4 a.m. wake-ups, cold showers and self-help books. The world’s current obsession with rigorous self-improvement can leave people burnt out and unsatisfied. While forced habits and goal setting can be beneficial to some, they can easily go too far; a fixation on optimizing one’s life is not healthy and leaves little to no room for enjoyment. However, there is an abundance of ways to improve yourself authentically without hating the process.
Bettering yourself as a person does not come from being 100% efficient 100% of the time; it comes from being well-rounded. Everyone has their specific interests, strengths and preferences for how they spend their time, whether that is sports, music, art or anything else. Stepping outside of that interest is the place to start. While it’s good to excel at something, it’s almost better to be bad at something. That may seem backwards, but if you try an activity you’ve never done before, you might learn something you’ve never known.
Today, there is a misconception that you need extraordinary experiences to be well-rounded. You don’t have to backpack across Europe, go on a mission trip to Zambia or acquire an unheard-of accomplishment to gain new knowledge. While lifetime experiences like these are rich in new perspectives, there are so many new perspectives right where you are. Talk to someone who has nothing in common with you, join a new sport, read a book outside your comfort zone (it doesn’t have to be nonfiction), try a new hobby, listen to a podcast or learn about a culture different than your own. Intellectual curiosity and continuous learning are the starting points of personal growth. If you are not naturally curious, trying something new can feel forced and unenjoyable. Nonetheless, taking that conscious step of going further into a topic, conversation or hobby can inspire interest and curiosity over time.
As for physical improvement, discipline plays a significant role in achieving the results you want in the gym, in your diet or in your lifestyle. However, overworking and dieting can easily become an obsession and lead to mental health and eating problems. Create healthy habits by mixing workouts with rest days, and eating clean while still incorporating your guilty pleasures every so often. This will cultivate a new lifestyle that will not result in burnout, but in a more rewarding life.
You don’t have to do everything at once; just find one aspect of your life that you are motivated to change or something you want to try, and start there.
