Everyone tells you “the only thing you need to do is be yourself,” and yet all we do is strive to be someone better. I’m coming at you this week with another Somewhat Answers To, to help show you the things I’m currently working on in my own life to become a better me.

Challenge Yourself

I used to set unattainable goals for myself. I kept feeling as if I was way back here when I needed to be up there; and every time I “failed” these goals, I would get down on myself and believe I wasn’t good enough. But, after many years of thinking negatively about myself, I realized my bad habits were affecting my everyday life. So, I decided I needed to change, and the first step in the process was to set achievable goals. I started challenging myself with small tasks, like getting out of bed the first time my alarm goes off, going to the gym five times a week and changing my diet. Although to some people these are just small achievements, but for me, that’s the point. Starting out with challenges I can conquer will hopefully give me the confidence to be a stronger, better me.

Surround Yourself with Good People

I’m a big believer in you are what your friends are, which is why I’m very selective about who I spend my time with. For me, hanging out with people who make me laugh, build my confidence and inspire me to be a better me is extremely important. It’s critical to have friends who are going to believe in you the way you want to believe in yourself. They are able to lift your spirits and help you conquer battles you never thought you could defeat. Being able to be yourself around these individuals will have you feeling comfortable in your own skin. Friends who love you for you will help you become a better version of yourself by giving you the confidence to be who you truly are.

Keep a Journal

I’m not embarrassed to say writing is not my niche. I’ve had to work very hard to earn my blogging position, and I still struggle with punctuation, grammar and fluency. However, writing has become an outlet for me, a way for me to write down my struggles, my successes and everything in between. I’ve been able to combat my bad habits by creating guides to help me begin building new habits. As an example, I have started a bullet journal and in this journal I have three pages dedicated to my goals, motivation and positivity. The positivity page is called, “One Positive Line A Day.” What I do here is each day I have to write down one positive thing I did that day. It can be as simple as, “I got out of bed today,” as thoughtful as, “helped a friend make a tough decision” or as self-absorbed as “I’m the greatest human being to ever walk this planet.” Bullet journaling helps me be a better version of myself.

Be Satisfied with Giving Your Best

Personally, this one is very difficult, and I struggle with it every day. Giving a hundred percent of yourself to something but not receiving the same hundred percent as the final grade is infuriating. Instead of saying, “I gave it my best shot,” I terrorize myself for not getting the grades I believe I deserve. I end up so stressed out and anxiety-ridden I shut down and nothing productive gets done the rest of the night. This is obviously not a great way to live; it’s destructive, harmful and the main reason I struggle in my day-to-day life. The way I try to diminish these negative thoughts is by celebrating the little accomplishments and “brushing off” the not-so-great feedback. I have to remind myself, “it’s all about the little things, whether it be making a new friend or passing the test no matter the exact percentage was.”  

Even though it’s irritating to work on myself some days, I have to remember Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will I. But I will continue to try every day.