Stuck? We are all working towards something in life. Life is a process, and you will always have to work through different stages.

Here is what you can start with today to improve your life;

• Find a mentor

Be it in religion, career, or social life; you need guidance. Irrespective of your age and education level, there is always someone who has been in that path you intend to go. Instead of going blindly and expecting to figure things on your own and be successful, find a mentor. A learning process is not complete without a tutor, in this case, a guide.

A mentor is important because he/she will have a practical and sober perception of your goals. This is based on experience and goodwill. A mentor will not pamper you when you are derailing from your intended path. The fact that the person you are looking up to has been through your path, you are less likely to make mistakes and waste time on unnecessary things that distract you from the goal. 

• Create a habit

To achieve anything in life, you have to adopt certain habits and be consistent in your practices. It is about discipline to certain traits that are linked to desired results. Work your way backward, you don’t set goals and then find out what you need to do on a daily basis to achieve the goal.

Creating a habit is easy, but you have to move on to the action plan. It’s okay to compromise on your comfort; in fact, success and growth do not come with the same old habits. You need to sacrifice. You will not achieve anything different if you stick to old habits.

• Read

After specifying the field you like, go find out what experts are saying about it. What successful people in the field did to be where they are. We are in an information era; you won’t miss data on any field of specialization. Find books online, go to libraries and borrow. Read professional blogs. There is power in knowledge, and it is the first step to improving your life.

You can’t move with your old ideas; read to have a new perception of the world. Just like you need a map while on a strange land, read and find out what your goals entail.

• Reflect

At the end of each day, take a few minutes to reflect on your activities and how far you are from achieving your career or social goals. It might not be as formal as a progress report, but it is the same technique. The only way to improve your life is being conscious of where you are and change your actions, if necessary to suit the existing conditions. At times, you may need to change all your tactics because of the dynamic world. After two months, you may be having different interests and goals.

• Be honest with yourself

Creating an image of success for friends and family to perceive you as focused yet you are doing nothing about it won’t help. In the digital era, you might be lured to posting quotes and photos of motivation yet you are feeling different or exhausted deep inside. While it is okay to be positive, you can’t lie to yourself. If you are stuck you know it; accept that things are not working and find a way to improve your life.

• Reward/punish

It may not be easy to punish yourself, but it is possible if you are focused and committed to improving your life. Improving the quality of life is not only about adopting good habits but also dropping some bad traits. Develop a reward system whenever you make a hard decision on dropping a habit. It is not easy; this is why you need to motivate yourself and keep working towards improving life. This might be easier if you involve a friend or mentor.

• Find people to push you

While self-development is largely dependent on the willingness and commitment of an individual, it is not a solo game. You will move faster and be more focused when working it out with people of the same interest. It can be two, three, or five. Huge teams are never effective; keep it small for easy management. 

It is important to work with a team because you will occasionally feel discouraged or lazy. At such points, you are likely to quit or lag behind when alone.  Team members keep you on the check. No silly excuses.

• Consistency

Personal growth is a process, you don’t wake up one day, and you are different. It takes patience and commitment. You have to work day by day, every minute consciousness. Changing habits and interest. It might go to the extent of changing friends or places you go to. You have to be consistent in all these to make a change. Self-development is about habits, which don’t go off easily. You have to be persistent.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. It will cost you time and a bit of luxury, but it will pay off later. Actually, how fast you grow in personal life depends on your consistency.