This post has over 60 self-improvement tips covering your personal development, health, career, and finances, to give you more ideas on how to better yourself and live a happier life this year.

A huge thank you to the 20+ entrepreneurs and bloggers who shared their tips on bettering yourself!

Why Is Personal Growth So Important?

The idea of personal growth and self-improvement has been a topic that I’ve contemplated a lot recently.

Many of us will neglect to do what will make us the best possible version of ourselves, even if we can acknowledge what that version looks like. 

It can be hard to break out of our comfort zones, even in the name of self-improvement.

More, it can be hard to decide what to improve on when, really, there is an endless number of ways we can make our lives better. That’s why I’ve made this list of ways to better yourself every day.

2019 is the year to take back our lives and shape it how we want. The year to be better to yourself, set goals, and be kind – to yourself and the people around you.

To help me make this list as valuable as possible, I reached out to some of the most influential entrepreneurs in the blogging space, as well as my fellow blogging friends for their input on bettering yourself. Thanks so much to everyone who helped make this post truly inspiring.

Someone who is actively taking steps to better themselves is a person to be reckoned with. Even if you take one point from this list and run with it, you’re doing something – and that’s worth it. So let’s go.

60 Self-Improvement Tips On How To Better Yourself This Year:

Personal Self-Improvement

1. Set Goals For Yourself

Get into the habit of setting goals for yourself: yearly, monthly, and even daily when you can. Write those goals down. Come back to them and record your progress. Success isn’t in how quickly you achieve your goals, or even if you actually do achieve them – it’s in the journey to make them happen.

Once you have your goals for the year lined up, then you know what you need to focus on all year. It makes everything easier once you know where you are moving so that you can only focus on the tasks that are going to grow your business or life instead of just chasing squirrels all over the place that just waste time. Goals help you grow! – Caroline, CarolineVencil.com

2. Be Thankful For What You Have

It’s difficult to focus on self-improvement when you fail to recognise what you already have in life. Take time out of your day to sit and reflect on what you have, where you are, and how you get here.

Being thankful for the here and now is the first step to bettering yourself for the future.

3. Move!

Exercise and self-improvement go hand-in-hand, doing wonderful things for both your body and your mind. Find a form of movement you love – whether that’s dancing around your living room, lifting weights at the gym or hiking mountains all day long.

Exercise and movement are, to me, one of the most important forms of self-improvement you can focus on for your total well-being.

4. Be Kinder To Yourself

You only get one body, so be kind to it. Have you ever heard someone ask, ‘if you spoke to your friends how you speak to yourself, what would your reaction be?’

For a lot of people, they’d be appalled – and that’s night right. Be kind. Love. Breathe.

Be kinder to yourself. If you constantly have hundreds of things on your to-do list, you will never finish it and will constantly feel overwhelmed. I learnt this the hard way. I recently changed to writing shorter to-do lists and I’m so much more productive because of it! Laura, Thrifty Londoner

5. Read A Book

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin

I can never, never, understand when people tell me ‘they don’t like reading’. To me, it’s like saying you don’t like eating. There are books for everyone – from fantasy and science fiction to biographies and self-help books.

Reading opens your mind, let’s you inside the mind of another person (even if they are fictional), and can challenge you in ways you never imagined. If you do one thing to improve yourself, pick up a book today and read it.

6. Forgive Your Past Mistakes

Own up to your past mistakes, acknowledge them, and then forgive them. Getting hung up on the past will get you nowhere – but so will hiding your past from your future. 

 7. Admit Your Weaknesses

Again, own up to and acknowledge your weaknesses. What do you really need to improve on?

You could be bad at budgeting, contacting your friends and family, looking after yourself, or multiple things. Admit your weaknesses to be able to improve upon them.

8. Get Out Your Comfort Zone 

Do something new that challenges you and makes you feel uncomfortable. Shake things up. Make new and unpredictable situations your new normal.

9. Start A Hobby

In the same vein, getting out of your comfort zone by starting a hobby can be a great step towards self-improvement.

Is there anything you’ve ever really wanted to try? Have a friend with a real passion that you’d love to get involved in? Whether it’s fitness or something you do online from your laptop, starting a hobby will make you a more well-rounded person.

