We all wake up in the morning with the hope that today will be better than yesterday. Be it in our career, finances, relationships or health, we keep striving for self improvement by learning from the past experiences.

Being able to be the best version of yourself is what defines true success and irrespective of how good your life is, true satisfaction is derived from the tiny improvements that you make each day. After all, who doesn’t love feeling a positive change in oneself?

If you think that you need a self-improvement plan to help you become a better version of yourself each day, here’s a list of the best self improvement tips that you can implement in every aspect of your life in order to be an improved version of yourself:

1. Step out of your comfort zone

How to be worry-free in a world that has already gone through several transitions while you read this? The answer is that you can’t really be free of worries if you wish to grow. And the only way to improve yourself through these transitions is to do what will add up to your experiences rather than doing what you are comfortable with. It might make you feel nervous for a while but stepping out of your comfort zone is the only way to explore new things and to discover your hidden self.

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2. Practice gratitude everyday

Have a gratitude wall at your home where you put up a post-it for everything that you are grateful for. Every time you feel that life has been unfair to you, this wall shall remind you of everything good that has ever happened to you.

3. Surround yourself with positive people

Be with people who encourage you and can help you grow. People who are positive in their approach will always motivate you to go ahead with new challenges. Remember that the journey of self improvement requires as much positivity as you can get.

4. Don’t be too harsh on yourself

Don’t confine yourself within the boundaries of rules and regulations. It’s completely alright to have a few cheat days in your workout regimen to do things that make you happy. Moreover, you must not beat yourself up for making mistakes that have minimal consequences.

5. Learn to take risks

Remember that there’s no reward without risk, and playing safe can only take you so far. The idea of taking up a new role might scare you initially but there’s no better way to allow yourself to grow.

6. Stop aiming for perfection

Don’t force yourself into being perfect all the time. Aim for progress even if it’s small and slow.

7. Get rid of negative thoughts

Divert your mind into thinking something else every time a negative thought comes in. If needed, keep yourself busy with an activity that interests you and takes away all the negative thoughts.

8. Spend time with your family

Have some time off from your busy schedule and spend some time with your family. Listen to their problems and share yours. You will realise that there are people out there who love you and you will want to value them more.

9. Quit the job that you hate

If your job makes you unhappy, it’s never too late to quit it. You can’t really thrive in your efforts for self improvement if you are doing something that you hate. Start a business of your own or find a job that matches your interests and makes you happy.

10. Take criticism positively

Take criticism in your stride and use it to make amendments in future. While it isn’t always easy to be criticized, you must recognize that genuine criticism will only make you a better person.

11. Help others whenever possible

Help others more often to get a true sense of achievement. Be it in the form of community service or offering a hand to your colleague in a situation of crisis, make it sure to offer help whenever you can.

12. Be financially independent

Take charge of your own life and make sure that you leave a certain amount of your savings untouched. Being financially independent allows you to take care of your needs and gives you a sense of security.

“The Simple Path To Wealth“, a book by JL Collins is my go-to reading material when I need to remind myself of the importance of financial independence in life and how it can go a long way in making you a better person.

13. Connect more

Step out of your house and form real connections with people in the real world. When you socialise, you discover a lot about yourself and the connections so formed can give you friends for life.

14. Try to be optimistic

Be optimistic about every little thing that you do in life. No matter how many times you fail, tell yourself that you have everything what it takes to be successful and give your best to all the opportunities that come your way.

15. Finish what you start

Even if the start wasn’t good, be sure to finish every job that you’ve taken in your hands. Being a finisher helps boost your confidence by always reminding you of the times when you didn’t give up. Use an Hourly To-Do List or a Weekly To-Do List to stay focused on what you need to do.

16. Don’t compete with others

The very essence of self improvement is being an upgraded version of yourself, and not anyone else. Don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself by trying to match up with others. You are the only person you should compete with in life.

17. Travel and explore

Travelling and exploring new things will help you discover something new about yourself. Nothing improves a person more than traveling as it helps you meet new people besides gaining amazing experiences on the way.

18. Practice minimalism

Make do with only the things that are necessary for a healthy life. This does not mean that you should give up all your wants to live cheap. Minimalism is more about finding happiness in what you do rather than looking for satisfaction in materialistic things.

19. Stop regretting everything

Stop pondering over the things that went wrong and what you could have done to prevent them. Don’t let the feeling of regret rob you of your happiness. 

20. Find comfort in change

It’s normal to feel comfortable in a certain way of living as changes are often hard to accept. But if change can make your life better, go for it by all means as it helps you grow as an individual.

21. Learn from your mistakes and those of others

There’s no better way to improve yourself than learning from your mistakes and those of others. If you have made a mistake, merely accepting it is a big step towards self improvement.

22. Give your life a mission

Have a mission to shape your life around it. When you know how you want your future to be like, it becomes easier to recognize the areas that you need to improve on. Your life builds itself around the mission in sight. In order to be more realistic about your goals, use a Monthly Planner or a Weekly Planner to be able to give every day a new goal.

23. Quit harmful habits

Quit any habit that holds you back from living a healthy and happy life. Decide on adopting some good habits that can help you become the best version of yourself. I use this Habit Tracker every time I am trying to adopt a habit which helps me track the progress. Here’s a list of 11 habits that you should quit to be successful.

