As you embark on your path of growth and self-improvement, the small steps you take to improve yourself today will translate to significant changes in the future. But, taking steps to improve yourself on a personal level is a labor of love, and it’s also easier said than done.
For many people, they have the desire to improve, but they just don’t know where to start. If that sounds like you, then don’t worry, you’re in good hands. Today, we’re going to cover a myriad of different self-growth tips that can help push you forward on your journey of personal development.
Self-Growth Tips For Your Mind
From our thoughts to our actions, all things start with our minds. So, it makes perfect sense for us to begin our collection of self-growth tips by focusing on things you can do that will nourish your mind.
1. Read More Books
Reading is a fundamental activity that too many of us overlook, and it’s a great way to grow as a person. Not only is reading fun and relaxing, but there are tons of benefits associated with reading that you may be overlooking.
Reading can help stave off the mental decline that comes with aging, reduce stress, and provide a sense of tranquility. Plus, reading can help you learn more, retain more information, expand your vocabulary, and make you a better writer.
Of course, committing to reading is harder than it should be. But it doesn’t have to be. Start by picking a book you know you’ll be interested in, and commit to reading one chapter each night until you’re finished. Then, choose a new book and start the process over.
2. Keep a To-Do List
Keeping a to-do list is a surefire way to increase your productivity while also ensuring that you address the most critical tasks you need to complete each day.
A to-do list provides a road map for navigating your day, and it can keep you from getting “lost” with trivial tasks that aren’t doing much to move the needle forward.
Of course, just writing down everything you need to do won’t be especially helpful. No, you need to ensure that your list is manageable, and only focuses on the most critical tasks you need to complete. If you have time after you’ve knocked off the essential items on your list, then you can add some smaller and more trivial tasks if time permits.
A sure-fire way to keep your to-do list from becoming unmanageable is to write it on a Post-it. The tiny size will prevent you from bogging down your list with tons of additional tasks, allowing you instead to focus on what’s most important.
3. Practice Visualization
The power of the mind is well documented, and we know that visualization is a powerful tool for athletes, businesspeople, and the uber-successful. But, even if you’re none of the above, you can still benefit from making visualization part of your daily routine.
What should you visualize? That depends entirely on what you do and what you’d like to accomplish. If you’re a marketing executive by trade, perhaps you spend five minutes each morning visualizing a perfect day where you crush a morning meeting, tie up loose ends with projects, and submit proposals. Whatever you do, anchor your visualization to your reality.
4. Learn a New Skill
When you’re looking for ways to grow as a person, putting a new feather in your proverbial cap is a great way to do it. Learning new skills helps to build self-confidence, and as you learn more, your excitement will fuel you to keep learning even more. Plus, learning can be fun, and there’s a good chance you may pick up a lifelong hobby in the process.
Thanks to the internet, so many of the barriers that separate us from learning have been removed. Today, we’re a series of YouTube videos away from picking up virtually any new skill, from Photoshop to computer programming to learning to weld.
If you’re ready to tackle learning a new skill, start with something that you’re already interested in because you’ll be more likely to follow through and continue learning.
5. Be More Proactive
One thing that most of us are guilty of is starting our day out reactively, instead of with a proactive approach.
For many people, you wake up and start your morning by grabbing a cup of coffee and then signing on to check your emails or browse your social media profiles. As soon as you start browsing, you’re immediately focusing on others instead of yourself. Considering how valuable the morning is, start a routine where you focus first on yourself before giving in to the urge to check your work inbox or hit up Facebook.
6. Start Playing Strategy Games
People have played games like chess for centuries to strengthen their analytical abilities and improve their brain capacity. Research shows that chess is a great way to raise your IQ and develop problem-solving skills like logic and analysis. Plus, it’s fun to play, and it’s quite relaxing as well.
You don’t need to limit yourself exclusively to chess, either. Other strategy games like Chinese Checkers, Othello, Stratego, and WarCraft are are great examples of fun games that can help you exercise your mind and improve your mental capacity.
7. Learn a New Language
Learning a new language is one of the most significant ways to expand your mind, and it may also be one of the most beneficial, as well.
For one, learning a new language is a skill that may unlock new professional opportunities for you since being bi-lingual is a requirement for certain positions. Even if you don’t have your eye on a new career, learning a language can help improve your memory, creativity, and ability to multitask. Some research suggests it can even make your brain bigger.
Plus, learning a new language is a fantastic way to develop an appreciation for other cultures, so it’s a great way to enrich your mind as well as your spirit.
8. Learn to Love the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is one of the most useful productivity hacks on earth, and it’s something that some of the most productive people in the world use to get more done.
The Pomodoro Technique is named after the Pomodoro kitchen timer, which was a popular kitchen timer in the ‘80s that was shaped like a tomato. The concept of the technique is easy to understand:
- Pick a task you’ll concentrate on for 25 minutes
- Set your timer for 25 minutes, and begin the task
- Focus exclusively on the task with no distractions until the timer goes off
- Take a five-minute break
Now, you’ve completed your first Pomodoro! Complete three more Pomodoros, then take a fifteen-minute break. When I did my first series of Pomodoros, I was blown away by the amount of work and the quality of work that I was able to get done in just over two hours of time.