10. Wake Up Early

It’s no myth that successful people wake up earlier. This tip comes up time and time again, for self-improvement, increase productivity, happiness, and general well-being. It’s no coincidence that two super successful entrepreneurs recommended the same thing:

My #1 tip for people looking to better themselves in the next year is waking up early and being disciplined about it. As a stay at home dad, my uninterrupted time to work on our business is limited. Over the last year, I have made a point to wake up between 4-5 am every day. It has not only had a huge impact on growing our business but also helped be disciplined in all other aspects of life. The simple act of getting out of bed early and getting the day started on a good note sets the tone for your entire life. – Kelan Kline, The Savvy Couple

4-5am! Massive respect to Kelan for that. Personally, I wake up between 6 – 7 (although I can imagine that changes when you have a baby to look after!), but waking up a few hours earlier than I used to has been instrumental to me – maybe I’ll reach the levels of Kelan and Holly someday!

Start getting up earlier than you do now. I started getting up at 5:45 a.m. last year instead of 7:00. That extra time each day has made all the difference in the world to me. I usually get up and drink some coffee and get some exercise in on my elliptical, but I occasionally use the time to accomplish a task that is hard to get done during the day. Either way, having an extra hour+ each day has made me happier, considerably less stressed out, and less rushed. – Holly Johnson, Club Thrifty

11. Meditate

Meditation doesn’t have to be sitting in a room, in silence, for an hour. It can be as simple as taking five breaths, right now. Inhale. Exhale. And repeat. 

12. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others

Stay focused on your own lane – it’s the only one that matters.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Instead, compare yourself to your past self and look at how far you’ve come on your journey. Whether that be finances or fitness it starts with the first round, the first step or the first small change. – Katy Stevens, Katy Kicker

Stop worrying about what other people are thinking about you – the truth is, most people are so worried about what you think of them, that they don’t have time to judge you.

Other people opinions of you don’t matter. If worrying about what others will think of you has stopped you from doing what you want to, just focus on YOUR opinion of you. Whether that’s financial, emotional or in any other area of life. – Claire, The Money Freak

13. Create Better Habits

In the same light, focus on creating better habits for your lifestyle. Start managing your money better, create a morning routine, exercise, eat healthy food, socialise with positive people, do a job you love, and get a good night’s sleep.

Or, at least, try to make one of those habits stick – for now.

14. Do A Screen Detox

We’re all guilty of spending too much time online, whether that’s scrolling through social media, checking our inboxes, or working long into the night.

Schedule screen time detox. We all spend far too much time on social media and sometimes a little time disconnected can do the world of good. – Katie, Katie Saves

 

15. Go Somewhere New

A change of scenery can do wonders for your mindset. Jump in the car and visit a new town, or if you really want to go for it, book a cheap flight to another country.

Challenge yourself with adventures and remind yourself of how big the world really is.

16. Learn To Say No

Setting boundaries by saying ‘no’ to people in your life can be one of the most difficult things to start doing.

However, in order to better yourself, you’ll need to be able to stay firm for your goals and your well-being. Learn to say no, and deal with the discomfort that can sometimes come with it.

17. Treat Yourself

In the words of Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford (P&R fans know), treat yo’ self. 

Plan and do at least one thing that is going to make you feel happier! It could be a manicure or pedicure, going to watch a play, sitting and putting your thoughts on paper to a friend you haven’t seen or heard from in a while. It doesn’t have to be expensive. It’s the little things that count and they are so good for our mental health too. – Jo & Leisa, Joleisa

18. Stop A Vice

Do you smoke? Drink? Gamble? Over-eat? Indulge in too much sugar or fried foods?

If you want to know how to better yourself, you need to start with the things that are controlling you, and holding you back. Giving up your vices is a good place to start.

19. Declutter Your Home

A clean home means a clean mind. Lucky for you, decluttering is my area of expertise.

Click here to get started, here to declutter your wardrobe, and here to learn more about being a minimalist.

20. Start Journaling

Journaling doesn’t mean pouring your thoughts and feelings onto a page. It can just mean making some notes of goals, how you felt today, what you want to achieve in the day – anything that brings awareness into the here, now.

I use a daily or monthly paper planner and meditating for at least 15 minutes a day. The paper plans help in keeping track of your goals, constantly remind when and what to focus on. On the other hand, meditation helps in self-realisation. It’s important that you understand your own positive and negative habits. It allows you to understand what helps you get success and what drags you down. – Aayush Bhaksar, BforBloggers

21. Walk More

Walking is good for your health, but it also provides time for you to reflect and take some of that ‘me time’ mentioned above.

