A practical Guide to Becoming Your Best Self

“I would never take back any part of who I am, nor would I want to trade places with anyone else. I know who I am and who I want to be. – Original quotes otobefree  

The American dream sees the world as an opportunity and believes anything is possible. Unfortunately, we learn through experience that there are things that we cannot do. Life often catches up with us, and we find ourselves caught up in the status quo; finally, our American dream fades away.  

There are two ways of approaching life: First, accepting things as they are, the status quo. Second, striving to be your best self. Don’t waste time trying to be just like someone else; our best self will always be different from that of others; your goal is to strive to reach your full potential; how far you can go is up to you. The thing about it is, there is no fixed destination because the further we go, the more opportunities there are to go further.

Is there a roadmap to make our journey easier in our pursuit to full potential? The answer is yes. If followed, certain mindsets, commitments, and behaviors can empower us and lead us to our goals. The following is not a comprehensive list, but is a good starting point:

Have the right mindset.

Astime passes, we often remain in the status quo accepting things as they are and believing we cannot change them. In our minds, we decide what we are capable of and those things we think are impossible. When we stagnate in our view of life, motivating ourselves to see anything different and realizing the possibilities becomes difficult or impossible. Our limits in life are often self-imposed.

Our life could be much better if we only visualize it and then commit to making it happen, including our marriage, relationships, health, happiness, and finances. First comes changing the way we think and considering the possibilities and opportunities available. In America, many options and opportunities await each of us.

Develop a new positive vision.

A new positive vision requires a desire to achieve all that you can in the time you have. One of the greatest regrets of those coming to the end of life is not following their dreams, taking appropriate risks, pursuing what they wanted rather than doing as others suggested, and just becoming satisfied with the status quo. A vision requires determining our mission in life and our purpose for being on earth. Our worldview, whether it is correct or not, is based on actual core values; so, developing a solid and wise set of core values is of the utmost of importance. When all these things are in the proper alignment, you are on your way to becoming your best self.

Set achievable, obtainable goals.

Our goal should never to be better than others but better than our previous selves. It is not a good attitude to want to be like a mentor or someone else; we can never be exactly like someone else anyway. What matters the most is pursuing goals you actually like; this improves our will-power to reach them. A strong willpower is important; your willpower will likely grow over time if you believe it will and also improve your self-control, and how we view our potential.

We can be motivated and inspired by others, but our growth depends on how much we put into it. The objective is to motivate yourself to be more confident, focused, and happier; in other words, to become a better, stronger person than you were yesterday. Someone said, “If we don’t have a target in sight, we shoot in the mud.” The only way to become a better self is setting goals and working toward them daily. A ship with no rudder never reaches the desired port. Dreams accompanied by goals are like roadmaps that give you direction and guide you using the shortest distance to your desired destination. A goal is part of the larger picture of becoming what you want to be.

Become a person who shows gratitude.

Gratitude is one of the rarest attributes on earth; it will set you apart from the rest of the world like few other things will. None of us is an island; we need the knowledge and help of others. When we receive support in any way, it should be followed by gratitude, even if it is just a positive result that comes our way, and more significantly, God deserves much gratitude for all He provides each day. If you have trouble remembering, take time at the end of the day to write down all the things for which you are grateful; this requires very little of your time, but it can make a big difference in your life, your attitude, and the way you feel about yourself.

Learn to be content in whatever state you find yourself. 

That subtitle is a result of a statement from the Bible by the Apostle Paul. Paul experiences some high times in his life and some low ones. However, he said that he had learned to be content no matter the situation. When we move beyond our comfort zone, there will likely be both up times, and down times, therefore, we must learn to accept both in stride and not let the negative times dishearten us, and the only way to do this is to learn to be content not based on circumstances but in our trust in God. If we become intent on avoiding all dire circumstances, we can be assured that we will never move beyond where we are now and never reaching our full potential. Additional stress under pressure can increase resourcefulness and prove that you are far more capable than you imagined. So, don’t allow bad times to slow you down toward reaching your goals.

