Shy of another scheme, a world overflowing with constant pressure to get better and be the best has caused the idea of “becoming the best version of yourself” to be very popular. It is not just a trendy catchphrase, but in fact a true want of growth and self actualization. No matter what it is that you want to excel in whether it is career, interpersonal relationships, mental health or just overall fullfillment starting on the road of becoming the best version of yourself is a journey worth taking.
But what’s the way to being the best version of yourself? Is it that there’s a secret formula? What are the instructions? The reality is that becoming your best self is a specialized process of discovery, awareness and behavior. In this guide we’ll explore the actions you can take that will help you start this journey, whether that is changing your mindset or taking tangible actions every day.
1. Knows What It Is to Be Your Best Self
In order to being the journey of becoming the best version of yourself, it is critical to defining what that means for you. The fact is, to many, best is relative — what’s best for one might not be ideal for another. The first step is self-reflection, where you take time to ask yourself:
- What do I value most in life?
- What kind of person do I aspire to be?
- What areas of my life need improvement or change?
Maybe your version of “best” looks like personal fulfillment, achieving work life balance, or improving relationships and your inner peace. Firstly, you are not aiming to be perfect but to be the person whose values and goal are aligned (or in the process of aligning).
2. Take up Self Awareness and Acceptance
An understanding of self is the beginning of personal growth. If you want to improve, you can’t improve what you don’t understand, so take the time to be more in tune with who you are—the strengths and the weaknesses. For this type of change to happen, you need to reflect within yourself deeply and create an honest assessment of what are your behaviors, habits, emotions and whether your thought patterns are the right ones or not.
Another self awareness tool are journals. Writing down your thoughts and experiences can help you have insights in how you respond to certain things, what makes you feel bad and what makes you do things.
Just as important is self acceptance. Being the best version of yourself doesn’t mean you can’t fail or make mistakes. That means setbacks, imperfections, failures, you’re allowed to have all of that. Because in reality, part of being your best self is accepting yourself, and all your flaws, and embracing your authentic self. Self loathing isn’t what’s going to encourage you to grow – self compassion is.
3. Cultivate a Growth Mindset
To be the best version of yourself, you need to put yourself in a growth mindset—believing that you can develop your intelligence and abilities through effort and learning. If you have a fixed mindset, then you may imagine that your abilities are closed, that you can’t go beyond it, and that failure is proof of your worthless. But with a growth mindset, you are able to look on challenges as chances to grow, and failures as a precious learning experience.
By adopting a growth mindset you lay out the growing ground to continuously improve and be resilient. Setbacks aren’t dead ends — they’re detours to new pathways that will eventually prove to be valuable.
4. Set Clear, Achievable Goals
Self improvement involves setting goals. You need a sense of direction, and that means having clear vision about where you desire to go and what you desire to accomplish and achieve. Nevertheless, having vague or too excessive goals can usually result in disappointment and bat.
But, bursting your vision down into some clear, actionable bits. Begin with goals that are small and obtainable and consistent with your bigger goals. Goal setting is a great tool and the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time bound) framework is a great one for goal setting. A SMART goal is, for example, not ‘I want to be healthier’ but, ‘for the next month, I will exercise 30 minutes 5 times a week.’
That’s key, you also need to keep track of your progress. The rest: Celebrate small wins along the way and remember, that personal growth is a marathon, not a sprint.
5. Develop Healthy Habits
Habits mold so much of who we are on a day to day basis, and developing good productive habits is one of the best ways to become the best version of you. Begin by finding the habits you wish to attain and that reflect what you actually stand for. These might include:
- Exercise: Not only do you get your body in shape, but it also improves your mind and emotional well being. Try to spend as much time moving regularly as you can on a daily basis: yoga, running, or strength training may give you that movement fix that you need.
- Healthy eating: Filling your body with healthy foods furnishes your body with the energy and concentration required to accomplish your pursuits. Avoid extreme diets and go instead for balance and moderation.
- Mindfulness and meditation: A practice of mindfulness or meditation is always a good idea since it will make you stay in the present, reduce your stress, and also promote greater self awareness.
- Consistent sleep: Your mental and physical health is crucial: Rest. Make sure you get enough high quality sleep every night.