If you find that you are always going from building to car to a building, this could be a simple but highly effective tip for you.

22. 5 Things

Make a list of 5:

• Things you’re grateful for
• Good things that happened today
• Things you learned today
• Memories you want to remember today

Practice gratitude, practice generosity, practice positivity, and sooner or later you won’t need to practice – you’ll have a habit.

23. Dedicate Time To Yourself

Self-improvement starts and ends with you, so be selfish with your time sometimes. Scheduling in time for your happiness is arguably more important than any other part of your day.

Even just 15 minutes to read, walk the dog, meditate, watch TV – whatever you want – it makes all the difference.  We give and give and give and have to remember that if we don’t take care of ourselves, we will not have as much to give to others. – Tracie Fobes, traciefobes.com

Give yourself ‘me time’ every single day. Whether that’s treating yourself, meditating, taking a walk, or simply cooking yourself a meal you really like. To better yourself, you need to be kind to yourself.

Spend 30 minutes a day doing something FOR YOU! Since we spend so much on everyone else in our lives! 🙂 – J. Money, BudgetsAreSexy.com

24. Write Your Ideas Down

Get in the habit of carrying a notebook with you and jotting down your ideas – no matter how big and small. You’re bound to have some gems in there!

25. Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Self-improvement is a lot easier after a good night’s rest. Create a solid sleep routine, and stick to it. Personally, forcing myself to go to bed early and wake up between 6 and 7 am every day, even though I’m self-employed and therefore could sleep in until midday, was pivotal to creating a better daily routine that improved my life in many ways.

26. Learn A New Skill

Better yourself by learning a new skill, and you’ll also open yourself up to meeting new people, and maybe even open doors to new careers and experiences.

I’m committed to learning how to do a handstand this year – that counts as a skill, right?!

27. Change Your Perspective

Change your perspective every once in a while – looking on the bright side is called the bright side for a reason.

Decide that you are going to see the glass half full this year. The way in which we approach the world is a decision, and when you decide that you can always find a silver lining, it makes your days and experiences easier and richer. – Alli Doubek, Dancing Through The Rain

28. Listen To Motivational Speeches

Nothing gets me fired up for some serious self-improvement like listening to TED talks from powerful, inspirational people.

There are over 3,000 talks on motivation currently on TED Talks – so you’re going to find something that resonates with you.

29. Take A Break

The people who constantly strive to better themselves are, ironically, often the ones who will work themselves into the ground.

Don’t neglect the good a break can do – whether that’s an hour walk around the park, or scheduling a few days of total peace.

30. Do A Social Media Detox

Log off, delete the apps from your phone, and say goodbye to social media for 24 hours.

When you actually realise how difficult this can be, that’s the real motivation for taking a step back from the online world.

31. Make A Plan

Similarly to setting goals for yourself, creating an action plan through which you’ll achieve your goals can suddenly make everything seem far easier to accomplish.

Create a plan for everything. I know that may sound really tedious! But I promise you that amazing things happen when you create a plan, take action and go into it with a positive mindset. If you want to make changes in your life, you are going to need to plan for it. You can do this for any part of your life – exercise, self-care, work, relationships etc – anything. You just need to work out what you want to change, how you’re going to do it and then complete each action until you are there. And once you have seen the results this creates – you will be glad you started. – Francesca, From Pennies To Pounds 

32. Be Kind To Others

One of my favourite mantras is that it’s kind to be kind. It takes nothing away from you to smile at a stranger, open a door for someone, or to simply forgive and move on if someone is rude to you. That’s on them.

Of course, this is always going to be a work in progress, but I genuinely find that being kind to others comes back to you a million times over, and costs so little to do.

We need more kindness in the world.

33. Invest In Yourself

Whether you’re investing in a decent outfit for a job interview, an amazing skin care routine to boost your confidence, or in an online course to help your personal development, do whatever works for you. You have to invest to get back.

34. Give To Charity

Self-improvement doesn’t end with yourself – it’s also about what you give back to the world. Find a cause that resonates with you, and find a way to give time to that cause. 

35. Waste Less Time

Procrastination never does any good. Schedule in time to work and time for other activities, and try to reduce empty wasted time as much as you can.

