September sees the arrival of Self-Improvement Month, which gets a lot of us thinking about ourselves and our life goals. Are you someone who likes to grow? Do you constantly seek to improve yourself and become better? Or, have you gave this part of yourself no thought recently, feeling that there's no way you can dedicate any time to improving yourself?
Personal growth is a vital part of life, and it's also a great exercise to indulge in to learn more about yourself. When you really think about it, there is nothing more meaningful than to pursue a life of development and betterment. After all, it's through improving ourselves that we get the most out of life.
Life goals can be tiny, but they can also be huge. It really depends where you are in your life and what you want. Never compare yourself yo anyone else and their goals - everyone's journey is unique. Not sure where to start? Follow our tips for how to successfully set some life goals, just in time for the September start...
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving - Albert Einstein
Learn something new
Whether its a new language, a specialized course, or a new life skill, think about something you would love to learn. A lot of us find ourselves saying the same thing over and over again, year after year, but never get any closer to doing it. For example, learning to play the piano, or learning how to do crochet can be popular ones. We tend to be our own worst enemies with having no time to fulfill any new learnings, but sometimes all you need is a spare hour per week. Have a think about that thing ou are always telling people you wish you could do, and look at ways to start making it possible.
Set yourself a new routine
Getting up earlier in the mornings is said to have so many benefits, with those who do this regularly saying they get much more done in those early hours. Just by setting your alarm clock an earlier can mean you get those little tasks done, such as giving yourself a face mask, indulging in an awakening skincare regime, or even just getting those emails out of the way that are playing on your mind. If you are going to give this a go, try to work in a newer approach to your evenings too. Start to wind down from 8pm and stay away from anything that makes your mind 'buzz', like mobile phones, laptops or iPads. Look at making time for a relaxing bath time soak and getting your sleeping pattern to the best it's ever been.
Pick up a new hobby
Hobbies come in all shapes and sizes, and can start off as little as going for a run in the evenings, to bigger things, such as to join a weekly rounders team. It could be to join a yoga class, or to start baking some delicious desserts. A hobby is usually something that really interests you, where it's fun to do and is genuinley something that brings out your best side. Think of what makes you happy, and develop it to become a new hobby.
Overcome your fears
It's normal for us all to have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk… and so on. Sadly, our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing and experiencing new things in life. Learn to round up the fears that you really can do something about. Sometimes, we find ourselves constantly stressed out about our fears, and when put in our worst situations, we stress and worry even more, causing anxiety and depression (in more server cases). Learn to focus, to clear your mind, and to breath deeply for a clarity. Uplifting scents and calming mists can help our senses relax, which can bring a little comfort when thinking about a situation that we fear. Whichever fears you hold on to, make this the month you really do something about them.
Create an inspiration room
The environment you set yourself up in can create your mood and tone for you, so have a think about the place where you spend a lot of your time. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you are going to be inspired every day. If you think about it, spending any spare time you have in a messy and dull room is hardly going to motivate you to jump into a create project, or indulge in something inspirational. Have a look at starting your own room revamp project, and inject a bit of inspirational magic into the four walls. You want to feel positive and happy in your own little dedicated space - so make a start today!
Schedule in 'me time'
'Me time' is something that's vital to each of us, but finding time to schedule this in proves to be difficult for most. Looking after the children, cooking for others, working overtime and generally running everyday errands can all stop us from having that peaceful hour to switch of and think about ourselves. Try to give yourself a two hour space in your busy schedule on a Sunday, purely to snuggle up on the sofa with a new magazine, pop on a rich face mask, paint your nails, or just to simply eat ice cream and watch trashy TV! Whatever makes you switch off, just make sure you slot it in...
Experiment with a new look
Always wanted to see what it's like to rock the blonde bombsell look? How about going for a shoulder length blunt hair cut, or even a choppy fringe? It doesn't just have to be hair related too, it could even be trying out a dramatic smokey eye, when you barely wear anything more than mascara. We all go through phases of feeling dowdy and dull, where we long for a bit of a style overhaul, so why not experiment? Stick with something that isn't the end of the world if it goes wrong. Start of small, such as to book in for a spray tan, or a long side fringe, and see how you feel. If you like it, then it's the perfect time to plan in some more dramatic changes!
Quit bad habits
Are there any bad habits you have which could be lost over the next few months? Oversleeping? Lack of exercising? Nail biting? Smoking? Even that occasional glass of red wine we have on the odd week night... could that be limited a little? The smallest amends we can make can be by looking at our ugly beauty habits, such as biting our nails right down to show the skin, and bleaching our hair to the point where it breaks off. Look at ways to repair these habits, and when you start seeing visible results, it will encourage you to tackle the biggest areas of your life too!
Remember that your life is all about you – so don’t disappoint yourself with the things you ‘could have’ done. Also remember that there is no time like the present to conquer anything! You can do this!
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