Photo by peifferc (flickr)

Here at MyLifeMotivation.com we like to talk a lot about self improvement.  We talk about self improvement tips in the form of education, experimentation, motivation, etc.; but it has come to my realization that not many people know just how much self improvement is available to them.

As humans, we are constantly evolving and growing.  We never stop changing in life, not for an instant.  Everything we think, say, and experience helps shape the person we are the very next moment and all future moments.  Because of this, it is important to understand the five stages of self improvement to fully take advantage of the great potential that we all hoard.

1. Building Self Esteem

Building self esteem is one stage of self improvement that many people neglect; yet I believe it is the most important stage.  The reason it is more important than any other aspect of self improvement is you would never even bother improving something you didn’t love in the first place.

Think of all those guys (and gals) who buy these beat up old heaps of junk with a plan to turn them into beautiful, high powered automobiles.  They don’t buy these cars because they hate them and want to make them better.  They buy them because they love them for what they can become.

This is the first stage of self improvement.  It is important that you love yourself for what you can become.  This doesn’t mean you can’t like who you are.  Actually, it’s just the opposite; you should love who you are because you are currently holding great potential to do great things with your life.  Even if you aren’t happy with the way things are going for you right now, you have the power to change this.

So building self esteem is all about loving who you are for what you can become.

2.  Self Education

The second stage of self improvement is self education.  This stage isn’t about heading to the library and reading a bunch of books on quantum physics; rather, it is a matter of learning more about yourself.  Throughout life, we spend more time with ourselves than we do with anyone else.  Yet, we tend to know more about other people than we do ourselves.

You may think I’m off my rocker for making such a claim, but think about this.  When you say or do something to someone else, do you not anticipate their response?  Do you not imagine in your head how others will react to whatever you are doing?  Do you not think of ways to gain the approval of others?

This is not uncommon, but it is a surefire way to get away from the life you want to live.  It is an easy way to back off your own self improvement course.  You have one life to live–your own.  And you are the only person who gets to live this life.

So what does all this have to do with self education?

You must learn what makes you happy.  You must learn what makes you sad and frustrated.  You must learn ways that you can move past the sad moments in an efficient without causing yourself future problems.  You must learn ways to live in a positive light.  Learn ways to smile and laugh.  Learn ways to be around the people you most enjoy being around.

You must find what makes you tick.  Then you must continue down the path of self improvement to put yourself in that place.

3. Building Self Confidence

Building self confidence is stage number three in the self improvement world.  In order to solidify improvements to yourself, you must develop the confidence to utilize these improvements.

Let’s say you learn a new skill, but in order to use this skill for any worth you must step outside your comfort zone.  Perhaps you took voice lessons for several months and became quite good.  You discovered something missing in your life and realized a joy for singing.  While it’s all well and good to sing for yourself, I’d be willing to bet your missing out on a whole lot of personal satisfaction by not singing in public.

Being able to show off your gifts and skills is one way to take your life to another level.  It may not be comfortable at first, but that is the beauty of life.  You must trust yourself and believe in your abilities.  You must believe that the things you are doing are going to make you a stronger person and give you greater fulfillment.  You are not living to exist; you are living to thrive!

4. Personal Growth

By building your self confidence you are paving the way for personal growth.  Personal growth occurs when you extend the boundaries of your comfort zone.  Personal growth is learning a new skill and trusting yourself to put it to use.

Personal growth is not being afraid to fail.  It is trying new things for the experience.  It is attempting new endeavors to learn more about yourself.  It is taking steps toward your true goals that you have never taken before.

There is no real self improvement without personal growth.  Personal growth is not only adding to your ability to achieve a goal; it is putting this new ability into action in new ways.

Personal growth is an ongoing process.  Every single day you should be looking for new ways to challenge yourself.  This is how you can live life to the fullest.  Live each moment for its potential and seize each opportunity to grow.

5. Personal Mastery

The final stage of self improvement is personal mastery.  This is where you claim complete control of yourself.  All your thoughts and all your actions are in line with your aims.  Everything you say and do is a result of your plan to improve your life.

Personal mastery is a devotion to the life of your dreams.  It is aligning your will with your goals.  It is living as the person you want to be.

It is living as yourself.

When you can block out all your worries and negative thoughts and keep focus on the positive, you have achieved personal mastery.  When you can live each moment of your life for all the potential it holds, you have achieved personal mastery.

Personal mastery is not about being perfect, it is simply about having total control of yourself and your life.

And when you have done this, self improvement becomes a constant second nature.