And improving your abilities/knowledge on something, as tiny as it may seem, adds so much to your general learning skills, your memory, even your self-esteem. Remember: self-improvement is not an end goal, it’s a journey and every small step counts.
How?
- Read good books. No matter what your favorite book type is, they always teach us something: about ourselves, the world or about others. Make it a point to indulge in reading every once and a while: pick out something you’ll like and just dive into the story and unleash your dreamer’s potential! Your mind and imagination know what to do.
- Embrace change. You know, no one ever learned anything from a planned routine: sometimes life just interrupts everything and we have to deal with it. Learning to go about our lives, having in mind the anticipation that not everything will go as planned can teach us a lot about being flexible and open to change; about expecting it and knowing how to react to it.
- Take time with your hobbies. We’re all very busy in our days but taking time (and taking it often!) for our hobbies can do wonders for our mindset and abilities. We each have a deep love for our hobbies and personal interests, no matter what they are. And that love is there for a reason: it’s a self-improvement experience just waiting to happen! Indulge in what you love as often as you need to: to take a break from the world or to learn or just because you’ve been thinking about it.
- Learn from everyone around you. Just because something didn’t happen to you personally, doesn’t mean you can’t learn from it: we all go through different scenarios in life and there’s a lesson hidden in each one. Learn to notice and share the experiences of your family and friends, think about what you’d do if you were in their shoes. This not only trains your imagination but also brings you closer to your loved ones’ point of view.
Dez is a blogger and speaker from Eastern Europe who has a genuine passion for helping people be the best that they can be. En route to becoming a certified life coach she shares what she’s learned about life and passion on her blog Life Cues. All about appreciating life’s beautiful moments and living your life in a mindful and happy way, providing helpful tips is one of her favorite things to do. Connect on Facebook and Pinterest, or visit the blog.