10 simple ways to work on self-improvement

Perhaps you want to invest in self-improvement to be more mindful, to learn new skills, or to inspire others. But just how do you improve yourself? 

While there's no one way of working on self-improvement, there are some tried and true strategies worth mentioning.

The suggestions below will provide the inspiration and motivation needed to kickstart this self-improvement journey.

What is self-improvement?

Why is self-improvement important?

Ten practical ways to improve yourself

1. Focus on your strengths

Often people think of self-development as "covering for their weakness," which makes the process more painful. Self-improvement can also mean developing our talents, becoming excellent at what we love to do, and having a lot of fun!

2. Declutter 

The process of decluttering is the process of letting go of the parts of us (and our environments) that no longer serve us. By decluttering, we make space for new experiences to happen, and with those, new awareness and growth. The decluttering process can be liberating and allows us to clearly see which direction we want to take for our growth. 

3. Ask yourself powerful questions

Questions may provide meaningful insights. How do you want to inspire others? What do you want to be remembered for? What would your older self tell you about your self-development? 

There are hundreds of powerful questions. Let them find you.

4. Seek feedback

Constructive feedback is like the "boost-button:" it provides valuable insights for us to improve and serve others better. It makes us progress faster, as others reveal to us what we cannot see. Feedback enables us to make the necessary adjustments, dream more, and achieve more! 

5. Work with an accountability partner

Having an accountability partner, like a friend or a coach, can support tremendously to stay on track. Accountability is a powerful mechanism that gently helps us to move forward and, in the end, reach the desired outcomes. 

6. Start small 

Sustainable progress is made of small, consistent steps. There is no need for giant leaps — even if they are also possible, they’re not always the best place to start. If you are hesitant, start small. Little actions generate positive loops that further create other positive loops. The change we want to see starts with us —  and with the first step.

7. Keep moving forward

Many times the biggest mistake we make is to give up on a process! If you choose to challenge yourself and improve, stick with it. Learning entails plateaus, moments of joy, and setbacks.  It’s all part of the process. Keep moving forward, one step at a time!

8. Commit to curiosity

Curiosity pushes us to research more, to question, and to aim for more profound wisdom. Curiosity arises every time we adopt the so-called "beginner's mind," and we try to reset all we know to see things as if it were the first time. This behavior gives us fresh insights, free from bias and from the experiences made until that moment, that in some cases could hinder instead of helping us.

9. Get moving 

A healthy mind lives in a healthy body. If you are mainly focused on brain activities, find some space for physical exercise. If you are a sport-lover and always outdoor, try to find time for a bit of steadiness and introspection. The combination of brain and body (and spirit!) gives the best long-term feelings and rewards. 

10. Celebrate your successes

Nelson Mandela said, "Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead." Celebrating successes is a healthy habit, often sacrificed in the name of new actions and results. To set the time on "pause" provides the opportunity to observe what one has accomplished, the progress made, the learnings, the feelings. It is such a critical moment, as it opens up space to acknowledge oneself and others and openly share one's pride.

As mentioned earlier, reading is a useful strategy for self-improvement work. Each of us has our favorite self-improvement books. Some, we come back to over and over, and some will change throughout life phases. These are, up to now, my favorite self-improvement reads — without any particular ranking, as each one has its own meaning and importance:

1. Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment, by George Leonard

This book clearly explains how the learning process works, the plateaus' importance, and how to become a master in what we desire. 

2. Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill

This book is an invitation to dream big, visualize what we want to become, affirm it loudly, and get ready to find allies and shape our lives. It's impossible to describe this book's power; one must read it and put thoughts into practice. 

3. On the Shortness of Life (De Brevitate Vitae), by Lucius Annaeus Seneca

"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it." A call to consciousness. Seneca invites us to be "time-conscious" and be mindful of how we are giving away the most precious resource we possess.

4. The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance, by W. Timothy Gallwey

This book makes us identify the self-talk and the inner game we play within ourselves. It shows us how we can be in our own way and how self-doubt and self-talk may be the main obstacles on our journey. 

5. Principles: Life and Work, by Ray Dalio

A masterpiece! This book entails so much wisdom, expressed in Ray Dalio's principles, that provide a frame of reference and help us build our own.

6. Conscious Business: How to Build Value through Values, by Fred Kofman

This book shares profound wisdom and, at the same time, gives us practical tools and examples on how to improve our relationship with ourselves and everyone around us. 

7. Managing Oneself, by Peter F. Drucker

It is a tiny precious book that invites us to ask ourselves a few essential questions, understand more about who we are, how we function, and our strengths. 

8. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo 

This book helps us embrace the process of decluttering, outside and inside, in order to make space for who we are now and who we want to be tomorrow.