Being a better version of yourself is something that you work for every minute of the day. You try hard to be your best self – in your relationships, career, daily routine, health and life – because you know that taking one step ahead to being a better you will take you closer to your dream life. Not only will it help you in becoming a better individual, you’ll also be making a significant contribution to the society in general.

Here are the 10 steps to becoming your optimal and truest self in order to achieve your full potential in life:

1. Take that very first step: Say, you decide to go for a walk every morning tomorrow onward and you’re firm with your decision no matter what. But just as you wake up and look at the clock, you find it hard to let go of the comfort of your bed and now all you want is to doze off for another half an hour. You think about it for a while and eventually muster up the will to just put on the shoes. Now you know that you have taken the very first step and this very sense of accomplishment makes you want to step out of the house. You finally do step out and take a short stroll on the street. Now even if you only make it a few meters, you know that you’ve served your health well. No matter how far you plan to go in life, being able to take that first step does half the job for you.

2. Practice gratitude everyday: Being happy is the first step to being a better version of yourself and your happiness largely depends on how you feel about your life. Once you learn to derive happiness from the life that you are living right now, there’s nobody who can stop you from becoming your greatest self. In order to be happy, learn to practice gratitude every day and focus only on the positive things in your life. Create a gratitude list and revisit it every time you feel that life has been unfair to you.

3. Keep motivating/inspiring yourself: Be your own inspiration when you find yourself stuck in a rut. Remember how you fought a bad phase in life and came out stronger. Read about the lives of people who have seen successes after being through big failures and learn from them. Remind yourself of the first heartbreak that taught you a great deal about life and made you stronger than ever. Your past successes can sometimes be your biggest motivation when you feel like giving up on things and you will come out being a mature individual.

4. Step out of your comfort zone: Don’t confine yourself within the boundaries or you will end up being your own limitation. Staying within your comfort zone will hinder your growth and will do no good to the overall development of your personality. Do you fear moving from old technology to a newer one because you’re techno-phobic? Do you always look for a company when going out because you’re afraid you won’t be able to manage it all alone? If the answer to these questions is a ‘YES’, then take it as an indication that there’s a lot in you that needs to be discovered. Magic happens when you step out of your comfort zone and that’s exactly when you discover your true potential.

5. Set goals for yourself: Having goals is what gives purpose to your life as goals and dreams eventually become a reason for us to wake up in the morning. Having goals doesn’t leave you feeling directionless or devoid of purpose. Your goals eventually become the reason for you to plan the things and they act as a motivation for you to work towards them every day.  

6. Learn to take responsibility: For whatever that’s going wrong, take responsibility for it rather than blaming it on others. Being responsible makes you look mature in your own eyes and you learn to understand that you need to look for a solution to make good the circumstances rather than blaming others for your condition. Take responsibility for the results that didn’t go in your favor, for relationships that didn’t work out or for not being there when some close friend needed you. Be proactive and accept that you were at fault and look for opportunities to amend the situation. There’s no better way of taking charge of your own life and being a better version of yourself.

7. Unplug and disconnect, every now and then: Internet can only do so much when it comes to serving the basic human need of socializing, which is when disconnecting from social media every now and then becomes all the more important. Look for real friends, and family, who can be there for you when you need them. Form real relationships, with people who you can see and meet and discuss your problems with. When you feel more connected to reality, you will eventually become your optimal self.

8. Celebrate the small wins: Every small win that comes your way is a building block to a bigger win. Learn to celebrate small wins in order to keep yourself motivated for the bigger ones. The importance of celebrating the small victories lies in the fact that no bigger feat can be achieved within a day. It takes years of hard work and a number of failures to be someplace bigger in your life. Your small wins drive you to bigger ones and you need to embrace these wins to equip yourself for the bigger challenges of life.

9. Embrace failure: Failure is actually a blessing in disguise as there is no better way to learn how you can succeed. Failures can teach you to value success more than anything. When I failed many interviews while looking for a job, I actually realized that there are a lot of things I can go on to improve. Not only did it help me in becoming a better person, it also prepared me for other similar situations in life.   

10. Always stay connected with your people who love you selflessly: Staying in touch with true friends and family is a must as it teaches you to value relationships and enhances your love for yourself. Always bother to call your family if you are living away from them. Catch up with your friends often and be there when they need you without expecting anything in return. The real test of your character lies in how you manage your relationships.

Being better than who we were yesterday is a never ending journey that keeps us going. Incorporating the above steps will help you in becoming the best version of yourself and you will be able to see a huge change in your life. I would love to hear the other ways you work on to become your best self. Feel free to write me at richi@askmisswhimsical.com or let me know in the comments below.