Have you ever been sitting in a conversation where everyone’s speaking really enthusiastically, and has a tonne of knowledge on the subject, and you’re just sitting there thinking ‘what in the world is going on?’
Because, same.
And it’s not just you who has felt this self-alienating feeling, there are many others who have felt the same way.
What I hope you have noticed in the sentence I’ve written above is that I said it is a self-alienating feeling, meaning sometimes we do it to ourselves.
We could easily include ourselves in these conversations if we were just more efficient with our time.
Rather than refreshing your Instagram pages for the seventh time, you could’ve used it to research a topic you’re really interested in, or begin a hobby you’ve wanted to get into for months.
If you want to read more books, watch more documentaries, learn knitting or practice creative writing, list it all down onto a ‘mind enrichment list.’
As you tick off these little goals, you will find that you are learning more not only about the world but also yourself. It may also be that these personal achievements build the foundation to gain greater achievements in the future.
In the first part of this two part Mental glow up series, I talk specifically about self-love and list actionable steps to build respect for yourself, better your mentality and ultimately feel better about yourself.
In this post, I will be talking about how to further this foundation you have built but mostly, show you how to be smarter, be more time efficient, and build habits to become successful in all your ventures.
1. Spend time enriching your mind
This is one of the easiest steps to complete.
Swap some social media or Youtube time to spending time watching documentaries and reading about topics that interest you. It can be as little as spending 10 minutes a day.
Some great movies that you can watch are Studio Ghibli movies; I’ve actually listed down some great ones to watch (no spoilers but I give a brief description of what the movies are about so just choose the one you like the most!).
It could be that watching one of these movies may open you up to a whole new world of animation and film (which is enriching your mind).
You can also do some learning through watching movies, documentaries, T.V. shows, reading books, listening to audio books and podcasts, visiting museums and galleries etc.
There are even many Youtube accounts that create 5 minute videos summarising whole topics.
TASK: Type a topic you are interested in (for example, British Imperialism) on Youtube and watch a short video about it.
2. Build on your skills/ knowledge
If knitting is something that interests you and something you want to get better at, why not invest in a book about it or start an online knitting course?
There are many free courses and videos online that can assist your knowledge about your hobbies and interests.
Recently I stumbled upon these free courses by Harvard University; there are over 80 courses so far and it has a range of topics from ‘Japanese Books: From Manuscript to Print’ to ‘Hinduism through its scriptures.’
For those of you who love a more comprehensive understanding of a topic with research and analysis behind it, this might be the perfect hobby for you to partake in during the weekends!
There is also the website ‘Skillshare’ that offers a lot more courses than the Harvard free courses (although this site does require you to pay a monthly fee to have access), and may be better for those of you who like quick ways of learning such as through short videos.
There are even many Youtube videos teaching you about different topics and while it may not be as professional as websites such as the free courses by Harvard or Skillshare, it is very accessible and can be the first step of getting into online courses.
TASK: Create an account on Edx and pick a course on the Harvard free courses website
3. Focus on your side projects
Outside of your work or studies, if there is a project that you are really passionate about start to dedicate a few hours a week to work on them!
If it is a business for example, not only work on the product you wish to sell but also learn about marketing strategies, how to manage costs and all the aspects of business.
If you are really passionate about this project, aim to know as much about it as possible and use your time effectively to get optimum results.
I understand though that sometimes it can be hard to do work when you’re feeling tired, stressed out, or unproductive.
If that is the case for you, this productivity hack is perfect for you. In 5 quick minutes, I show you how to get off the sofa and get some work done.
TASK: Identify your side project, and write a list of things to do to bring it to life!
4. Work on creative projects
This is separate from the project we have discussed above.
Your creative project is perhaps something that won’t necessarily have a great impact on your future, but gives you joy now.
An example of these types of projects could perhaps be getting involved in art, creative writing, or trying to write some poetry for a spoken word night.
Of course, these ventures can easily become something you want to work on in the future and build into a career but for now, have something that engages your mind creatively and which you love to do.
This is very similar to a hobby, but instead you will use this idea and grow on it and work on it as if it is a project (e.g. with art, you may start doing sketches at home, and then trying to do some paintings, once you are a lot better, you can try and compete in art competitions).
By approaching it this way, it becomes a hobby with development (that you may be able to use in the future).
TASK: Learn a little about the field of the creative project you are interested in.
5. Complete a challenging puzzle/ problem every day
Buy a 1000 piece puzzle, a sudoku book, or download brain games on your phone; studies have shown that completing these types of tasks will keep your mind sharp.
Puzzles can also improve memory, problem-solving skills and much more! There are even some studies suggesting that completing these activities can aid in reducing the risk of dementia.
There’s loads of research online so check it out if you want to know more about the benefits of puzzles and problems.
TASK: Download a brain game right now! (Actually, after you finish reading this post hehe)
6. Learn to think outside of the box
This is easier said than done, I know, but what I specifically mean about this is to change the way you think on certain things.
This could be figuring out a new way for you to learn, (you may want to look at different learning methods such as verbal, physical or visual learning) which may help you to think about tasks in a way you didn’t before.
You could also change the way you view people and situations i.e. learn not to be judgemental.
Really understand that different people have different paths in life, and different reasons for taking those paths to yours.
Even if you don’t agree with something someone is doing, realise that they may have a reason for it that they’re not telling anybody and regardless, it’s their life and is not affecting yours so there really shouldn’t be a reason for you to judge them.
Overall, try to think more openly about decisions you take in your life or situations you face; this approach in life can really enlighten you about certain things and teach you in ways you wouldn’t have thought before.
