How To Become The Best Version Of Yourself This Year

 

This year, it’s all about being the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. I’ve started to believe that all the ‘pillars’ of our lives have to be lined up. Before now, I’ve tried to be fit and healthy and ignored everything else, or I’ve tried to meditate and beat stress without eating well and exercising more. In order to be the best version of yourself, you have to make sure everything is aligned.
 

I’ve started a few new habits that are changing my life, and read a lot of books that have definitely helped along the way. Want to join me in becoming the best version of myself this year? Here’s how I’m doing it – and how you can too.

 

Keep your mind active every day

 

Anything you want to change about yourself can be done with just 30 minutes of brain training every day. The best way to do that is by learning something new. Start a skill you never believed you could pick up. You’ll feel more creative and inspired, and surprisingly the act of learning and focusing on one thing will help your brain feel rested.

I’ve been using Skillshare to do this -, they have such a huge library of courses that it’s impossible not to find something you’ll like. I like to start with a creative course like Creating The Perfect Moodboard as this can not only help you with your goals but will also give your mind some time to relax.

P.S. Skillshare is giving CGD readers three months of Premium Membership for just $0.99. So you can learn new things every month for less than the price of a cup of coffee!

 

Track your mood

 

A good way to be more positive and optimistic is to track your mood every day. I’ve been doing this in a planner for years. Start by writing down how you feel, the best way to do this is to create a scale. Rate your mood from 1-5 and then list three things you’re grateful for. It’s a simple as that. It only takes a few minutes, and you might not feel any different to begin with, but it really does help.
Every day I’ve been listing 3 things I’m grateful for, or 3 things that went well, plus tracking my mood. Some days seemed worse than others, and it’s even difficult to write down three things, but after a while, it’ll become second nature and boost your mood.
 

Create hours of operation

 

This one is the most important of all the steps. Create hours of operation for your mobile phone. I stop looking at it one hour before bed now, and don’t look at it again until one hour after I’ve woken up. And I find that I’m sleeping better and feeling better in the morning.
 

After a few weeks, increase it to two hours before bed, and two hours in the morning. And limit your technology on Sunday’s. Doctor’s are even prescribing this to stressed and anxious patients, and guess what, it works. Another trick I learned (but didn’t know) was that I could switch on the Backlight feature on my phone to make reading in the evening before bed a little kinder on my eyes and help me to feel sleepier. It’ll stop eye strain, and help rest your mind before bed.

 

Edit your diet

 

One thing most people can agree on is that our diets are much worse than they used to be. Refined sugar, white carbs, and unhealthy fats are causing us to be unhealthy, stressed, anxious and low.
One way to edit your diet would be to cut out refined sugars and not eat anything with ingredients that you don’t recognize.
 

This could be a great way of eating only natural things, however, I prefer to just stick to protein and vegetables, and stop drinking carbonated drinks. A large leafy salad at lunchtime will do so much good.
 

Make your ‘me time’ sacred

 

I used to think my ‘me time’ was soaking in the bath with my phone. I was making a big mistake keeping my phone with me and wasn’t really ‘switching off’. One thing that changed the game for me was learning that meditation in the modern world didn’t have to involve sitting with my eyes closed chanting. Just focusing on one activity that keeps your brain quiet is a modern version of meditation that even the most restless of minds can do.
 

In the evening, read one chapter of a book or take up an activity that quiets your mind and allows you to escape from the busy world. Your ‘me time’ is sacred.
 

Workout, without working out

 

Working out doesn’t have to be one of those things you consciously decide to do and drag your feet to. You can workout by walking 10,000 steps a day, buy a skipping rope and do 30 minutes in the garden or follow a dance class on YouTube.
 

Try to change the way you approach ‘working out’, just think of it as an appointment you’ve made for 30 minutes every day. You’ve got to keep this appointment up if you want to feel better, no matter how tired you feel when you walk through the door. I’d love to know how you motivate yourself to move, I know I find that I can talk myself out of it but by balancing out everything else, you’ll have more energy to actually work out.
 

Don’t forget…Skillshare is giving CGD readers three months of premium membership for $0.99. Click here and build a better you!
 

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