Like most people, I want to improve myself. I want to continue to learn how to be better everyday. So I read a lot of articles that promise to help me be better, do better, gain more hours in the day and learn how to use those extra hours more efficiently. I’ve read so many articles about these subjects that I should be the best at everything I do, have an unlimited amount of time to do whatever I want and be super efficient. Unfortunately none of that is true.
When we read self-improvement articles, how do we apply the things that we’ve read to our real lives? I tend to forget the things I’ve read and go about my life in much the same way as I did before. I think this is a common occurrence. The way we live our lives can become habit. Someone might yell and slam a door when he’s angry just because that’s what he’s done all of his life. That’s what’s comfortable to him. Humans like comfort even when that comfort is not good for us.
When I’m trying to change an aspect of my life that’s become a habit, I find it helps me to make a plan. I write a very specific plan and a list of goals. Then I read my plan several times a day to make sure it is fresh in my mind.
I was once painfully shy. When I was in college I decided to change that. I started out by making a plan. I decided to go to more social events. I also decided to talk to new people everyday. I made specific goals about the number of new people I would talk to and the social events I would attend. Shyness is a difficult thing to overcome, and I struggled. I kept with it though. I read my plan and goals often and kept track of when I met them. I’m still not the life of the party. You won’t see me dancing on a table with a lamp shade on my head. I never wanted to be that. Social occasions don’t fill me with the anxiety they once did. That’s good enough for me.
We are all on a path in life. Often times we want to change that path. We can only change our paths through effort and action. This might be frightening. It will most probably be difficult. That just means that the change is worth wild.
What are some positive changes that you’ve made in your life? How did you make them?
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2 Comments
Write a Comment»Great advice about doing plans. This summer I went to a training and they recommend writing plans and also noting your progress on your plan so you feel you are making improvements. It has helped me and it’s also rewarding to write down steps in my plan that I have accomplished.
I agree. It’s also good to write down your progress. It keeps you going. So many times we times we just focus on our failures.