Jumpstart Your Self-improvement Journey With This Simple Tip (Even if You’ve Fallen Off The Wagon)
I made more progress in 3 months than I did in 25 years
I have pursued self-improvement for most of my 25 years on Earth. Like most people, I struggled. At certain periods it was my consistency levels that let me down. Other times it was a lack of clarity and focus. And don’t forget the worst enemy of self-improvement, self-sabotage.
With my struggles came a lack of confidence, which led to falling off the wagon way too many times than I can count. It felt like whenever I took a step forward, I took two steps behind.
Maybe I will never meet my goals. I would often say to myself. Am I doomed to live a mediocre life?
In the last 3 months, I have experienced a turnaround. Self-improvement no longer feels like a chore. Taking action has become a breeze. I am less overwhelmed by my goals as I have been able to achieve massive clarity like never before.
The reason for this turnaround is simple. I challenged myself but in a very specific way.
We’ve heard this before
Challenging yourself if you want to improve is not new advice in the self-improvement sphere. The online gurus can’t shut up about it. Honestly, it’s good advice. However, if done wrong, you can overwhelm yourself fast, burn yourself out, or throw in the towel like I did.
If done right, (like you are about to find out) you will start a chain reaction of actions that will propel you through your self-improvement journey. With all that momentum, you will become unstoppable.
Do this Relentlessly
To rekindle your self-improvement journey, challenge yourself by doing one physical challenge and one mental challenge every single day. Here are critical reasons why it works.
Forces Action: You can’t grow unless you act. By deciding what your challenges are, you prevent your mind from doing the heavy lifting. You don’t spend hours procrastinating on what you need to do because that decision has been made beforehand.
Forces Clarity and Focus: Speaking of procrastination, I remember spending a whole week “figuring out what to do.” You have been there too. No need to feel embarrassed, this is a safe space. By picking one mental challenge and one physical challenge, you have no other option but to execute. You’ve got no excuses.
Triggers an Improvement Mindset: A few weeks into performing these challenges, I realized I automatically wanted to improve. I would find myself obsessing over what works, in the shower, at a function, before I fall asleep. This also improved my focus and clarity dramatically. I became genuinely eager to learn. When you are focused on one thing and work relentlessly and intentionally to get better, you have no other option but to improve.
Simplicity is always key
I have come across a host of self-improvement courses, tips, hacks, tricks, and the like online. Every “guru” or “expert” touts their stuff as the most effective (I am not saying they aren’t). However, you do yourself a lot of good by keeping things simple. One physical task, one mental task, every single day. That’s it!
Choosing simplicity allows you to set yourself up for success. You can apply this tip to almost any kind of lifestyle employee, student, entrepreneur, etc. The simplicity factor makes it possible to do long-term.
This is how it feels for me. I have been at it for over 3months, and I don’t feel like I am going to fall off ever again. That’s how confident I am right now.
Why suffer with something complicated when you can eliminate overwhelming yourself?
Key Takeaway
You can start doing this today. Here is how in 3 simple steps.
1. Pick a mental task: This could be anything, so long as it challenges your mind. I would also suggest you pick something that aligns with your overall goals. For example, I am an aspiring freelance writer. For my mental challenge, I alternate between active reading, and improving my writing. Remember to keep it simple.
2. Pick one physical task: Here I would suggest you pick something physical you hate to do. I know someone that hates running but forces himself to go out for a run at least 3 times every week. I have always wanted to get better at push-ups, so I try to get in at least 10push ups daily. Since then, I have incorporated more body-weight exercises like squats, pull-ups, etc.
So, what’s that physical thing you hate to do, or maybe it’s something you have always wanted to do more often like walking, swimming, rock climbing, jump rope. The possibilities are endless.
3. Do the thing: Act! Focus only on execution and improvement. Can I get better at reading, can I improve my running form or technique? You can’t improve unless you act.
Wrap up
Remember to focus on simplicity to avoid overwhelming yourself. That’s how you ensure longevity and consistency. When I first started, there were days I got only my physical challenge in, and on others, I did only the mental part. Slowly I improved and worked up to both challenges daily.
You could also get creative. Some tasks are simultaneously tasking on the body and the mind. I like to play soccer and I am currently trying to improve using my less dominant foot. Maybe you could try learning to use your less dominant hand.
The possibilities are endless!
By focusing on simplicity, you future-proof your self-improvement. If you maintain your journey long enough, who knows what you can achieve?
Still don’t believe me, try this simple trick for a week. Feel free to leave your experience in the comments.
