Before now, I never knew that there was something like "personal growth". My dream had been to get certified in a professional course that would fetch me a nicely paying job and then, enjoy my life as long as I can. Now things has changed. In fact, everything has changed.
I have realised that no matter how meaningful life could seem, you can only get the most out of it by improving yourself. The more you grow, the more you realize that there is so much out there you don’t know and there is so much you have to learn; hence, there is never an end to the journey of self improvement.
So, If you desire to improve yourself and build a better you, here are 25 most effective and practical tips that would help you achieve this goal.
1. Read a book every day. Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. When you read, you practically expose yourself to more knowledge than you can get on the street. Here are some recommendations: Think and Grow Rich, Who Moved My Cheese, 7 Habits, The Science of Getting Rich and Living the 80/20 Way. I’ve heard positive reviews about: The Tipping Point, Outliers and The Difference Maker.
2. Learn a new language. One of the most interesting things to do is to learn a new language. I realised learning a language is a whole new skill altogether and the process of acquaintance with a new language and culture is totally a mind-opening experience.
3. Get a new hobby. Beyond just your usual favourite hobbies, is there something new you can pick up? Learning something new requires you to stretch yourself in different aspects. It could be physically, mentally or emotionally. You could try a recreational hobby. For example, pottery, dancing, web design, etc.
4. Attend seminars or workshops. Seminars or workshops are great deal when you really want to grow yourself. I’ve been to a few workshops and they have helped me gain new insights which I had not considered before.
5. Write. It doesn't take much to write. Your environment can set the mood and tone for you. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you are going to be inspired every day. Write something everyday.
6. Learn to overcome your fears. All of us have something we are afraid of. It could be fear of uncertainty, exposure, public speaking, risk, etc. Fear keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. The areas you fear represents something you are yet to address, and addressing it will help you to grow.
7. Level up your skills. The concept of leveling up involves gaining experience so you can be better and stronger. As a blogger, I’m constantly leveling up my writing skills by trying out different kinds of writing (writing style). From motivational stories to one page fictious stories, articles etc. What skills can you level up?
8. Wake up early. According to my research, waking up early (eg: 5 - 6am) helps to improve the productivity and quality of your life. It has been acknowledged by many (Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, among other self-help gurus). I feel it’s because when you wake up early, your mindset is already set to continue the momentum of yesterday and you proactively live out the day.
9. Engage in a weekly exercise routine. "A better you starts with being in a better physical shape," Celestine Chua (LifeHack.org). You could try jogging for 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week. You may want to mix jogging with other exercises like; gym lessons, swimming.
10. Write a letter to your future self. What do you see yourself as in 5, 6, 7 years from now? Will you be the same or different? Well, surely you will look different – maybe taller or shorter, fatter and skinny, but what kind of person will you be? Write a letter to your future self. 1 year from now will be a good start, then seal it and start working to become the person in your letter.
11. Get out of your comfort zone. Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. Being too comfortable wouldn't help you grow – it makes you stagnate. As a graduate, are you still being fed? Do you still play by your own rules? Shake your routine up. Do something different. By exposing yourself to a new context, you’re literally growing as you learn to act in new circumstances.
12. Challenge with a friend. Challenge yourself with a colleague, friend or neighbour. Competition is one of the best ways to grow. It could be on: weight loss, exercise, financial challenge, etc and see who achieves the target first. Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone.
13. Identify your blind spots. Scientifically, blind spots refer to areas our eyes are not capable of seeing. In personal development terms, blind spots are things about ourselves that we are not aware of. When you discover your blind spots, it will help you to discover areas of improvement within yourself. One way to discover your blind spots is to identify all the things, events, people that makes you feel uncomfortable, annoyed, weird and affected. After that, I work on steps to address them.
14. Ask for feedback. Asking for feedback is a very import way to ascertain your level of personal growth. It also helps in identifying your blind spot. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively.
15. Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). These are goals that would definitely stretch you beyond your normal capacity. Since they are big and audacious, you would normally not think of attempting them. BHAGs are goals that makes you feel absolutely on top of the world once you complete them. What are you BHAGs? Set them and start working on them.
16. Acknowledge your flaws. If you think you have no flaws, you are yet to grow. Everyone has it. What’s more important is to understand them, acknowledge them, and address them the best way you can. What do you think are your flaws? What are the flaws you can address now? How do you want to address them?
17. Get into action. The best way to learn and improve is to take action. Postponing and waiting doesn’t get anything done, rather it extends your goal and ambition. Taking action gives you immediate results to deal with.
18. Learn from people who inspire you. Think about people you admire. People who inspire you in one way or another. These people reflect certain qualities you need to grow. Learning from them would help you acquire these qualities.
19. Learn from your friends. Yes! You can tap amazing qualities from your friends. Think about some of your good friends and qualities they have which you want to adopt. In other to adopt their skills for yourself, you can try talking to them about it – I'm sure, they will be more than happy to help.
20. Get a mentor or coach. There is no faster way to improve yourself than to have someone to work with you on your goals. With a mentor, you are bound to achieve significantly more results than if they had worked alone. I love Celestine Chua (LifeHack.org).
21. Reduce the time you spend on social media. So many people do waste absolutely more than half of their day chatting on social media platforms. This time can be much better spent on other activities. I get a lot more work done when I disable my chat programs. I chat when it's necessary.
22. Learn chess (or any strategy game). Chess is said to be a terrific game to learn strategy and hone your brainpower. Not only do you have fun playing it, you also get to exercise your analytical skills. You can also learn strategy from other board games or computer games.
23. Let go of the past. Holding on to your past grievance and unhappiness prevents you from moving on and becoming a better person. The best way to tackle this situation is to break free from the past, forgive yourself, and just move on.
24. Take a break. Have you been working too hard? Personal growth is also about recognizing our need to take a break from the longer mile ahead. A wood cutter must sharpen his axe to keep cutting at ease. Take some time off for yourself every week. Relax, rejuvenate and charge yourself up for what’s up ahead.
25. Commit to your personal growth. If you have no intention of being committed to your personal growth, nothing is going to work. We are responsible for our personal growth and no anyone else. Make the decision to commit to your personal growth and embrace yourself to a life-long journey of improvement.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article or anything about personal improvement. You can share your thoughts in a comment below!