9. Spend Less Time in Front of the Television
Television can be a great way to unwind at the end of a long day, and in some ways, TV can have a positive effect on your overall well being. But, too much time in front of the TV isn’t a good thing, and it can cause you to create bad habits that are counterintuitive to your personal growth.
While we encourage you to take time to watch your favorite shows each week, you’ll want to avoid spending hours of your free time staring at the television screen. Today, there’s more entertainment available than ever before, and it seems like each day a new streaming service crops up for you to binge-watch your favorite stories.
It’s essential to resist the temptation to spend too much time in front of the TV so that you can instead invest that time in activities that are going to help you grow as a person.
Self-Growth Tips for your Body
Now that we’ve shared some of the most useful personal growth tips for your mind let’s move on to some ways that you can grow through optimizing your body.
10. Normalize Your Sleep Routine
Normalizing your sleep schedule is excellent advice that can help us awake feeling more refreshed, fall asleep faster, and tackle the day with more energy and greater zeal.
Close to 50% of all Americans say that poor sleep has affected their activities the next day within the last seven days. Not only is it essential to ensure you’re getting enough sleep, but it’s also important to adopt a regular sleep schedule.
Sticking to a sleep schedule will help you to fall asleep more quickly and awake with more energy. Over time, your sleep schedule will also allow you to get better quality sleep.
11. Join a Team
Joining a team is some of the best self-growth advice you’ll ever receive because it touches on so many different areas of personal development.
First, there’s the physical aspect of team sports. Even less active games like darts or billiards are still good ways to get up and get moving. Sports that are more physically demanding will also help to get you in better shape. Plus, playing sports as an adult can help you develop and hone useful skills that you can use in other aspects of your life.
Many of the same benefits associated with youth sports carry over into adulthood as well. Playing on a team can help you solve problems, improve your relationships with others, and help create meaningful social bonds that transcend the game itself.
12. Commit to the Gym
If you’re only committed to improving certain parts of yourself, you’ll never reach your true potential. So, that means committing to and sticking with an exercise routine.
Of course, your routine doesn’t need to be as rigid as daily trips to the gym. If all you can commit to is a few leisurely jogs through your neighborhood each week, you’re still taking meaningful steps towards self-growth. There’s nothing wrong with becoming a gym rat, either, if you can manage to fit it into your schedule.
Finding the motivation to hit the gym isn’t always easy, but there are some ways that you can make it easier for yourself to commit to the gym and stay accountable.
For one, finding a partner to head to the gym with is a great idea. Not only will it make your workouts more fun, but you’ll also be able to hold each other accountable for your scheduled gym time.
Scheduling your exercise time during parts of the day that are usually less busy will also help you to stay committed to working out. This way, you’ll be less inclined to cancel your workout time because something else came up.
Finally, reward yourself for your hard work and progress when you hit predefined goals. For example, if you commit to the gym three days a week for an hour at a time, and you stick to your schedule for six months, reward yourself with something special.
13. Give Yoga a Try
Yoga is an incredibly useful practice that can provide benefits for your body, mind, and spirit, which makes it one of the most valuable things you can do for self-growth.
For your body, practicing yoga can help you develop flexibility, strength, and muscle tone, all while helping you to lose weight. Yoga also helps to balance your metabolism, improve your respiratory function, and so much more.
But the benefits of yoga don’t end there. Practicing yoga can also help you to reduce stress, find tranquility, and relax your mind. Many people credit their yoga practice with providing increased energy, a clearer head, and an overall feeling of well-being that was absent before they began practicing yoga.
14. Eat Better
Whether you’re guilty of devouring a pint of ice cream while watching Netflix, or you eat too much red meat or fried food, we all have eating habits that could use a bit of improvement. There are a myriad of benefits associated with adopting a healthier diet, and eating better can help propel you on your path of self-growth.
Consider making small changes, like eating less fried or processed foods, or opting for a plant-based option instead of meat for a few meals each week. You may be surprised by how good you feel after making small positive changes to your diet.
Self-Growth Tips For Your Spirit
We often think of our mind and body as being the total package. But, the truth is, if you aren’t also nourishing your spirit, it’s going to be difficult to fully realize all the growth and progress you could be making. Here are some great tips to help ensure that your growing in spirit as well as growing in body and mind.
15. Create an Inspiring Space
It’s amazing the role that the energy and feel of a room play as far as how much creative energy we feel when we walk into that space. As you’d imagine, a place that inspires you will draw the best out of you, whereas a room that’s cluttered or poorly designed can have the opposite effect.
If you’re looking to grow as a person, building an inspiring space that you feel comfortable creating in is a great place to start. If you think that your room is dull, cluttered, or uninspired, commit to revamping the room so you have a space that you feel comfortable and free in, so that you can do your best work. Plus, a room redesign is a great way to indulge your creativity.
16. Face Your Fears
Regardless of what it may be, we all harbor some irrational fears that we should address now in the name of self-growth.