Enjoy your life each day because you only pass this way once. 

Be careful not to waste your life doing frivolous things; instead, focusing on those things that are important to you. Neither do we reach our goals through idleness or wasting time wishing instead of doing. There is a saying, “It’s the doers in life that get the best results – become one of them.” Remember, time is your most valuable resource, and like many other things, it is not renewable, so if you need to waste it, do it wisely; it is all you will ever have during this short life. The issue in life is enjoying the journey and not necessarily reaching the destination. The person you are becoming is far more important than reaching the finish line. How well we reach the finish line is determined by how hard we run the race, and if we can run the race with joy, then we have achieved the most critical thing in life.

Learn to enjoy time alone with no one but you.

We live in a world that has lost all aspects of being a sane place. You can get depressing news 24/7. People are glued to their cell phones and can be connected around the clock. All information is available via the Internet. Everywhere you turn, people try to persuade you to buy this or do that. Others are telling you everything you should do or not do. Somewhere along the way, we must get away from it and be alone.

To be alone helps to recuperate from the stress of work, being constantly around others, and the responsibilities of life. It can be a time of relaxation, meditation, or just quietly getting your thoughts together and working out pressing issues.

Develop a growth mindset that redirects your life toward what you want. 

First, what Is a Growth Mindset? A growth mindset believes you have the potential to become the person you desire to become. It is a determination to develop your gifts and abilities and the willingness to work hard to reach them. It is a belief that you can improve your skills and grow in wisdom and knowledge. Do you believe you can develop a growth mindset or feel you are all you will ever be? Don’t let yourself think that; if others have proven they can change their thinking and develop a positive growth mindset, so can you. Why does it matter if you create a growth mindset? A growth mindset motivates you to accept challenges and take well thought out  risks. Grow new skills, improve your knowledge through study and research, and by being hungry to learn new things.

Believe in yourself.

A famous quote from Henry Ford says, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.” Your success begins with believing in yourself and your potential to.be or do what you desire. One of the most essential helps is believing that you can do what you set out to do. Otherwise, you are most likely to fail. It is not the point of having an inflated opinion of what you can do; it is a matter of building up your confidence through past experiences and successes. It is necessary to like yourself, as the quote at the beginning of this article states; it may sound a little cheesy, but it is true: “I would never take back any part of who I am, nor would I want to trade places with anyone else. I know who I am and who I want to be.”It cannot be overstated how important it is the way you feel about you; it is the key to everything else and the secret to becoming your best self.

Take absolute ownership of your life and actions.

Be quick to take the blame when things don’t go as planned, and always avoid pointing the finger at others to shift the blame. You don’t have to take responsibility when others are at fault. However, when the fault is not yours, it is difficult or impossible to make the needed changes; it is essential to take the blame when it is yours. We are the ones responsible for everything in our lives, even at times when it may not seem to be our fault when actually it is.

If you don’t claim it, you can’t control it. However, when you claim it, it enables you to take the proactive steps necessary to change the circumstances and redirect your life in the right direction. Taking ownership of your life and actions is one of the most potent attributes of a successful life.

Conclusion

Even though self-improvement has been proven to aid a person in becoming more successful, it falls way short of the improvement that God does in a person who commit themselves to Him. Personal self-improvement is only an outward façade, while God’s method is from the inside out. If you genuinely want to be the person God created you to be, the only way is to commit yourself to Him to make it happen. Before we can commit our life to God, we must first place our trust in His Son, Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of our sins, and not only will God forgive us but will also do His transforming work in us; He will also make us part of His eternal kingdom of heaven, which far surpasses anything we nay accomplish in this life. If you want a guide who knows everything about you and the best way to make you into your best self, trust Christ as your Lord and Savior. For free information based on the Bible as to how to know God, CLICK HERE.