24. Gain some confidence

Be a more confident person to step up the ladder of self improvement. Make a proper Self-Improvement Plan that can help you uplift your confidence. Even if you feel low on confidence, here’s how you can boost it to be a more confident person.

25. Keep learning new things

Take up some new hobbies every now and then to bring in some freshness in your routine.

26. Be a mentor to someone

Impart your knowledge and experience to someone in need. Share your experiences with your mentee and talk about the mistakes that you made in your career that shaped you into the person that you are.

27. Be mindful

Be mindful of your surroundings and the people around you. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future but learn to find solace in your present. Self Improvement is more about keeping yourself connected with the reality than pondering over the what-ifs.

28. Find lasting inner happiness

Get rid of everything that makes you unhappy – the job that you dislike, the people you hate or a habit of overthinking. Nothing that robs you of your happiness deserves a place in your life.

29. Appreciate little things in life

Find joy in the little things that are happening around you. Be it the cuddles given by your pet or an hour spent in the company of friends, appreciate every little thing that makes you feel loved.

30. Maintain a journal

Maintain a journal for your every day events. Not only journaling is good for your mental health, it also helps you revisit the events that have shaped up your self improvement journey.

31. Focus on fitness rather than on being skinny

Being skinny can’t guarantee you a healthy body and a great stamina. Having a perfect figure is a myth and you must rather focus on building a physique that helps you live a fit and healthy life.

32. Get a sound sleep

There exists a thin line between a sound sleep and a long sleep. Even if your schedule allows you to sleep for six hours or less, make sure it’s free of distractions.

33. Be your own best friend

Once you learn to stand the horror of your own company, you become your best friend. Spend time with yourself rather than looking for a company. It makes you look attractive and turns you into a strong personality.

34. Apologise when needed

Accept your mistakes and apologise to those affected by them. Besides, it should be a heartfelt apology without any ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ which conveys the message that it won’t be happening again.

35. Don’t be a victim

Get past the feeling of self-pity and learn to take responsibility rather than defending yourself for being the victim of circumstances.

36. Get in touch with your friends

Life often gets in the way of friendships and it’s normal to lose touch with people you were once very close to. Reconnect with the friends you’ve lost touch with and hang out with them as often as possible.

37. Value your relationships

Take time out for every relationship that forms a part of your life. Don’t take your friends and family for granted and cherish every second you spend with them.

38. Create a morning routine

The quality of your day revolves around how you started your morning. Have a morning routine that makes you feel energetic and healthy throughout the day. Include activities like yoga, meditation or a morning walk to start your day right and to have a sound physical and mental health.

39. Get to bed early

Decide on the time after which you won’t be staying awake at night. Use a Daily Planner to plan your tasks for the next day and make sure that you follow it. Get to bed early to be able to get a proper sleep and to wake up fresh the next day. 

40. Develop a reading habit

Read a book or two every month as a habit. Reading is known to be a great stress buster which also triggers creative thinking and helps improve the memory.

41. Limit your screen time

It’s nearly impossible to entirely do away with screens in the age of social media. The least you can do is limit your screen time to an hour (or less) a day and put the time spared to a better use.

42. Get over your past

Stop dwelling on your past even if it was something that you could have prevented. The fact that is has passed is reason enough to let go of it. 

43. Say ‘No’ more often

Learn to prioritize things that matter even if it means that you have to say ‘No’ to certain other things. Be direct if you want to say ‘No’ without feeling guilty for doing so.

44. Forgive and forget

Don’t hold grudges against anyone and learn to grant forgiveness even if it hasn’t been asked for. By forgiving others, you allow yourself to let go of things which are simply stealing your peace.

45. Do a lot of fun activities

No matter how busy your life gets, don’t let the inner child in you die. Do all the fun activities that make you happy. Plant something, paint a portrait, play board games and dance like there is no tomorrow.

46. Spend time in nature

Get out for a morning walk, spend time on beaches and take your pet out for a stroll in the park. Be sure to step out of the comfort of your home for at least a couple of hours every day for some necessary dose of sunlight and fresh air.

47. Laugh as much as possible

Laugh as often as possible and even when you don’t have a reason to do so. Laughter is one of the most important self-care practices forming the essence of life.

48. Simplify your life

Get rid of the unnecessary complications in your life and make it simple. Here are some very useful ways to simplify your life this year and make it easy.

49. Eat healthy

Don’t starve yourself because someone said that you are fat. Eat what’s healthy for you. Take small meals at regular intervals to keep yourself energetic throughout the day.

50. Don’t waste your time

Don’t waste your time sitting idle and doing nothing. Do something that is productive or makes you happy.

51. Love yourself

Stop overthinking as it can kill your happiness. Remember that the opinion of others can’t define your reality and treat yourself the way you will treat the most important person in your life. Practice self-care as much as possible to make yourself feel loved. You can use a Self-Care Checklist to be more rigid about your Self-Care routine.

There can’t be a limit to the number of ways you can improve yourself. The list is endless but all you have to do is put in the efforts to make your today an improved version of yesterday.