Maybe you’re scared of public speaking, or heights. Or, perhaps, you’re scared of failure or change. Whatever it is that you’re afraid of, you’re likely to find that the things you’re afraid of are far less scary than you thought they were if you make an effort to address them.
17. Write Your Future Self a Letter
Who do you want to be this time next year? Who do you want to be in five years? We all have different answers to these questions, but committing them to paper is a tangible step that may make it easier for you to commit to the work necessary towards achieving your goals.
Take a few minutes and write a letter to yourself in the future. Start by writing a letter to yourself in six months or a year from now. Then, take time to think about what you need to do to become the person you hope to be and do the work to become that person.
Not only will your letter help keep you accountable for doing the work necessary to become the person you want to be, but it’ a great way to track your progress and reflect on how far you’ve come.
18. Take Up Meditation
It wouldn’t be a self-help article if we didn’t mention how powerful meditation can be, would it? But, in all seriousness, meditation is a practice that can enrich several aspects of your life. For many people, myself included, meditation wasn’t the most straightforward concept to grasp. But, with plenty of practice and a bit of research, you begin to realize the benefits that meditation can have.
The benefits of meditation are plentiful, and they touch aspects of your mind, body, and spirit. Multiple studies have shown that meditation can help reduce feelings of anxiety and social anxiety, improve your attention span and your ability to concentrate.
Plus, the act of meditating involves setting aside “me” time each day, which is a practice that too few of us can engage in. For some people, taking time out to relax and be with themselves is more important than the actual act of meditation.
19. Let Go of What Burdens You
Most of us spend too much time harboring resentment for things in the past that are entirely beyond our control. While it may not seem important, the weight of that resentment may be weighing on you, and that may have implications in other aspects of your life.
Holding onto events, people, or things in your past that isn’t healthy or productive for you is a burden that can impede you from growing on a personal level. One of the most meaningful steps you can take as you grow is to unburden yourself of that which you can’t change.
20. Be More Kind to Everyone Around You
Each and every one of us is dealing with a struggle that strangers know nothing about. We spend so much time entangled in our own busy lives that we often forget the power of kindness. Being more kind to those around you won’t cost a thing, but it can profoundly improve your life, and make others feel good in the process.
21. Write in a Journal
So many of us kept journals in our younger years. A journal is a place to confess your fears, recount your struggles, and set your intentions for the future. While it’s a habit most of us lose as we get older, keeping a journal is a great outlet to nourish your spirit and support your mental health.
The act of journaling can be relaxing and therapeutic, and it’s also an excellent way for you to track the progress you’re making towards your goals.
22. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
This tip is easier said than done because no one likes doing things that are uncomfortable to them. But, learning to step outside of your comfort zone may be one of the best things you can do to help yourself grow.
The truth is, there’s so much living to be done outside of the tiny bubble in which we’re comfortable, and stepping outside of your comfort zone can expose you to a myriad of enriching experiences that can help you grow.
Aspire to do one thing each day that’s outside of your comfort zone, and you may be surprised by how much you’re able to grow on a personal level.
23. Spend Time With Positive People (Or, Avoid Negative People)
Whether or not you believe in the power of subconscious energy, surrounding yourself with positive people certainly can’t do any harm. To the contrary, spending too much time with negative people will leave you with a negative mindset.
By aligning with those who are positive and encouraging, you’ll attract things that are positive in return.
24. Practice Gratitude
As we strive for more, it’s easy to forget what we’re already thankful for. Learning to appreciate what you have and showing gratitude for the good things in your life is clear evidence of self-growth.
25. Seek a Mentor
A mentor can be an indispensable tool to help you grow on a personal level, and many of the most successful people in the world credit their mentors for their success.
A mentor can help keep you on track and accountable to your goals, while also providing you with advice and knowledge to help you achieve them.
26. Cook For Yourself
There are hundreds of reasons why you may want to order in or throw something in the microwave. Shopping for ingredients can be time-consuming, cooking itself is time-consuming, the list goes on. But, finding time to cook for yourself has a multitude of benefits, and it’s something you should consider as you strive to grow as a person.
Not only is cooking for yourself healthier than ordering in, but it can also be therapeutic and enriching for your mind, body, and spirit.
27. Dress for the Job you Want
This adage holds true today just as it has in generations past. A professional appearance projects confidence and people will show you the respect that your appearance commands. In your personal and professional life, being well-groomed can help you make a strong impression.
28. Learn Your Limits
As humans, we’re constantly striving for better. As we add more things to our plate, it’s going to be crucial to understand our limits and know when it’s time to take a break. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself when you feel that you’re overloaded.
Conclusion
All told, there are thousands of different things you can do that can help to enrich your mind, body, and spirit, and help propel you forward on your journey of self-growth. Of course, if you try and adopt a ton of new habits at once, you’re likely to find that you aren’t making the progress you’d hoped for with regard to self-growth.
Keep in mind that self-growth is a marathon, not a race. Start by making small changes geared towards improving yourself, and incorporate new practices and habits into your routine as a manageable pace. Before you know it, you will have made meaningful progress in becoming your best self.
