Planning to start a self-help journey? Here’s the best way!

Self-Help: the use of one's own efforts and resources to achieve their goals without relying on others. Also referred to as self improvement, self-help is a term that gets thrown around in many situations and most commonly ends up with “self-help books” as a solution. When reading a self-help book, the author’s statements will only make you feel better temporarily because simply reading a book on how to improve does not mean you will actually improve upon reading it. According to Christofer Jeschke “The truth is, most people don’t need self-help books. Most people don’t need articles telling them how to be healthier. Most people don’t need advice on how to be happier.” After reading this bold statement, I decided to look further into the world of self-help, which is the main reason why I’m here writing this article. Understanding your own flaws and actively trying to improve them require immense discipline and time. Reading books won’t fix anything if you don't learn from them. Learning from others is helpful and beneficial, but your success all comes down to the amount of effort you are willing to contribute.

Source: Ramin Nazer

To best involve yourself in this self-help journey, there are some tips and reminders to keep you on the right path. Self-help starts with change; you must look at the things you want to improve and set goals for them so they become achievable. Over the course of your whole quest, you must remember to maintain positivity, don’t give up, and to be determined. Slowly but surely, you will make progress to become who you want to be.

Having a positive mindset not only requires mental development, but physical development as well. Regularly exercising will not only improve your mood but will also reduce the chances of possible health problems such as heart disease. Additionally, it will strengthen your muscles.

Learning something new will always be a benefit by stimulating the brain and making you more knowledgeable. Acquiring new skills gives us a boost of confidence and helps you become more social. It is definitely hard to hone a new skill; however, the outcome will be amazing and the journey will be just as rewarding.

One thing that many of us in this day in age never seem to stop doing is procrastinating and wasting time. All the time you spend on that video game, messaging your friends, watching TV, or maybe just sitting and doing nothing can be used much more effectively. Completing homework, exercising, helping your family, cooking dinner, planning your goals, or even meditating - anything productive can be useful in working towards improvement. However, it should be noted that not all of your time must be used for self-help; it is still fine to check your phone, play some games, relax, and do the things you like.

With that being said, I believe that although you may find the concept of self-help a little alarming with all the controversy, the right amount of determination and patience will help you accomplish your goals! Try to also follow some tips from above to kickstart your exploration into the world of self development.Remember that it’s a tedious adventure filled with obstacles that could bring you down but one thing to remember is once you’re able to see progress, it will give you so much more motivation to help continue your glorious trip to self improvement!

By Priscilla Man