Every day we strive to maximize our potential and be the best version of ourselves that we can be. In order to truly be our best version, we need to tap into the various gaps in our behavioural traits that will allow us to realise our true potential. As such there are a few general practices that we can follow to realise this goal of increased efficiency. These are practices that we can slowly internalize over time in order to contribute to the development of the self, keep in mind that these are some basic changes to thinking about your life and should not take too much effort to incorporate into the everyday.
A huge part of growing into your best self is to invest time and energy into manifesting a growth mindset. A growth mindset is one that does not view the self as being static but rather as a dynamically evolving persona. The benefits of developing a growth mindset are numerous and can include developing a self-forgiving capacity, of making room and space for growth and change towards the better. The latter is really important since in contemporary times (especially after the social media boom) we have a tendency to view and define ourselves as beings with certain traits and qualities which ignores our capacities of evolving and adapting as the situation demands it.
Action step: spend some time every few days looking back at your life and assessing how you’ve grown, then look towards the future and think about the changes you want to see in yourself.
Positive thinking is a powerful tactic for changing the way you engage with your life. Positive thinking does not include cultivating naivete or seeing the world through rose tinted glasses. To be able to channel your frustrations into determined changemaking, or your mistakes into learning, that is what it truly means to be a positive thinker. This is, of course, easier said than done. It may take entire years before you are able to eliminate negative self-talk and focus on fixing, changing and growing. This level of self-acceptance and forward thinking is rare in the world and we must all strive to achieve it for our own sakes.
Action step: try to understand your frustrations and shortcomings in a positive light. Think about what it means to have made a certain mistake and how you can learn and grow from it. Focus on orienting yourself towards the positives in your day.And in times of conflict try to lend other people the benefit of the doubt.
Planning is imperative to growing sustainably and holistically. When we plan, we are not only making a blueprint of the future but also participating in imagining a better life for yourself. This forward-thinking process is an extremely good habit to cultivate. In fact, planning may seem like a mundane or drab thing when we encounter the word, but it could even just consist of active daydreaming. We all find daydreaming enjoyable, don’t we? Planning also cultivates hope in our life and acts as a powerful motivator when our cards are down.
Action step: make plans regularly, journaling may help. Make sure you set goals towards achieving every plan of yours. Even if you’re not able to achieve it as straightforwardly as you initially imagined, it is a powerful tool to make the hopeful future seem like an achievable reality.
