The Best Self-Improvement Habits That Actually Stick

There are plenty of habits that can help your self-improvement journey. What I found the most helpful, though, are habits that ground me back to my why. Why am I doing this? What is this all for? I was in a really dark place not too long and what got me out of my slump was asking myself these questions. When I got my answer, I knew that if I wanted to improve, I had to get up and do something. I had to ground myself and think things through. So, here are the best self-improvement habits that actually stick and work for me.

Start with Reflection

I am not telling you to grab a journal and write (though that is my preferred method of reflecting). Reflection can be a written paragraph, a quiet walk in the park, or a moment of silence in your room. Whatever it is you choose to do, find time to reflect and think of your why.

The skill of reflection isn’t gifted to everyone. Some naturally go through the motions of reflecting every day while others need to put it on their to-do list and make an effort. Developing the habit of reflection opens the door to feedback. What went wrong today? What didn’t? Self-improvement starts with the acceptance that there’s something that needs to be changed.

Before any other self-improvement habit, start with reflection.

Constantly Consume Knowledge

Sit-coms, movies and dramas were entertaining methods to pass the time. When I needed to fill the empty space inside me, it was easy to reach out to entertainment. Unfortunately, all that did was leave my empty. I hate to break it to you. Our mothers were right, consuming more junk makes you feel like…junk.

Among the best self-improvement habits out there, I’d say that constantly consuming valuable knowledge is one of the best.

Learn something.

Read books, listen to podcasts, take a class or sign up for online courses. Read a spiritual book like the Bible. It’s up to you. Change your perspective and challenge what you already know. If we develop the habit of continuously learning, our minds will be occupied with more important things. Overtime, our brains will rewire and crave improvement.

Get Your Goals Out of Your Head

I am guilty. As an introvert, I have a hard time saying my goals out loud. The fear of failing usually makes me hesitant to reveal my aspirations. It’s a valid fear, and I know I am not alone.

What I learned after overcoming my slump is that keeping our goals in our head will ruin the momentum we need to make a difference in our lives.

When I was a university student, I used to write everything down. I mean EVERYTHING. My tasks, my goals, my progress and dreams. After graduating, I decided to take life less seriously and go with the flow. Turns out, I needed a space to release my dreams to turn them into reality. For me, I had to write it down to make it “official.”

Find a way to get your goals outside of your head. Get an accountability partner, put your goals on your to-do list, or make a poster you can easily see. When you officialize your goals, you’re more likely to achieve them.

Make it a habit to remind yourself of what needs to be done. Find a way to keep yourself grounded when you get distracted. Do whatever it takes to be reminded.

A Little Bit of Something Is Better Than Nothing

Growing up, I always watched my mom do quick cleaning sessions everyday. She always said it was better to spend a few minutes maintaining the place than waiting to spend a whole day to fix the mess. She’s right. Rather than waiting for the perfect time to deep dive into something, make it a habit to do something every day.

A little bit of something today is better than nothing at all. This can apply to all things: cleaning, homework, working out, etc. I like to tell myself that the best self-improvement habits can be done every day, even if its for a short amount of time. Always do something your future self will thank you for. Do your best, even if on some days your best is only 40%. This mindset will help you develop the habit of constantly moving forward. Just do something. Move.

Self-Improvement Is an Accumulation of Your Habits

We are what we repeatedly do.

A marathon runner doesn’t get to call themselves that unless they put in the training and did the work to run the marathon. You’re not a pianist if you only play the piano once a month. If you really want to improve yourself, you need to develop the habit that you can do almost every day.

I used to consistently do pop pilates. I was proud of myself. A few months later, I stopped. Fo some reason, I still called myself a pop pilates disciple. It wasn’t until I had stopped for a year that I realized I couldn’t claim that title anymore. I stopped. Period. It was something in the past, and I can’t call myself a pilates disciple if I don’t do it anymore.

We are what we repeatedly do.

The Best Self-Improvement Habits Only Work if You Stay Consistent

Consistency is the most truthful cliché. It’s the universal truth when it comes to mastery and growth. If we want to improve, we must repeatedly practice. To repeatedly practice, we must understand our why.

Check out this self-improvement strategy post I wrote for more information on how I am currently going about my self-improvement journey. Don’t forget to send a message if you have any questions or just want to say hi!

Remember, at the end of the day, doing something is always better than nothing.