Why you Should Practice Self-Improvement

Introduction

You may hear of this practice of "self-improvement before", perhaps you even tried this practice and fell back to your old habits, or you were just overwhelmed on how to start off. As a participant in this self-development process, I have experienced many symptoms of withdrawal when completely quitting my old habits and attempting to replace them with new habits that are more beneficial like reading and writing. Several months after being on this journey, I have reaped the many benefits of self-improvement, and I am here to share my knowledge with the readers that are interested in getting into this practice and begin to find their purpose in life!

Starting Off

The first tip I am going to share is that you don't need to start off with big changes to see the benefits. Although it may work for some people in the short run, in the long run, it can make you more discouraged. Think about it, when you start with big changes, you use a lot of mental energy to get rid of that habit, some examples of that are deleting all social media applications or getting rid of all personal devices in your sight. For example, you may have heard of one of the best-selling books of all time "How to Win Friends and Influence People", the author Dale Carnegie started writing the book as a set of rules printed on small cards. Later on, in the years, he printed the rules of larger cards, then on several booklets. It approximately took Carnegie 15 years of research and preparation to publish everything in his book How to Win Friends and Influence People. In conclusion, taking smaller steps at a time requires less energy and is the foundation for larger, successful projects.

Now that you have an idea of how to start with this practice, I am going to share the main benefits of self-improvement and how they are achieved. Three main benefits are going to be listed in this article but there are many more benefits that come along with this practice, trust me, I encourage you to do a quick google search after reading this article!

Identify and Improve your Strengths

Going on this journey lets you find your strengths and allows you to enhance them. When you identify your strengths, you can then use them in daily activities in your life like your job or relationships. Once you enhance these strengths, you have a higher chance to attain success, which in return makes you have a happier life while having a productive one also. According to Berkeley Education, it states that you should practice, "thinking about one of your personal strengths and act on your strength as frequently as possible throughout the day" to "enhance your strengths and enjoy greater happiness"

Increase your Self-Awareness

Being self-aware of ourselves is something that most of us desire to be but we spend more time caring for other people and solving their problems, which as a result, limits the amount of time we have to ourselves. To start your self-improvement journey, it is required for you to become more self-aware and know yourself better. As you go through obstacles in your day-to-day life, it challenges you to adapt to these changes, therefore making you more aware of your thoughts and feelings. Putting yourself first is not selfish at all and you shouldn't feel guilty about doing so. According to Warwick University, "Being self-aware gives you the opportunity and freedom to change things about yourself, enabling you to create a life that you want".

Lower Overall Stress Levels

As you gradually develop yourself every day, it will be easier for you to handle your stress because you're getting used to handling situations as you develop yourself. Lowered stress levels are the direct effect of improving your strengths; as you improve your skills, you can do tasks quicker and efficiently, which makes you less stressed when doing that specific task you dread doing. Another great way of being less stressed that I personally implemented in my journey and has worked for me is creating a schedule or "to-do" list. Make one of these plans out your next day in an organized manner, so that you don't feel rushed trying to complete any tasks. If you were unable to complete all of your tasks on your to-do list due to unexpected occurrences like family time or extra work, that is completely fine.

Conclusion...Is That All?

In this article that you hopefully read (and not skipped to the conclusion), starting with small steps rather than large, exhausting steps is the way to go with doing your self-improvement journey. The three main benefits discussed were improved strengths, increased self-awareness, and lowered stress levels. Although these were the only benefits listed in this text, countless benefits come with self-improvement. All ranging physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, and socially. But it is impossible to fully better yourself in just one day, it is a lifelong journey, a lifelong journey that one should be dedicated to pursuing.

References:

Belin, A. (2021, January 12). The Importance of Self Improvement No Matter How Old You Are. Lifehack. https://www.lifehack.org/819195/importance-of-self-improvement

Morgan Roberts, L. (2022, January 4). How to Play to Your Strengths. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2005/01/how-to-play-to-your-strengths

Ackerman, C. E., MA. (2022, May 25). What Is Self-Awareness and Why Is It Important? [+5 Ways to Increase It]. PositivePsychology.Com. https://positivepsychology.com/self-awareness-matters-how-you-can-be-more-self-aware/

Lim, S. (2022, June 3). 5 Reasons Why Starting Small is the Key to Success. Addicted 2 Success | Quotes | Motivation & Success Advice. https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/5-reasons-why-starting-small-is-the-key-to-success/