Find ways that you may be wasting time. This can impact your life in so many ways, such as being able to make more money (because you may be able to start a side business, start a side job, etc.), eliminate negativity in your life (such as if you spend too much time watching bad TV shows, gossiping, etc.), get more sleep, and more. And, there’s probably a lot of things you are doing to waste time – the average person watches around 35 hours of TV a week and spends over 20 hours a week on social media! – Michelle, Making Sense Of Cents

36. Find People You Admire

Who do you look up to? Who do you aspire to be like? We all need people we aspire to in one way or another – it gives us something (or someone) tangible to work towards. (Hint, a lot of people who helped me with this post tick this box for me!)

37. Take Vitamins

Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or a meat-eater, most of us can probably admit that we don’t have a perfect diet at all times.

Supplementing your diet with vitamins to keep you healthy and feeling good can only be a good thing.

38. Keep Track Of Your Appointments

Get a planner, or make use of your calendar in your phone, and get into the habit of scheduling your appointments (that includes personal admin like doctors, dentists, hairdressers etc). 

39. Learn How To Take Criticism

No one likes to hear their faults – but just as admitting your own weaknesses is an important step when learning how to better yourself, so is hearing your downsides from other people.

Constructive criticism is constructive for a reason.

40. Cut Down On TV Time

Learn how to be productive without your TV. You’ll be surprised how much more you can get done when you’re off the sofa!

41. Find Your Inner Child

Laugh, jump, leap, and play. Connect with the pure innocence that allowed you to be carelessly happy as a child and reconnect with living life for the joy of it.

42. Be A Mentor To Someone Else

Having someone to look up to can be so important for self-improvement, but having someone look up to you can be totally life-changing in how you conduct yourself.

Relationships

43. Find Your Tribe

As much as the phrase ‘your tribe is your vibe’ grates on me, it has an element of truth. You need to surround yourself with positive people on the same wave-length as you in order to be able to truly thrive.

44. Reconnect With Your Family

We can all be guilty of neglecting family relationships at times, simply because we know they’re always there.

Make an effort to re-connect with your loved ones, near and far.

45. Make New Friends

As an adult, making new friends becomes harder and scarier. It just isn’t as simple as it was as a child when you’d approach someone in the playground and have a new best friend!

Making new connections can challenge your perspectives and open doors in so many ways, so make the effort to get out of your comfort zone and connect with people from different walks of life.

46. Connect With Old Friends

Equally, connecting with old friends can be a good way to better yourself. Simply picking up the phone and sending a text to an old friend could make their entire day – and that’s worth it. 

47. Put Effort Into Your Relationships

Self-improvement is always a work in progress, and so are your relationships. Simply having awareness of the work you need to put into your relationships with others can be enough.

Career

48. Commit Fully

Committing to our dreams can be scary because let’s face it, if you fail at your dream, what else is there? A lot of successful people – if not all – reach this crossroads at some point. It’s the ones that commit fully and go all in that often come out the other side smiling.

As Lauren became more involved in our business and we started to work harder, I realized that giving up our most productive hours to our full-time jobs rather than our new business was really hurting us. We needed to quit our jobs. For us, the desire for freedom outweighed the fear of things not working out. We had some money saved up and we told ourselves that we would make this thing work no matter what. Our biggest growth tip to achieve what you want is to commit fully – that’s how you’ll achieve the results you want. – Alex, Create&Go

49. Start A Side Hustle

Realising that my income didn’t need to come from one source only was a huge moment for me, and makes me want – need – to better myself every day.

Start a side hustle and see what door that opens for you.

50. Do A Job You Enjoy

If you don’t enjoy your job, why are you doing it? Yes, for some people, simply quitting and walking away isn’t an option. For most people, that’s not an immediate option.

However, it’s never too late to start working towards doing what you really love.

Whether you’re taking an hour out of your day to start a blog or complete an online course, or even volunteering somewhere near you, you always have the ability to do something.

51. Dress For The Life You Want

Life is too short to spend in clothes that make you feel uncomfortable. Dress for the life you want, and the way that makes you happy – fashion be damned.

Finances

52. Keep Track Of Your Spending

The stronger my habit of living frugally gets, the less I need to actively track every single penny. However, tracking your spending – however strictly – is so important if you want to change the situation you’re in now.