TASK: Next time when speaking to someone you are meeting for the first time, really take the time to listen to them and understand their views (rather than trying to exert your views on them too much).
7. Invest in useful things that will make a difference to your life.
The prime example here is, you guessed it, shopping for pleasure (i.e. not for a necessity). Let’s break this down into:
- Clothes shopping
- Product shopping
Have you found yourself many times just following the trend and buying what’s trending now, and then later on finding that you don’t want to wear the item anymore?
Or do you have about 5 very similar shirts that you’ve bought from various different shops?
Both of these scenarios could be avoided if you were just a bit more conscious of your shopping choices.
For example, instead of buying in-trend pieces, you could just buy some staple pieces that will be fashionable at any time of the year, and instead of buying 5 similar shirts, you can just buy one good quality shirt that will work with most outfits.
Try to be more conscious about the choices you make when shopping because you could easily be saving a lot of money to spend on more useful things, which brings me to…
Product shopping. Yes, buy those resistance bands on amazon, and that juice maker and that back roller and that cake stand and that…
But why not investing in something that will impact your learning?
I’m not trying to make you feel bad about having that big amazon shop but, why not spend some of that money on a book about a topic you’re interested in, or if you currently have a business, an online course that teaches you about how to run a business successfully.
At the end of the day, yes that juice maker will help you make fresh pressed juice every morning and so help nourish your body with vitamins and minerals.
But the online course will nourish your mind with the knowledge you need to begin making your business successful so that it thrives in the future.
This in turn will help you make more money and in the end you can buy 10 juice makers even though that’s a bit much *thinkaboutthebiggerpicture*.
TASK: Next time you shop, stop for a minute and think about whether you really need it and if you have something very similar to it
8. Download useful apps
This can be news reading apps, brain training games, self-love apps, journal apps, even exercise apps.
Not only will the app be on your home screen but chances are it will be near your Instagram or Snapchat app, so a quick stop at it before checking social media might be a goal you want to set yourself.
TASK: Go download a news app and aim to read at least one article a day (if you don’t read the news very much). Alternatively, download a useful app that will personally benefit you and start using it!
9. Learn more about finance and budgeting
If you find that you spend a lot of money on things that shouldn’t be taking that much money from your bank account, try setting a monthly finance planner.
Tracking how much money comes in your account and out is a simple way to keep your finances in check.
But if tracking finances in this method isn’t something you’re not interested in, there are many banks that have apps to track your money for you.
And if you know you’re spending too much money but don’t know how to stop why not try researching some ways to budget and save money?
TASK: Read some articles about how to budget/ manage your finances and figure out which route is better for you; you personally tracking your money, or someone else/ an app doing it for you?
10. Do some CHARITY WORK
This is my favourite part of the list. While I have been giving you ways to enrich yourself and make yourself better, a key part of this is to understand that you are capable and have the resources to make yourself better.
Understanding this will make you realise that many people do not have the privilege of bettering their circumstances; but with a few actions by a person such as yourself, it could make such an impact in their life or many lives.
Try to be involved in something that supports others whether it be as simple as donating £2 a month, or starting your own charity!
TASK: Research some charities, and join the one that touches your heart the most, either through volunteering, giving donations or even raising donations.
11. Schedule out your time
Life can be hectic, so it can be hard to even have time for yourself.
Organising and scheduling is honestly the best way to make sure you can keep up with all of your priorities. Some ideas to do this could be writing a daily check list or getting into time blocking.
All in all, time management is the way most of the successful people you see on T.V. have become successful. It is also a way that you can make not only your self love, but also your self-development, work life and social life successful.
TASK: Look into some time management/ organisation ideas and try implementing it in a few of your tasks to complete tomorrow.
12. Create a vision board
Scrapbooking and making vision boards shouldn’t be something that’s only fun when we’re children, it can be equally important for you even now!
Vision boards especially give you a visual representation of how you want your life to be; creating it can become a source of inspiration for you as you look at it every day and focus on completing your dream.
Plus, it can be really fun!
GOAL: Spend an afternoon getting your old magazines and make a vision board about how you want your future life to look.
13. Make a bucket list of your goals and dreams
If having a visual inspirational medium isn’t something you’re into (or you have no time to make it), a list of your goals and dreams could equally inspire you.
You can make one bucket list or several; there are so many ideas for this from a bucket list of places you want to visit, of things you want to do, things you want to learn etc.
Again, listing it all down can be a reminder of how you want your life to look in 5 or so years and will give you that motivation every day to work hard.
TASK: Look at some bucket list ideas on Pinterest and make your own!
There you have it! A very extensive list of things you can add to your ‘self-development,’ list.
I would suggest by starting off with a maximum of 5 goals you want to complete and work from there.
If you are finding that your productivity isn’t so great start off with the easiest and once you achieve it, it will give you the motivation to finish the rest of the tasks.
Self-love and self-development are essential to becoming the best version of yourself.
Once again, check out the first part of this two-part series which goes through a self-love mental glow up.
Working on self-love first and building that foundation of respect and appreciation of yourself is key.
After this, self-development makes you feel empowered, strong, smart and just builds on your confidence.
Comment below if you like the task section that I’ve added to each point, I’ll definitely continue doing this if it is useful for you guys. Similarly, if there’s anything addressed in this post you want more information on, give me a comment!
As always though, take your time with all these steps; if it takes you a month to complete these ideas that’s great but even if it takes a year, that’s awesome.
Once you work on yourself, you’ll find your relationships with everything and everyone else will flourish.
