Self Improvement Month is recognized throughout the month of September. The name itself explains what the celebration of sorts is all about.
There are so many ways in which we can achieve self improvement. Who couldn’t stand to improve themselves in one or more ways? Check out the following categories and see how many you can acknowledge—and perhaps even improve upon—during Self Improvement Month. These ideas will no doubt even inspire some more of your own.
Self Improvement — Its Many Facets
See how many of the following facets of your life could stand some improving upon. If you’re like most people, there will be more than one.
- Relationships
- Job
- Eating habits
- Exercise
- Housekeeping
- Fun
Relationships
Self-improvement where relationships are concerned often involves becoming a better listener. Whether in the relationship with your spouse or significant other—or relationships with your friends and co-workers, listening is key.
Most people also need a refresher course in the old adage, “Think before speaking,” too. How often do we open our mouths, and then wish we could shove an entire foot into the gaping hole? If only we listened better and thought before speaking, oh, how much better our relationships would be.
So how can we pay heed to these areas in our relationships? Mantras are always a good way. Before beginning a conversation, repeat the words “Think before speak,” and “Listen,” a few times in your head. Self improvement comes with practice—right?
Job
How can self improvement help you in your work life? Start by asking yourself if you could be better at your job. If the answer is yes, take the necessary steps to learn more about what you do, as well as how to effectively do it.
Ask your boss for ideas. Consider taking a class at a local college—or maybe even online—that would provide you with knowledge you could put to good use at work.
Eating Habits
Could you stand a bit of self-improvement where your eating habits are concerned? If you said yes, you’re certainly not alone.
Start by educating yourself on good eating habits. Magazines, online articles, and segments on TV shows all provide excellent, up-to-date information on the healthiest ways to eat.
Once you have educated yourself, implement your newfound knowledge. Cut back on processed foods. Limit sweet treats. Eat fried foods sparingly. Fill most of your plate with vegetables. There are many ways to improve your eating habits. Even utilizing a new step once per week is a step in the right direction, and a definite road toward self improvement.
Exercise
Have you made exercise a priority in your life—or is that another area in which you could stand a bit of self improvement? Once again—you’re certainly not alone. It seems we are often guilty of scheduling time for everything in our lives except exercise. When you come right down to it, if we don’t work in time for exercise in our lives, we won’t live very healthy or enjoyable lives.
In addition to gaining weight, people who don’t exercise regularly find parts of their bodies don’t work as well as they used to. Joints stiffen up and little aches and pains prevent us from moving. Before that vicious circle is put into play, achieve self improvement by exercising at least a few times a week. Schedule it on your day planner. Set alarms on your phone. Whichever method works best to encourage you to get up and move is the one you must use. You’ll be grateful down the road for the exercise you start implementing today.
Housekeeping
We all vow to make strides in self improvement where our housekeeping is concerned. Maybe you’ve considered switching from harsh chemical cleaners to safe cleaners. Safe cleaners aren’t harmful to you and your family or the environment. They are often items you already have in your home.
Did you know that baking soda, white vinegar, lemons, and salt are all used as safe cleaners? White vinegar is a natural disinfectant. Lemons help bleach stains out of fabric. Baking soda and water can scrub almost anything clean, and salt combined with lemon removes rust.
Self improvement for some people means keeping up with their housekeeping. If you truly don’t have the time, consider hiring a maid service to come in once a week to do the heavy jobs. That leaves you with less housekeeping and more time to do things you enjoy.
Fun
Fun is important, and if you don’t get enough of it in your life, then you can stand for some self improvement in that area, too. Remember the old saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?” It’s true.
Not only does a lack of fun make your life dull, it can be depressing as well. We all need interaction with our family members and friends in a fun way. We need quiet, solo fun as well.
If you don’t already have an activity you deem fun—that you like to do by yourself or with others—it’s way past time to find one, and get out there and have some fun. Fun can be simple conversation. It can be an organized activity. It can be a quiet walk that turns into a discovery of something brand new.
Fun isn’t stressful. It isn’t complicated. It should create a sense of relaxation or invigoration or something that helps release those happy endorphins that are so very good for both the body and the soul.
Self Improvement—Where to Get It
Just stop into any bookstore and you’ll find a self improvement guide for just about any aspect of your life in which you feel you need it. You’ll find even more online.
Sometimes these books are helpful if you’re unsure how to go about achieving the improvement you want. Often they are simply the catalyst to send you traveling down the correct path.
Will you set any new goals for yourself during September—Self Improvement Month? The sky is the limit as to what you can achieve.
We recommend this A Strange Mirror Showed Women Their True Selves