Develop A Self-Improvement Plan for Your Best Life

I used to think that if I just worked hard enough, at some point my self-improvement efforts could come to an end.  I would reach a point at which I’d mastered this thing called Life.  Well, I’ve been working on self-improvement for decades, and what I can tell you is this: Self-improvement doesn’t end.  Rather, it’s a life-long journey.  It’s a journey that only ends on the day that you die.  Until then, there always will be areas where you can improve!  As a result, it’s critical to have a self-improvement plan.

Now, admittedly you could work on improving yourself without a plan.  But the problem with that kind of ad hoc approach is that you won’t get very far.  You’ll work on whatever issue happens to come your way that day.  So, you’ll work on patience on the day that you were impatient.  Then the next day, you may work on your diet if your doctor tells you that your cholesterol is too high.  And so on, and so forth.  Having a plan helps you to be consistent with your efforts. 

Now, you may say, “Well, I’m busy!  I have a job and household responsibilities.  I don’t have time to improve myself.”  Sure you do!  You just have to make your self-improvement efforts part of your lifestyle.

Below are 4 areas which should be the foundation of your self-improvement plan.  Focus your self-improvement efforts on these areas, and become the best YOU possible!

Physical Health

Our physical health significantly impacts how we experience life.  After all, life is a lot easier when we feel good physically.  And yet, our physical health is something that most of us take for granted… until we face a health issue! 

Realize that even if you are basically healthy, your physical health still should be a part of your self-improvement plan.  For instance, I’m always trying to improve my diet.  I grew up in a meat-eating household, so unfortunately, I didn’t learn about the benefits of a vegetarian diet until later in life.  But over the years, as I’ve become more educated about good nutrition, I’ve switched over to a plant-based diet.  I might eat fish on the rare occasion, but these days, my diet is mainly comprised of beans, vegetables and fruit.   As a result, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been in my life.

What I’ve found is that flexibility is key if you want to improve your physical health.  You can’t be stuck in your ways. Sadly, I know people who are very stuck in their ways.  So, the idea of giving up meat or alcohol is difficult for them, even if objectively, they would be healthier by doing so.  But if you want to become healthier, you have to be willing to make necessary changes. 

So, make your physical health part of your self-improvement plan.  And don’t be stuck in your ways.  Instead, get excited about adopting new habits so that you can have the healthiest body possible!

Intellectual Health

We often think that once our schooling is done, we no longer need to be concerned with our intellectual health.  We think, “Hooray!  I graduated!  Those days of learning are over.”  Let me assure you that nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, I’d argue that the day that you graduate is the day when you can start to truly enjoy learning.

For example, I remember being in high school and university and questioning my love of learning.  I would love a topic, whether it was history or literature.  And then the assigned readings and textbooks would be so mind-numbing that I would think to myself, “Maybe I really don’t like U.S. History.”  Or, “I thought I loved reading novels, but maybe I was wrong.”

However, I wasn’t wrong.  As soon my formal education ended, I wisely decided to start my real education.  So, I began reading high quality, well-written books.  For example, over the course of two years, I read all the works of the great American author, Toni Morrison.  I read books by Sarah Vowell, who writes about U.S. history in an engaging fashion.  And soon, I expanded my reading to works about philosophy and religion by writers who made those topics come alive.

I would encourage you to make your intellectual health a priority today.  If you enjoyed school, that’s great.  But if you didn’t enjoy school, or if you didn’t do well in school, realize that says nothing about your ability to be a life-long learner.  Figure out which topics interest you.  Then read works on those topics written not by academics or textbook authors, but by top-notch writers who really can make those topics interesting for you.

Relationship Skills

The irony of being a human being is that we are meant to have relationships with other people.  We simply aren’t built to be hermits.  And yet, relating to others in a consistently positive way can be challenging for all of us, at times.

That’s why improving your relationships skills should be an integral part of your self-improvement plan.  We each should be working on how to better relate to other people. 

To that end, there is a great acronym – T.H.I.N.K. – which you can use to dramatically improve your relationship skills.  Before you say anything to anyone, either in person or by text or email, ask yourself the following T.H.I.N.K. questions.

T =  Is it true?

H = Is it helpful?

I = Is it inspiring?

N = Is it necessary?

K = Is it kind?

Unfortunately, a lot of what we say in life does not pass the T.H.I.N.K. Test.  And when we fail the T.H.I.N.K. Test, it’s then that we have relationship problems.

So, make improving your relationship skills part of your self-improvement plan.  Consider using acronyms like T.H.I.N.K. to help you improve how you relate to others.

Mental Stability

Our mental health is one of those areas in life that we all tend to neglect.  Sadly, it’s only when our mental health becomes a problem that we then decide to give it our attention. 

I would strongly urge you to not wait until you face issues before committing to work on your mental health. Instead, make boosting your mental health part of your self-improvement plan today.  Realize that caring for your mental health should be something that you do every day.  Like brushing your teeth, you should be caring for your mental health on a daily basis.

Now, if you are trying to identify ways to improve your mental health, you might ask yourself these questions: 

How do I respond to bumps in the road of life?  Do fly off the handle?  Do I fall apart?  Or do I approach my problems in a calm manner?

Do I feel sad even though there isn’t anything objectively wrong with my life?  Or, if there are things in my life that need to be fixed, am I unwilling to take the necessary steps to fix them?  If so, why?  What is stopping me?

Do I drink alcohol every evening?  Do I binge drink on the weekends?  Am I addicted to cigarettes or other substances?  Could I simply stop drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes for six months without issue?

I could go on, but you get my point.  If you really want to improve your mental health, you have to be willing to ask yourself some tough questions.  And while the answers may not be pleasant, they are the starting point for creating a self-improvement plan for your mental health.

If you want to live your best life possible, create a self-improvement plan.  Today.  Decide to improve your physical, intellectual and mental health, as well as your relationship skills.  Realize that a self-improvement plan is the best gift that you can give yourself to be a happier and healthier YOU! (If you would like to read about how to make self-improvement a daily habit, click here.)