Small Ways to Work on Your Self-Development With Big Results

Happy Saturday! I often like to use Saturday to catch up on some work from the week. I like to take things at an easier pace. And, of course, I like to relax.  We leave busy lives – well, I do, sometimes! I am told that I take on too much – ever feel like you do as well?

We can psyche ourselves out by taking on too much. Moving a mountain in a weekend is unnecessary to grow as a person. Doing a little bit each day is more than 99% of people are willing to do.

You don’t have to be a superstar each day to become a superstar, you have to be willing to take a step in that direction each day.

You can do plenty of little things that won’t tax your mind or body significantly. The key is to make progress continuously.

Do the little things that lead to greater self-development:

1. Read something useful each night.

Head to bed 20 minutes early and spend the extra time reading something that will aid your self-development. Twenty minutes per day is over 120 hours per year. You can learn a lot in that time.

2. Replace one bad habit with one good habit.

Pick one simple bad habit, perhaps drinking too much diet soda. Replace it with a positive habit, maybe drinking plain water. Dropping one negative thing and adding a positive is a powerful strategy.

3. Practice patience.

We need patience each day, and there seem to be plenty of opportunities to practice it. Standing in line, waiting at the doctor’s office, sitting in traffic, and dealing with insufferable people. Use the opportunities to practice being patient. Take a deep breath and relax.

4. Create a mission statement.

Right now, I am talking about you and your life, not your business. What is your life about? Do you have a mission statement for your life? You might not have ever given it a thought. How can you develop yourself in the right way if you don’t have a clear idea of what you want your life to mean? Put your thoughts down on paper.

• A mission statement can save you a lot of time. When facing a challenging decision, remind yourself of your mission. Not sure how to spend your day? Go back to the mission statement.

5. Prioritize your focus.

One way to accelerate your progress is to concentrate on fewer things. Cut back on the breadth of your ambitions and focus on a couple of the most important things in your life. Give the most important things the attention they deserve.

6. Try something new.

Try something new if you want to expand your comfort zone and gain a new perspective. It might be going to a Korean restaurant for the first time, taking a pottery class, or joining a softball team. Break out of your routine and give something new a try.

7. Forgive others.

Research suggests that nothing is more emotionally freeing than forgiveness. No matter how terrible the transgression, you can help yourself out a lot by letting it go. Move on.

8. Review your day.

You may be making the same mistakes daily and don’t even realize it. Record your mistakes at the end of the day and decide never to repeat them again. It’s simple to do but not easy. You’ll be surprised how strong your habits can be.

Avoid believing you must take on a spectacular task to develop yourself. Just focus on placing a brick each day. Your wall of success will eventually become quite spectacular without you having to do anything spectacular.

The little things each day eventually make a huge difference. This is a comfortable way to approach life, too.