How to Be the Best of Yourself
Prioritize., Identify harmful habits., Practice healthy habits., Set goals., Avoid procrastination., Gain other perspectives., Treat other people well.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Prioritize.
Ask yourself what is most important to you in life.
Consider which values, activities, and people matter to you the most.
Commit to spending your time and energy on your biggest priorities, and avoid wasting time on things that don’t really matter to you.To determine your priorities, think about which aspects of your life you could live without, and which are essential to your happiness.
For instance, you might realize that watching TV isn’t a priority for you, but spending more time with your family is. -
Step 2: Identify harmful habits.
As humans, it is normal for us to be imperfect and to have poor habits.
In order to be the best version of ourselves, we need to identify any bad habits that we do have, and eliminate them.
There are some bad habits that are more obvious than others, such as smoking or drinking.
However, there are other bad habits that are not so obvious.
For example, you might lead an inactive lifestyle, where you sit all day and do not exercise often.
You may have irregular sleeping patterns that affect your mood and health, or you may engage in negative self-talk that lowers your self-esteem.
Once you are able to identify your bad habits, visualize how you want to be, and set goals to help you get there.
For example, perhaps you want to lose weight.
Instead of sitting on the couch all day watching television you could go for a daily walk in the park.
If you feel sluggish and fatigued all of the time, you can create a sleep schedule that states when you go to bed and when you wake up. , Taking care of your physical and mental health is a key component of self-development.
Stay physically healthy by eating a varied, nutritious diet, getting some exercise every day, and sleeping eight hours every night.
To maintain good mental health, meditate regularly and learn to manage your stress in a positive way.A few good ways to manage stress include setting healthy boundaries, doing deep breathing exercises, and writing in a journal.
Good habits develop over time with repetition and self-determination.
You will need to be consistent and persistent in your attempts, especially if you are trying to replace a bad habit with a good one. , Think about what you want to achieve, both in your personal life and at work or school.
Then find ways to make it happen.
As you achieve your goals, set new ones to work towards.Set goals that are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.
For instance, instead of setting a vague goal like “write a novel,” you could set a goal to write a 60,000-word rough draft in two months. , Get important tasks done right away instead of leaving them until the last minute.
Limit your access to time-wasting activities until you’ve checked everything off your to-do list for the day.For instance, if you’re tempted to play video games in your room, do your homework at the library instead.
If you have an ongoing problem with procrastination, you may find it helpful to ask yourself what you’re really trying to avoid, and why. , Whether you have bad behavioral habits (such as spending too much money) or mental habits (like insecurity or low self-esteem), try reaching out to others to gain a different perspective on the situation.
Tell them how you feel and how you would like to improve yourself.
Choose someone you trust who has good qualities that you admire and respect.
Make sure that this person will validate your need for change.
They should give you valuable advice and not just tell you to “get over it.” , Be courteous and polite when you interact with others.
Lend a hand if someone around you needs help.
Avoid putting other people down or gossiping.For instance, if you have a new co-worker, show them around and make them feel welcome.
Use good manners all the time, even when you’re stressed or feeling down. -
Step 3: Practice healthy habits.
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Step 4: Set goals.
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Step 5: Avoid procrastination.
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Step 6: Gain other perspectives.
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Step 7: Treat other people well.
Detailed Guide
Ask yourself what is most important to you in life.
Consider which values, activities, and people matter to you the most.
Commit to spending your time and energy on your biggest priorities, and avoid wasting time on things that don’t really matter to you.To determine your priorities, think about which aspects of your life you could live without, and which are essential to your happiness.
For instance, you might realize that watching TV isn’t a priority for you, but spending more time with your family is.
As humans, it is normal for us to be imperfect and to have poor habits.
In order to be the best version of ourselves, we need to identify any bad habits that we do have, and eliminate them.
There are some bad habits that are more obvious than others, such as smoking or drinking.
However, there are other bad habits that are not so obvious.
For example, you might lead an inactive lifestyle, where you sit all day and do not exercise often.
You may have irregular sleeping patterns that affect your mood and health, or you may engage in negative self-talk that lowers your self-esteem.
Once you are able to identify your bad habits, visualize how you want to be, and set goals to help you get there.
For example, perhaps you want to lose weight.
Instead of sitting on the couch all day watching television you could go for a daily walk in the park.
If you feel sluggish and fatigued all of the time, you can create a sleep schedule that states when you go to bed and when you wake up. , Taking care of your physical and mental health is a key component of self-development.
Stay physically healthy by eating a varied, nutritious diet, getting some exercise every day, and sleeping eight hours every night.
To maintain good mental health, meditate regularly and learn to manage your stress in a positive way.A few good ways to manage stress include setting healthy boundaries, doing deep breathing exercises, and writing in a journal.
Good habits develop over time with repetition and self-determination.
You will need to be consistent and persistent in your attempts, especially if you are trying to replace a bad habit with a good one. , Think about what you want to achieve, both in your personal life and at work or school.
Then find ways to make it happen.
As you achieve your goals, set new ones to work towards.Set goals that are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound.
For instance, instead of setting a vague goal like “write a novel,” you could set a goal to write a 60,000-word rough draft in two months. , Get important tasks done right away instead of leaving them until the last minute.
Limit your access to time-wasting activities until you’ve checked everything off your to-do list for the day.For instance, if you’re tempted to play video games in your room, do your homework at the library instead.
If you have an ongoing problem with procrastination, you may find it helpful to ask yourself what you’re really trying to avoid, and why. , Whether you have bad behavioral habits (such as spending too much money) or mental habits (like insecurity or low self-esteem), try reaching out to others to gain a different perspective on the situation.
Tell them how you feel and how you would like to improve yourself.
Choose someone you trust who has good qualities that you admire and respect.
Make sure that this person will validate your need for change.
They should give you valuable advice and not just tell you to “get over it.” , Be courteous and polite when you interact with others.
Lend a hand if someone around you needs help.
Avoid putting other people down or gossiping.For instance, if you have a new co-worker, show them around and make them feel welcome.
Use good manners all the time, even when you’re stressed or feeling down.
About the Author
Beverly Ward
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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