Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio via www.pexels.com

Self-improvement is often portrayed as a positive step forward in life. However, if you approach these goals in an unhealthy fashion, you may end up in a worse position than when you started.

Therefore, you should take great care when you’re trying to evolve as a person. After all, self-improvement isn’t always essential either, and you’re perfectly entitled to sit back and enjoy what you have at intermittent periods. Still, you must be committed to your change if you want to see results, and there’s no room for half-hearted attempts.

If you’re serious about your efforts here, then keep reading to see some of the healthier ways you can approach your self-improvement initiative.

Love Yourself First

Self-improvement should never be born out of self-hatred. It’s perfectly valid to want to change any aspect of yourself, but beginning from a place of negativity can distort your goals and be counterproductive.

For instance, if you despise being overweight and go to the gym to shed some pounds, you may push yourself too hard. At best, this will lead to an unproductive workout session, and at worst, it could lead to accident and injury. Therefore, it’s important to inject your efforts with positive feelings of self-love so that you can plan your goals and optimise your approach.

Self-improvement isn’t about demolishing everything that came before and creating a new person. It’s about building on who you are today and improving existing parts of yourself. Love yourself first, and you won’t be as distracted or self-destructive as you go forward.

Practice Patience

You may understandably wish to see the results of your self-improvement regime at the earliest opportunity. However, the truth is that these matters take time to develop and require patience.

Even fitness regimes can become a dangerous addiction if they’re left unchecked, and the same principles can likely be applied to other areas. Ultimately, impatience can scramble your senses and lead to unhealthy decision-making and self-improvement practices.

Make practising patients part of your initiative. You can do this by:

• Meditating: Setting aside time for calm and peaceful reflection could be a good way of instilling harmony throughout your body and mind.
• Creating a schedule: If you wish to undergo an intensive fitness regime, schedule your workout sessions and stick to them.
• Enjoying other things: If your entire purpose in life is to improve yourself, you’ll never be able to rest and have fun. Have other priorities to give yourself a sense of perspective.
• Accepting your faults: Everyone is flawed in some capacity, and it’s impossible to turn yourself into some completed work. Realise that life is full of lessons from beginning to end and that there will always be time for self-improvement, irrespective of how hard you push yourself.
• Don’t compare yourself to others: Develop at your own pace and celebrate achievements big and small.

Patience is a crucial attribute in any self-improvement regime. Take each obstacle as it comes, and be content with who you are across every stage of your development.

Consider Using Discretion

Announcing any light-hearted self-improvement plans to the world can be exhilarating. However, those feelings of liberation can quickly fade once you realise how much pressure you may have put on yourself.

If your self-improvement effort isn’t too serious, it may be best to conduct things with a degree of discretion. That way, if you experience any setbacks in your objectives, you won’t feel quite as embarrassed. You may be able to recover more quickly from small failures and avoid feelings of humiliation if toxic friends decide to tease you for your shortcomings.

Discretion could also mean better comfort in certain self-improvement measures. For instance, Invisalign can help transform your smile with removable aligners that are virtually invisible. Your aligner is also designed to perfectly fit in your mouth with optimum comfort. Correct your smile with market-leading dentists. That way, you can improve your smile while continuing to go about your life as usual.

Being more private with your efforts has other advantages too. You’ll be able to surprise people with the results of your new teeth, body, or outfits after a period of being apart. Ultimately, this type of reaction may be more satisfying for all parties. They’ll be amazed instead of staying updated on your progress as if they were checking the weather.

Ask for Help

Of course, there’s no need for secrecy if your self-improvement goals have more at stake. If you’re trying to neutralise serious addictions or harmful behaviours, then building a reliable support network could be crucial to your success.

Be sure to curate your personal network somewhat. Who contributes positive energies and constructive ideas to your life, and who criticises, demeans, and ridicules? Embarking on your self-improvement regime may involve phasing unhelpful people out of your life.

If you need some additional discipline or encouragement, therapists, trainers, nutritionists, or any other type of expert may be able to guide your progress and motivate you. You can also regularly consult official resources for professional help on conquering things like addiction too. Help is certainly out there.

Self-improvement can sometimes seem like a solitary endeavour. It can be if the issues at hand aren’t too serious. However, if you find yourself needing some additional support in your efforts, don’t hesitate to reach out. Equip yourself with other’s impressions and expertise on more serious matters, and you’ll significantly improve your chances of success.

Improve for Others

Self-improvement is a great way to feel better about yourself. However, you can also think beyond your own satisfaction and contemplate how your efforts may help those around you.

For example, it could be worth thinking about:

• How your relationships may be affected: Has your partner mandated that you cut back on any bad habits? Is your relationship on the line?
• The health consequences of your behaviours: Some poor behaviours can manifest into something much uglier later if they’re left unaddressed. Is your continued pattern of choices worth the risk?
• Who needs you: If people depend on you in your life, then your self-improvement methods can help you get out of your own way and start to help others.

These can all be grim lines of enquiry, but they can spark a surge in your motivation and present you with a reality check. You can also stay in touch with your core values this way and develop bonds with those you care about. Maybe your efforts can even be a display of your love and gratitude for your loved ones?

Caution is advisable here. After all, you shouldn’t change for toxic or abusive people. If that is what you’re being asked to do, consider abandoning these people as part of your self-improvement regime. Make sure that your efforts are motivated by people who are utterly worthy of your time and effort. That way, you shouldn’t ever run out of motivation to turn things around.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to nurture a healthier approach to your self-improvement regime. Make sure your efforts come from a positive place while also being patient with your progress. Be kind to yourself. Practice discretion if you’re shy and seek out support whenever you might need it. Remember that you’re not alone and that self-improvement can be a great way to strengthen ties you already hold dear.