You know you can’t stay the same. People who remain stagnant don’t stick around for long. So, you’re willing to change.
Deborah Day once said:
Recognizing that you are not where you want to be is a starting point to begin changing your life.
That’s where all leaders are. They know they’re not where they want to be, but they have an idea of where they want to go. They know they must change their life to become better.
But how do you do that? How do you improve yourself? I have 3 steps you can take to begin the journey to self-improvement.
3 Steps To Improving Yourself
Rumination:
Think of rumination as focusing on what’s been bothering you. You may call it chewing the cud. An animal, such as a cow, regurgitates part of their digested food. They chew on it again. Sometimes the process repeats itself. They’re getting the most out of their food as they can.
Rumination, or chewing the cud, for leaders means:
- Thinking deeply about what you want or need to change
- Pondering upon the process of change
You can’t begin to change yourself if you’re not sure what needs to change. Ruminate on what needs to change today.
Readiness:
The next step to change is to ready yourself. You need to prepare yourself for the coming change.
I love what Sarah Wehrei says about readiness or preparation:
Preparation is never lost time. Then seed you plant today will bring a harvest tomorrow
When you begin to prepare for change, you start to set the stage for a harvest in the future. You’re setting yourself up for success.
When you ready yourself for self-improvement, you may:
- Consider what needs to change
- Talk to friends, family, or confidants about what you need to change
- Attend conferences or read blogs about self-improvement
Before taking the next step, you need to prepare yourself. When you’re ready, you can then take the necessary steps.
Action:
The first two steps involve determining what needs to be improved and then preparing accordingly. The last step is to take action.
A great quote on action is attributed to G.K. Chesterton. Chesterton is thought to have said:
If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.
We may fail to take action on improving ourselves because we think we won’t do it well. We think we might embarrass ourselves because we won’t get it right the first time. We might have to try again and again.
According to the action quote, if it’s worth improving upon, it’s worth doing badly… until you can do it well.
No one is perfect the first time they try something. They have to try again and again. Each time, they gain more experience and learn how to improve.
Take action on your self-improvement journey today. Do it poorly. Until you can do it well.
It’s A Never-Ending Journey
The process of improving yourself is a never-ending journey. You’re always going to repeat the cycle. Again and again, you’ll notice areas that need improvement. You’ll then prepare yourself to take action. Lastly, you’ll take action and improve yourself.
Enjoy the journey of self-improvement. You’ll only get better the more you do it.
