Self-Improvement Strategies

Self-improvement strategies are strongly associated with positive thinking. Negativity slows our progress and personal projects.
If I keep thinking that I’m not capable or that everything that’s happening to me is terrible, then I don’t get the motivation to change.

Positive affirmations can be very helpful. However, there is little point in telling yourself “You can do anything” if you don’t believe it. It also doesn’t help to say “everything will work out” because we really don’t know if it could work out. The opposite is also not conducive to thinking “this will never happen to me”, since we have no certainty here either. It is important to maintain a positive and realistic attitude toward life.

Negative thoughts are common cognitive distortions. All of us have these types of thoughts at some point, but it’s important to learn to recognize them and pull yourself together so they don’t undermine our minds.
This can also be treated through a psychological cognitive restructuring technique, which has been shown to be very effective.

What is Self Improvement: What Do I Want and What Don’t I Want?

I intend to grow, to evolve. If I want to improve and grow or become a better person, it is certainly because there is something in my current life that I want to change: I have things I want to change: I have a very small house, a job I don’t like, a destructive relationship, stress or anxiety, etc.
There are things I would like to have: I don’t have a partner, no close friends, free time to travel, success at work, enough money, happiness, pleasant relationships, etc.
Change things I shouldn’t do: I drink too much, eat unhealthily, treat my partner badly, watch too much TV, be too impulsive, etc.
I don’t do things I would like to do: plan more, learn to prioritize, exercise more, learn more hobbies, read enough books, get a better job, etc.
I wish I was different: my bad mood, low self-esteem, dependence on others, laziness, anxiousness, negativity, fears, etc.
I haven’t fulfilled my potential: I’m not successful enough or popular, intelligent, I don’t have the body I want, I’m a failure, etc.
Whatever drives you to self-improvement, there is always an inner force that wants to push us to be better people, to grow, and to make progress. It’s time to implement some strategies!

 Tips, Techniques, and Strategies to Self Improvement:

Self-improvement happens by knowing yourself

Even the ancient Greeks knew how important it is to know yourself. In fact, they carved “Know Thyself” in Apollo’s Temple at Delphi. Knowing our qualities, weaknesses, what makes us happy, what we want, and who we want to be is essential for self-improvement.

It is also important to know how we react emotionally to the different events of our lives or our emotional intelligence. Self-awareness is essential to being able to change the aspects that we thought were flawed. A very useful way to do this is through mindfulness. However, you can also get it by paying more attention to your emotional states and analyzing where they are coming from. It’s also important to become aware of what things make your mood better or worse.
Another technique or strategy that can help you improve your personal development is to use a mood journal. This way you have more control over your own feelings and emotions.

The self-improvement strategy that works best is finding what makes you happy. Research your vital goals and objectives. Ask yourself: Where is my life going? Am I happy with that? How do I want to be remembered when I’m gone? You can also make a list of your goals and objectives to keep track of.

Take responsibility to start the self-improvement strategies

Sometimes our life isn’t going the way we’d like, and we often fall into negativity, feel victimized, or complain. One self-improvement strategy you must employ is to not blame others for what is happening to you. Although others may have some responsibility, you have the final say. Not taking responsibility for your life makes change very difficult and it will be impossible to grow and progress.

Create an action plan to encourage your self-improvement strategies

It is good to know what your life goals are and who you want to become, all you need is a plan to achieve them.

A great strategy for this is to stop and analyze specific goals and create an action plan for each one. Start with very small steps to reach an ultimate goal.

For example, if your goal is to become a successful professional but you now hate your job, the steps might be as follows:

Find out what job motivates me.
Know what you need to be a professional in this field (degree, experience, cognitive skills, etc.).
Train and acquire the necessary skills.
Rewrite my curriculum.
Search for jobs and go to interviews.
Get a job and leave the current one.
Make an effort for my job and give it your all.
Get a promotion.

 Stepping out of the comfort zone as a self-improvement strategy

What is the comfort zone?

It is a behavioral space where your activities and behaviors lie within routines and patterns that minimize stress and risk. It provides a state of psychological security and reduces stress and anxiety. This is why it is so difficult to step out of our comfort zone.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.

Following this adage can only block us and slow our growth.

Being in your comfort zone is not a bad thing, because we need a safe place to reboot, relax and recharge. However, we must not remain stuck there forever.
How do I get out of my comfort zone?

Confronting what scares us and constantly challenging ourselves are important to our self-improvement. It’s often about jumping into the unknown, testing yourself, and taking risks. This is difficult when we have lived our whole lives in a comfortable position. When we’re young it’s easier to try new things and get out of that comfort zone, but over the years we get used to our routines and don’t allow ourselves to evolve.
We tend to sabotage ourselves by saying. “I can’t do it alone”, “I will fail”. The real failure, however, is not trying to remain in doubt and live on the “what ifs”. Analyze the thoughts holding you back and question your logic: what is the evidence? Go to the limit.

Review your habits as a self-improvement strategy

Often our habits slow down our personal growth. So we have to analyze which habits do not benefit us and which ones. Changing our habits is not easy, they are behaviors that have been established for a long time and it is very difficult to change them. There’s been a lot of talk about lack of willpower as the cause of not being able to change habits, but that’s simplistic. There are many environmental and personal circumstances that make the task difficult. Discover here how to increase “Willpower”.