Get a budget tracker, open a spreadsheet, or put good old fashioned pen to paper and start taking account of your finances.

The main thing I have learned to do is keep track of absolutely everything. I use spreadsheets online so that I can write down everything I have coming in, going out and available to spend (or pay extra off debt) and I find it a massive help to stop my overspending. Having debt over my head really stresses me out, so having a plan in place really helps me feel better about the new year going forward. – Claire Roach, Daily Deals UK

53. Make More Money

Increasing your income gives you more freedom for self-improvement, but this goal also drives you to better yourself in order to make it happen in the first place.

Read my guide to making more money without getting a second job.

54. Commit To Saving More Money

Don’t leave your savings as an afterthought once you’ve paid your bills, and used the rest of your cash for the month. Make sacrifices now to build your savings, and improve your future.

My top money saving tip to help improve your savings balance is to treat your savings like a bill each month. Set up a standing order to your savings account on the same day as the rest of your bills go out, such as the first of the month. Make sure it’s an affordable amount so you won’t need it for essentials, then forget about it like you would a bill. It’s gone and not part of your budget for the month now. If you do this and stick to it then you’ll be able to reach any savings goals you have for the year! – Victoria, Lylia Rose

Health

55. Be Mindful Of Your Diet

What we put into our bodies affects how we feel, how we look, and how we act. As some of you will know, I stopped eating meat almost two years ago now, and it was the best decision I have ever made for my body and my well-being. Self-improvement isn’t one size fits all – it’s about making the right decision for you, right down to your diet.

The effect that poor food has on your mindset and energy levels is alarming. And as an entrepreneur, you’ll need to be sharp and confident. Eating whole and healthy food improves your appearance and mood, which in turn improves your confidence and results in better business ideas and the courage you need to grow. If you really want to go deep, read about how diets like Keto and Whole30 can improve your brain functionality. – Suzi, Start A Mom Blog

56. Drink More Water

This is one of the most simple things you could start doing today to make yourself feel better.

Buy a reusable water bottle (I prefer a 1-litre bottle so I have to re-fill it less), and set yourself a goal to drink X bottles throughout the day. With my litre water bottle, I try to drink at least three bottles a day.

57. Always Take A Lunch Break

Taking a lunch break may sound obvious to some of you, but my fellow self-employed people will know that an hour-long lunch break is a rare thing. For your body and your mind, try to get out and take a break, even if it’s for half an hour for now.

Don’t skip lunch! Taking a break for lunch provides an overall refreshing of your brain, allowing you to tackle the rest of the day. Adding some light exercise — like a few laps around the block or a walk through a nearby park — doubles down on this benefit. If at work, share a lunch break with coworkers, flex those social skills and get to better know the people around you. Don’t stay alone at your desk isolated and the hours only ticking by! Use that lunchtime for YOUR benefit! – Erin Sluka, Parenting Healthy

58. Cut Down On Things That Make You Feel Bad

There’s a reason that most of us will vow never to drink again after a big night out. It’s because drinking makes us feel bad. It’s the same when we over-eat or indulge in something ‘unhealthy’.

Sure, everyone does this every now and again, but if you’re finding a pattern of excess and feeling bad, it may be time to cut down.

59. Eat Healthier Foods

Nutritious foods make you feel good, which makes happy, which makes you want to move and be fit, which makes you want to eat nutritious food – it’s a cycle.

Changing my diet and fitness routine was one of my very first steps towards self-improvement when I was just 20 – and health and fitness have totally shaped my life for the better ever since.

Have a goal to eat at least 3 super foods a day. It is such a small change but it makes a huge difference. When I started focusing on this, my energy levels increased immensely. Not only are my workouts better fueled, but I am able to keep up with my kids and the millions of other tasks I need to complete daily. This goal has helped me become way more productive. – Alexis, That Fit Fam

60. Look After Your Mind

Self-care has really started booming in the last couple of years, and I think that’s because we’re all starting to realise how important it is to take care of your mind, as much as it is to take care of your body.

Give yourself the time to assess how you’re doing, and take the steps you need to get to a good place, mentally and physically.

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I hope these self-improvement tips have given you some good ideas on how to better yourself this year – why not take a point or two from each section, and see what steps you can take to improve your life in some small way this month?

 

This article was originally posted on thewalletmoth.com