4 Reasons Why You Should Have A Self-Improvement Plan
As we dive ever deeper into the year, the halfway point is a great time to check in and review the goals we set ourselves back in January.
Whether you set out at the beginning of the year hoping to make gains financially, or you had goals to improve your fitness levels, it’s never too late to hop back on the bandwagon if you’ve fallen off.
Self-improvement is all about working towards whatever you aspire to, and there are no rules when it comes to what you want to achieve and when. Self-improvement can be defined as any activity, hobby or goal that has a positive outcome and effect on you personally.
There are multiple advantages to having a personal improvement plan, including the productivity boost and positive outlook it brings. Having a plan in place is helpful, as it actively encourages you to take steps in the right direction.
Are you ready to get on track to becoming the best possible version of yourself?
Here are the benefits of having a self-improvement plan…
It helps you to reach your goals
First and foremost, having a solid self-improvement plan is enough to get you one step closer to meeting your objectives, due to the psychological effect of writing down your goals.
Studies have found that having a plan in writing increases the likelihood of achieving your goals by 42%. Having an idea of where you’d like to be in 3, 12 or 24 months’ time can massively help you get started, whilst simultaneously acting as a guide to keep you on track throughout.
In addition to this, self-improvement plans encourage regular check ins, so once you start to measure tangible results and realise you’re capable of reaching your goals, you will feel even more inspired to keep going.
It encourages you to try & learn new things
Regardless of whether you’re on a self-improvement journey or not, it is hard not to become stagnant if you feel stuck in a rut, doing the same thing day in, day out. One way to work around this is to ensure you make an effort to push yourself out of your comfort zone.
This can be done by trying new things that you would normally turn down. Whether this is offering to speak at a work event, or trying a brand new exercise class at the gym, try gently taking yourself out of your usual comfort zone.
By trying something new that you wouldn’t normally do, you’re stretching yourself mentally and physically, which does wonders for your personal development.
It helps you become more self-aware
Self-awareness is a crucial tool to have in your personal development toolbox; taking a deeper look at yourself allows you to identify your strengths and weaknesses, whilst highlighting areas for improvement.
Having a heightened sense of awareness can make it easier to create your self-improvement plan and with this deeper understanding you can start to work on the complex or multifaceted layers of yourself that may have otherwise been hidden.
Many individuals coast through life, simply waiting for their next move or accomplishment to find them. With a self-improvement plan, your sense of self is heightened, making it easier to go out to find your next move yourself instead.
Ultimately, frequently checking in and having an awareness of your progress is an excellent habit to build and really infuses a sense of self-reflection into your routine.
It helps improve your mental health
Having a set plan for improvement with actionable steps not only helps you grow as a person, it helps to improve your mental health as well.
Offering yourself small rewards along the way can go a long way to activating the Nucleas Accumbens part of the brain, in turn releasing feel-good hormones. This in itself is brilliant for improving confidence and elevating our personal sense of self, which can greatly improve mental health and our view of our self.
Having something to work towards, followed by a feeling of satisfaction once you realise you’re making progress can really garner a sense of positivity as you make steps in the right direction.
There’s no doubt about it, having a self-improvement plan can aid towards improving your mental outlook – who wouldn’t want that?
Ready to get started? Here’s how to create a self-improvement plan…
- Start by evaluating your current standing – try to include where you’re at in all the key areas in your life. Think about what’s important to you, this will be different for everyone, but you may wish to focus on your career, relationships, side hustles, hobbies, finances, health or spirituality, for example.
- After you’ve outlined your current scenario, consider how you could improve in all of the key areas you’ve selected. Write down a list of all of the goals and objectives you’d like to achieve.
- Start small & add as you wish, you may decide to set yourself a single goal to find a new job, or perhaps you want to set a number of smaller goals across a few areas, such as drinking more water or setting up a business. Remember, this is all personal to you, you can go in whichever direction feels right for you!
- Give yourself a timeframe for achieving your goals and also dedicate regular check-ins as well (we find setting goals for the year and checking in every 3 months works well).
- At the end of your timeframe, look back to see how far you’ve come. Review your progress in all of the areas you set out to improve. Enjoy how great it feels to have made positive steps!
The benefits speak for themselves…
With the science pointing towards how beneficial it is to have a plan together in writing, having a self-improvement plan seems like a no-brainer!
Now you’re aware of the advantages and have a step by step guide, it’s the perfect time to get started on your personal development journey. You may even wish to jump straight into the deep end with the help of expert support from a coach or mentor.
With over 4000 combined years of experience, our network of life coaches, mentors and wellbeing experts are well versed in supporting you as you begin your own personal development journey.
Join lots of happy Wiseup members, browse our expert profiles to get started today.
