To better yourself, first begin with an honest evaluation of where you are in relation to where you want to go. To understand where you are allows you to more clearly judge the steps you need to take to get to where you need to go.
Example; ( here are some sample categories, list all you feel are relevant but at least do these )
-Health-
I'm currently in ok shape, I do 30 minutes ish of exercise a day 4-5 days a week. I run 3-5 times a week. I stretch on occasion. I work at a job in which I'm on my feet for 4-8 hours nonstop.
-Job/Income-
I'm currently making minimum wage at a job I don't mind / kind of enjoy. ( mostly ) good people here + very little to no stress +++ and a great location + , I also get to give free food to homeless people and hook up friends and family +++
-Education- ( optional, higher education is not for all though greatly encouraged )
I'm not yet enrolled in college
-Life-
I'm currently engaged to a woman I both adore and love. I have very low to no stress in my life. I'm mostly satisfied with my body. I don't have enough hobbies. I have a simple and pleasant living situation.
The more accurate your self analysis the more clear your path to bettering yourself becomes. I listed health/job/education/life because I feel these are areas everyone on earth should constantly strive to better. If you really want to better yourself, not just say it but actually do it and not half ass it or give up on it, but really want to better yourself, now that we have an honest self assessment of our life, we now need goals.
Goals are where you want to go. Goals are how, if you could wave your magic wand and make it so, are what you want in life. Some are realistic. Some are unrealistic. Some are short term. Some are long term. All are important however because when we know what we want, and we know where we are at, then all we have to do is draw a line from one to the other. After that, its simply a matter of waking up everyday and heading down your path to accomplishing your goals. It's really this easy for anyone to do anything. Nothing can stop you but yourself.
Now, we list our general goals, our short term goals and our long term goals for each category.
Example;
-Health-
General; I wish to be extremely physically fit and flexible as well as acrobatic, have good dexterity and agility.
Short term; I'm going to create a once daily work out routine minimum 30 minutes. I'm going to start jogging everywhere I go , be it anywhere I would have walked ( 80% of the time I travel by foot ). I'm going to create a wake up 20 minute routine to do every single day as well as a before bed 20 minute routine I do every day. I'm going to make sure to do the splits before I do my run, after I do my run, and during my routines ( morning/evening/onceaday ).
Long term; I want to be able to do a 1 armed pull up. I want to be able to do 1 armed pushups. I want to be able to do 30+ pull ups as well as 30+ chin ups. I want to learn to do a front flip on flat ground. I want to be able to do the splits completely.
-Job/Income-
General; I wish to contribute something to the world. I don't want to just make money or have a "good" job. I want to feel me going to work helps the world out. I want to begin my career by age 30. This will hopefully be school teacher by age 30, but if I'm still just a personal trainer at age 30 then I hope to be very close to becoming a school teacher at that point.
Short term; I'm going to enroll in college asap. I'm going to get certified as a personal trainer asap. I will continue to spend practically nothing while saving up for our future. Keep an eye out for decent paying not shiatty jobs in the mean time to help support me and my family/friends.
Long term; Finish college within 3 years to be able to begin teaching. Keep the personal trainer job at least part time once I begin teaching as I feel I will enjoy helping people become physically capable/fit.
-Education-
General; I want to better myself. I want to continue to challenge my mind. I want to be very quick of mind and intelligent. I want to get into college and take a lot of classes.
Short term; enroll in college asap. Find some good hobbies. Read some books. Stop wasting my time either on the internet or watching tv.
Long term; To finish college within 3 years. To continue to goto college for the sake of bettering myself though casually. To limit most if not all tv watching, though movies are ok.
-Life-
General; To contribute to the world. To become a better person. To become more patient and understanding. To get married someday soon. To feel like I am a valuable asset to everyone who knows me. To figure out life. To never stop seeking ways to better myself. on and on....
Short term; to continue to meet my physcial fitness goals and exceed them. Stop wasting my time sitting in front of my computer doing nothing. start giving more hugs to family and friends. Write more. To finish what I start. To continue to think through life and understand life better.
Long term; Have a happy stress free life. To quote the fool " Keep on keeping on "
Now that we have our goals written down, It is very important to create a step by step plan for yourself to meet your short term goals every day. Have a daily plan. Have a weekly plan. Come back to your goals at least once a week to both remember and reinforce your goals. As time goes on, we often fall into lazyness. The path of least resistance. With our goals written down, and to constantly come back and re-read both your short term goals ( to make sure your sticking to it every day ) and your long term goals ( to understand what you seek and to keep yourself motivated in pursuing it ) we don't have to succumb to lazyness. Even if you enjoy "taking it easy" and lounging, you can still have goals and accomplish them. Know what you want, know how your going to get it, and work hard at it. Stay motivated!
Find your motivation. Motivation is critical for those days or moments when you feel like you just don't want to continue to better yourself. Everyone goes there. 2 weeks of working out and you feel you've not improved. A year goes by and your still at your same job. You fail a big test and have to take a class over again. Motivation is your helping hand. Everyone needs help at one point or another. Or at the very least everyone could make use of good help at one point or another. Motivation will be the fire that keeps you going forward. You know where you are, what you want, and with your motivation to push you tword your goals, nothing can stop you! List what motivates you, what goal its relevant tword and why it motivates you. Even if its just a song that gets you moving, or a moment in your life that encouraged you or a loved one you strive to be like.
Example;
I wish to be more acrobatic, this youtube video inspires me because I wish I could do all that stuff. Someday I will be able to!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fouvwilGWc
As a prior Marine, Just thinking about my time in service motivates me to continue to challenge myself in every part of my life.
Chloe from the anime series " Noir " inspires me to become a ninja. I wish I was as awsome as her, someday I will be!
Lastly, for this post, constantly re look over your life, your goals, and reevaluate. Make sure your pursuing your goals. Stay motivated. Re adjust your goals to keep up with your progress. Make new goals. Find more ways to pursue current goals.
Nicholas M Wolfwood
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