Being a Better You

Some people stop growing young on a mental and emotional level. Some people are content to be the same people at 40 or 70 that they were at 20 or 30. They don’t learn, they don’t change, and they don’t grow.

But it doesn’t have to be like this. With the right attitude and a little commitment, you can grow as a person all your life. It’s never too late to learn new skills, become stronger in relationships, or develop new hobbies.

Below, you won’t find specific skills to learn, though — instead, you’ll find the big-picture habits and values that you should cultivate if you want to become more adept at improving yourself.

Read, read, read

Most people stop reading for fun by the age of nine. But most people don’t keep growing and improving all their lives, so don’t join that majority if you can help it!

Make time to read, and love what you read. Choose novels that entertain you and nonfiction that enlightens you. Did you know that most CEOs read a book a week? That’s 52 books a year! Sure, you might not have quite the resources of a high-powered CEO, but you can certainly find time to edify yourself with a bit of reading now and then.

Care for your mind

Athletes spent a lot of time practicing. They’re always running drills and learning new strategies and skills. But that’s not all that athletes do.

Athletes also spend an awful lot of time protecting and preparing their bodies for the work that they do. They do lots of stretches. They take ice baths. They take pre-workout supplements and post-workout shakes. They check in with their physical therapists, personal trainers, and team doctors.

Athletes need to protect their bodies in order to keep growing physically. And if you’re going to grow mentally and emotionally, you need to take care of your mind. That means being proactive about mental health and adopting healthy habits that are good for the ol’ noggin. You should consider getting a therapist using resources like With Therapy — which brings us to our next section.

Get a therapist

There are a lot of ways to care for your mind, but one of the best is to get a therapist. Therapy will help you understand your own thoughts and behavioral patterns and improve your overall mental health.

It will also help your self-improvement mission more directly. The insights and tools that you gain in therapy could make you a better partner, parent, child, employee, manager, and so much more.

Besides, it has never been easier to get a therapist. You can check a website like www.withtherapy.com or ask your primary care provider for a referral.

Take classes

Many of us stop taking classes after we finish high school, college, or graduate school. But you don’t have to! There are classes everywhere, even in adulthood. Look for instructional sessions at your local library, audit a class at a community college, and search for continuing education programs in your area. Learning and improving can be a lot easier in a structured class environment.

Set specific goals

Seeking self-improvement starts with the right attitudes and habits. But if you’re serious about building a better you, then you should try to channel these good habits in the right direction. Set specific and attainable goals, and track your progress as you work toward them. Keeping tabs on your own efforts will ensure that you aren’t wasting your own passion for self-improvement.