Do you ever feel like you’re stuck and unable to get where you want to in life? I’m sure you’ve felt this at one point or another. I know that I have… many, many times before. I’m an INFJ and am definitely on the lines of a perfectionist, so at least for me, I naturally make these kinds of seasons even harder on myself.
Something I have always wanted for myself was to never stop growing. Growing in character, kindness, and wisdom. Growing in life. As someone who believes that I’m never going to “arrive” at a certain place and that instead, I’m always going to be evolving, it’s really important to me to keep myself centered in improving my life in every aspect. Now, improving my life isn’t always the easiest or most convenient choice sometimes, but it’s always the best choice. It can be uncomfortable but sometimes that’s where the authentic growth is.
I think that we all can resonate with wanting to grow in one way or another. So, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of how we can all be improving our lives each day. Something I have come to realize over the years is that self-improvement isn’t and doesn’t have to be some crazy, elaborate thing. It starts with the “small” stuff.
[bctt tweet=”10 Ways To Improve Your Life” username=”SummerTelban”]
OUTFIT DETAILS (affiliate links)
How cute is this outfit?! It’s perfect for a summertime date day or night out with the ladies! Simple, yet classy! The top is the Moonlit Night Crochet Top from Chicwish and it’s darling. It does run true to size, though it does puff out a bit more than pictured on their site – darling nonetheless! It’s still available in all sizes and is on SALE right now. It pairs perfectly with a dark wash pair of skinnies and these block heels!
10 WAYS TO CONSTANTLY IMPROVE YOUR LIFE:
1. Keep A Heart Of Gratitude // Gratitude is something that I’m focusing on being more intentional about. I have always been grateful for my life and opportunities, but sometimes it gets to the point where I need to really snap myself into thinking through gratitude. If that makes any sense? When something good or even something bad comes my way, I want my first focus to be gratefulness. If it’s something good, it’s going to bring me joy. If it’s something bad, there’s a lesson to be learned. Either way, gratitude is essential. I think the most important thing when it comes to gratitude is to always be aware of why you’re actually grateful.
[bctt tweet=”I think the most important thing when it comes to gratitude is to always be aware of why you’re actually grateful.” username=”SummerTelban”]
2. Declutter When Necessary // Clutter and anything unorganized has always created immense anxiety in my life. Whether it’s clutter in my office or even a messy situation in life, I always get overwhelmed and worked up. Decluttering is essential for a healthy life. I try to declutter my closet a few times a year, keep my office tidy, and try to keep only healthy people in my life. When people think of decluttering, they typically think of physically cleaning something up, but that’s not what it is sometimes. Like I mentioned a moment ago, sometimes you have to declutter toxic people from your life and remove yourself from unhealthy situations.
3. Spend Time Alone // As an introvert, it’s very easy for me to take time for myself. I love spending time alone because it gives me room to breathe and the freedom to do what I want for a little bit. People can be exhausting sometimes. Even extroverts can agree with that! This is why it’s important to get alone with yourself to have some “me time” regularly. Yes, I said regularly. While relationships play a key role in life, so does spending time alone with yourself.
4. Always Get To Know Yourself Better // Tying into the point above about spending time alone, if you want to improve your life, you need to always get to know yourself better. I have touched on the importance of this before and how getting to truly know yourself will help you grow in many areas of your life. I highly recommend taking personality tests like The Myers Briggs (free version) and The Enneagram Types Test. There are so many out there but those are two of my personal favorites.
5. Ditch Perfectionism // Whether you’re a self-proclaimed perfectionist or not, I think we all deal with perfectionism in some way. But, we’ve got to ditch it! Ditch perfectionism. It’s not any good for anyone. Instead, reach for excellence. Perfection is not attainable, but excellence is. Strive to work well and you’ll reach excellence. Get rid of every out of perfectionism from your life and I promise you, you’ll feel so much freer. When it starts to creep up again, remind yourself that perfection is not attainable and that’s 100% okay.
[bctt tweet=”Perfection is not attainable, but excellence is. ” username=”SummerTelban”]
6. Forgive All Of The Time // Forgiveness is not an easy concept for any of us. We’re all human and flawed. We’re all human and want to hold onto our feelings all of the time. 1. That’s okay. You’re allowed to feel and think whatever you do. 2. At some point, you have to move on from your feelings and thoughts and remember forgiveness. I think that people often think of forgiveness as something that comes into play for only the big hurts in life, but that’s really not the case. Often times, forgiveness is needed in the tiniest things more than the overwhelming ones. We all mess up and want forgiveness when it’s on our end, so let’s have some grace and always be willing to give forgiveness out to others when it’s needed.
[bctt tweet=”Be willing to give out forgiveness and grace as much as you want it when it’s needed on your end.” username=”SummerTelban”]
7. Keep On Learning // You won’t grow unless you’re learning, so always keep on learning. One of my personal mantras is, “never shut yourself off from growth”. This mantra has helped me push past my comfort zone in many areas of my life and it also keeps me accountable. Now, learning doesn’t have to be a scary thing (even though sometimes it is)! You can continue to learn from almost anything around you, so keep your eyes open. You can learn a lot from social situations, listening to podcasts, watching educational programs, and even from listening to music. If you’re not sure where to start to keep on learning, look to your passions. What are you passionate about? How can you start to learn about them more?
[bctt tweet=”Never shut yourself off from growth.” username=”SummerTelban”]
8. Choose Intentionality // Not only is intentionality a huge part of my focus here at CWS, but it’s also part of my focus for my entire lifestyle. From fashion all the way to planning out my day, my top focus is to be intentional throughout. I want to encourage you to take up a life of intentionality, as well! It’s amazing how you can feel a bit lighter and more focused all from choosing to be intentional. When things are more simple, they are actually more meaningful than something extravagant. Intentionality looks different for all of us, which is pretty neat if you think about it. Whatever it looks like for you, I really hope you pursue it.
9. Don’t Hang Around Where You’re Tolerated // A couple years ago one of my favorite pastors said in one of his messages, “Go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated.” I remember how hard that phrase hit me when I first heard it. It was a powerful moment for me and has changed how I view social circles and situations ever since. Slightly circline back to decluttering your life and removing toxic people that aren’t healthy for you… this falls in line with all of that. If you find yourself trying to be friends with someone and it’s just not clicking, take your amazing self somewhere else. You don’t want forced friendships. You don’t want a forced and false sense of belonging. You deserve to be more than just tolerated. You deserve to be celebrated. Never settle for anything less.
[bctt tweet=”Go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated.” username=”SummerTelban”]
10. Always Choose To Speak Life, Love, & Truth // The world is a very dark and messed up place these days. It’s really scary. Many people let the tiniest things offend them… let’s be real, we’ve been these people before. Being vulnerable here – I can be very critical sometimes and it’s something I’m working on. In addition to this struggle, I’m naturally a realist on the line of a pessimist (more with myself than anything). Through working on that struggle, I’m challenging myself to choose to speak life, love, and truth before jumping to speaking anything else. It’s not easy, but it’s always the most rewarding. By choosing to speak these things in love, you’re choosing to further understand and have grace. It’s important to note that you shouldn’t just speak to others and events this way, but you need to speak to yourself in this way, as well.
I really hope today’s post was an encouragement to you. When I was writing it, I felt so good to get it all out. I needed to hear all of this for myself. I really hope you resonated with it, as well. Let’s keep ourselves open to improving our lives all of the time!
[bctt tweet=”10 Ways To Constantly Be Improving Your Life” username=”SummerTelban”]
What are some ways that you’re improving your life right now? Which point stuck out the most to you and why? Let’s chat!
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