What You Can Do For Self-Improvement?
Dale Carnegie wrote one of the earliest self-help books in How to Win Friends and Influence People . The paperback was first published in 1936 to help people get out from their mental ruts and to utilize their talents. Not much has changed over the decades--people still desire to improve their lives. The self-help industry knows it, drumming over 10 million dollars a year, as the continual thirst to feel better grows. The subject matter on becoming a better you is the focus of television advertisements, magazines, diets and used in therapy. Topics like self-confidence, learning to forgive, letting the small things in life go, and living with purpose are all fundamentals of self-improvement. But there is also financial, spiritual, and a journey that is always ongoing. Reading a book like the one Carnegie authored is the beginning, and hopefully these 7 tips:
1. Eat Healthier
If you want to live better, you need to take care of the body, first. You can have all the accolades you desire, but if the body is falling apart-success is useless. Instead of living for today, live for tomorrow as well. Assess your health, and work on making changes now. Eat more vegetables and fruits. Eating more vegetables and fruits will help fight against diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and certain cancers.
2. Exercise
Look to get exercise in even if it is walking during a lunch break. Look into joining a gym. Some gyms have free week passes to get you to try their facilities, take advantage of it.
3. Find a Hobby
Is there a hobby or something you always wanted to do? Learning something new requires courage and pushes the boundaries. Finding a hobby doesn't mean you need to be good at it. Try different activities like reading, cooking, painting, swimming, hiking, or martial arts to test what works for you. Having a hobby will help you recharge and make you happier. Look at registering for workshops to sharpen your skill set, or learn something new like computers, or learning page layout. Think about taking classes to learn the arts like sculpting, or even taking an acting class. Whatever you choose, find an outlet where you can experience creativity and freedom of thought.
4. Travel - Like to travel?
Take on the adventure of planning small trips, and go to cities you've never been to before. Self-improvement is about pushing boundaries, so get going! Traveling changes a small world into a vast adventure. This can be the open highway, or a trip to Eastern Europe. Absorbing different landmarks, history, culture and food is a paradigm shift. If this is not for you, learn more about local landmarks and visit them. The idea is to gain a bigger perspective and to reach outside of comfort zones. Going into a different environment can be a positive.
5. Be a Mentor
Help someone reach their dreams and goals. It sounds counterintuitive, but when you focus energy in making your community a success, or help another person reach their desired destination, you will reap the benefits. "When you mentor another person you accomplish more than just helping someone else. You build your network, and more importantly, you learn a few things about yourself," INC.com offered. Another reason to mentor is to help you grow as a person by being a giver, not just a taker.
6. Adjust Goals
Cut back on what is not working. This could be goals that still have not been achieved after many years. Maybe it is time to roboot or change the way the project was approached. Scaling back or revamping the business idea or dream could be what you need since old tactics are not working. Breathe new life into ideas by switching perspective and implementing another strategy. Look for outside help to gain an unbiased opinion on how to reshape an invention, book, or idea you have. No one likes change, but getting nowhere on a given goal is just as frustrating.
7. Be Yourself
Start today to be yourself no matter how much pressure you feel. Pressures from the traditional media, social media and peers can make us feel inferior. Sometimes low self-esteem can happen in childhood if you were picked on or bullied. For many, this continues through into adulthood stifling confidence. Make the decision to build confidence today by accepting who you are. Self-love doesn't need to be just two pretty words, it can be a reality. Confess that you are whole and making progress. Tell yourself you can achieve wholeness despite disappointment, or a painful past.
Taking small steps to rebuild self-worth always pays in the end. If this is a struggle, talk with a trusted friend or professional. Rebuilding ourselves will take humility, courage, and determination. Like everything else we want to change, it takes hard work. Start the process with a decision that you are ready for positive inner change, and make it an ongoing goal as Carnegie said. "Everybody in the world is seeking happiness-and there is one sure way to find it. That is by controlling your thoughts. Happiness doesn't depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions."