Don’t try to start five new habits at once, you’ll feel overwhelmed. These habits compound over time and you’ll end up with significant positive changes.
6. By prioritizing Mental Health and Well-being we can focus to support the needs of our community.
To tend your mental health is essential to being the best version of yourself. Mental wellbeing encompasses learning to handle stress, resilience and being in a position to manage our emotions. Practices that support mental health include:
- Therapy or counseling: If you’re dealing with mental health issues, professional support may be exactly what you need. Therapy is a good place to have your feelings expressed and learn better ways of coping.
- Meditation: Meditating regularly can reduce your anxiety, focus your attention, and help you feel more serene. In all honesty, it’s a very simple practice that could really change your life over time.
- Positive self-talk: What you say to yourself is how you speak to yourself. Mute all the negative self talk and replace it with encouraging, compassionate words. Choose affirmations that provide you with power and help you feel worthy.
To help you stay grounded and resilient on your journey, being mindful of your mental health, and practicing regularly emotional well being will be of great help.
7. Making Meaningful Relationships
Establishing relationships with people have a huge role in defining who you are. By surrounding yourself in positive, supportive people you will be able to inspire or lead them into becoming the best versions of themselves. However, just as important is letting go of toxic relationships at the same time.
Connecting with others meaningfully doesn’t happen by accident. It takes effort and intention. Focus on:
- Active listening: Being fully present in your conversation can enhance who you are to others, and allow for deeper connection in your relationships.
- Empathy and understanding: Try to be understanding, try to be empathetic in how you treat other people.
- Setting boundaries: Good relationships respect personal boundaries. Learn to say no when it would be necessary, and put relationships on the forefront that would foster your well being.
Surrounding yourself with people who lift you or hold you back, depending on who they are.
8. Do Something Out of Your Comfort Zone
You’re not growing when it’s comfortable. Being willing to take up uncomfortable new challenges is the only way forward if you are to become the best version of yourself. This could involve:
- Learning new skills: Learning new skills not only increases our confidence but also offers a springboard into new areas of your personal and professional life.
- Facing fears: Find out what it is you are afraid of and take baby steps to get over those fears. It could be public speaking, learning something new, or even conquering a daunting project — confronting our fears and doing the things that scare us most is a sure fire way into massive personal development.
- Taking risks: Don’t be afraid to fail. In order to become your best self, you need to take the calculated risks that come with career, relationships, or personal choices.
9. Gratitude and Positivity are the standout pillars of Happiness.
One powerful way to grow in personal growth is by cultivating a positive mindset and getting rid of a negative one. Gratitude is one of the best ways to create positivity.
Gratitude redirects your mind to what’s there and not to what’s not there. You can write in a daily journal noting 3 things you’re grateful for each day and you can practice gratitude. The more often you do this, the more your brain rewires to see the good and can really benefit your overall wellness.
Just like adopting a positive attitude doesn’t involve ignoring challenges or setbacks, it involves tackling them with a solution focused mindset. Thinking positively can be a positive thing, it can help increase resilience, improve problem solving and help your relationships.
10. Continuously Learn and Evolve
You are not the best version of yourself unless you are on the ongoing journey of becoming it. Commit to living in a state of letting go and change so to keep evolving, commit to lifelong learning. Formal education is just one piece of this, but so is learning from experiences good and bad, and from reflection.
Whether it be a book, a course, finding a mentor, or general curiosity, take it. In every experience, good and bad, you can pick up something new to learn about yourself and the world you’re in. Something remarkable will happen as you start growing and evolving into the best possible you.
Conclusion: Being as Good as You Can Be
Becoming the best version of yourself is a personal journey, and constantly changing. This takes self awareness, commitment and the courage to leave your comfort zone. If you focus on where you’re going, instead of where you’re at, and work on your personal growth, set clear goals, practice healthy habits and form meaningful relationships, you’ll keep moving forward in a life that’s more balanced, more fulfilled and more authentic.
The best version of you has yet to be created, it’s a work in progress. How you feel does not matter, what matters is every step you take, as every step you take, no matter how small, brings you closer to the best version of you. Be patient with yourself, enjoy what you’ve learned, and enjoy the ride.
Frotpox 