I Made A Self-Improvement Bucket List That Changed My Life
Here’s how I went about it…
For as long as I can remember, I have always been a fan of bucket lists.
The idea of making one on self-improvement was born out of the desire to change certain aspects of my life.
For me, creating a self-improvement bucket list also came with a sense of responsibility and obligation to set goals and meet them. It gave me some sort of push to get things done.
Along with the bucket list came great motivation.
It was one way I could channel energy towards being productive. I also believe it gave me power over situations and circumstances in a way that I alone could predict the outcome.
My bucket list contained a lot of changes I wanted to see in my life, ranging from how I treated myself to how I reacted towards others, things which I needed to stay motivated and what I needed to do if I wanted to live a better life. Why is self-improvement important?
The vocabulary website defines self-improvement as “the process of making yourself a better or more knowledgeable person.”
Simply put, it is the act of making yourself better.
Self-improvement is an important part of life which starts with being self- aware.
The truth is, we can’t attain greater heights if we make no effort to improve our lives. They say change is the only constant thing in life. This is why self-improvement comes with numerous changes which may not happen at once, but step by step.
Whenever we think we are good, we can be even better — Celestine Chuba
Here are some aspects of my self-improvement bucket list which changed my life for good:
1. I started reading a lot more than usual
I have always been a reader, but this time, I decided to be more intentional about it.
My decision to read more consistently came with the strong conviction that pursuing knowledge and information would help my personal growth.
Indeed, the long-term effects of reading cannot be overemphasized as it has been proven that people who read a lot tend to be smarter and can initiate better conversations.
Not only is reading mentally stimulating, it is also a source of relaxation. To this extent, researchers from the University of Sussex discovered that six minutes of reading can lower your stress levels by more than two-thirds, slowing heart rates and relaxing muscles.
Reading itself is a mind-sharpening activity.
In the words of Joseph Addison, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
Here is why reading is important :
- It opens your mind to new ideas.
- It’s a good way to improve your vocabulary.
- It’s a source of knowledge which equips you for better conversations.
- It is a good stress reliever and a great form of relaxation.
- Consistent reading is one sure way to increase your attention span and use your imagination better.
- You can’t be a good writer if you don’t read.
While reading, I challenged myself to read outside my comfort zone. Not only did I read physical books, I also paid attention to e-books and audiobooks.
For me, reading became a mentally stimulating exercise which kept my mind and body healthy. It was a great way to ease boredom too.
As I read more frequently, I saw my level of concentration deepen and interacting with people also became easier.
2 . I started waking up early
Waking up early is one of the best ways to stay motivated.
Benjamin Franklin also once said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.”
Research shows that there are great benefits attached to putting in that extra hour every morning.
Some of the benefits which early risers derive from waking up early are:
- Early risers have “me" time for themselves.
- Early rising comes with great optimism and productivity for the day.
- Early risers get better sleep.
When I started waking up early, I discovered that I had more time to accomplish what I had set out to do for the day. One particular trick that made my early morning routine work was going to bed early.
Waking up early also allowed me enough time to observe my morning rituals and self-care routine.
"It’s good to get up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth and wisdom." — Aristotle
3. I started doing more self-reflection and introspection
Self-reflection has been defined as “careful thought about your own behavior and beliefs.”
Self-reflection started with me asking myself a lot of personal questions:
1. Have I learned anything new from my recent experiences?
2. What am I doing constantly to make my life better?
3. Do I need to do more or do less?
4. What mistakes have I made and how am I learning from them.
5. What areas of my life require improvement and how can I make that happen?
These questions constantly put me in check and are like a compass which navigate my attitude. It also comes with a bit of honest answers, since I am learning to be as truthful as possible to myself. Indeed, self-reflection comes with its various advantages because it helps me to:
- Identify my strengths and weaknesses.
- Develop new ideas.
- Deal with issues as they occur.
Through self-reflection, I learned that some solutions to our problems lie deep within us, if only we can think thoroughly about them.
The more we learn about ourselves, the more self-aware we become, and the easier it is to experience growth.
4. I learned to say no to people
For a long time, I always struggled to say no to people. “Yes" was my default setting. Even when it made me a bit uncomfortable or was stressful, I would still go out of my way to make others happy.
Even when I said 'No’, I still felt guilty for saying so! In his book “The Power of No”, James Altucher explains that: “When you say yes to something you don’t want to do, here is the result: you hate what you are doing, you resent the person who asked you, and you hurt yourself.”
Things got better for me when I started concentrating on everything that mattered to me. My bucket list taught me how to put myself first. I intentionally started putting my mental health and self-care as top priority.
I started putting my opinion over those of others.
Once I put the act of “people-pleasing" aside, I had enough mental space to cater for my emotional and psychological needs.
“If your life is so tightly packed with other people’s requests that you don’t have time for what really matters to you – or worse, your mental health is at risk , it is time to make a change.” — Chloe Brotheridge
Chantalle’s Blikman’s article on the Tiny Buddha also taught me some tricks on how to say no:
- By saying a direct, unapologetic ’no' whenever there is a need to.
- By remembering that saying no now is better than being resentful afterwards.
- By getting more comfortable with saying no.
5. I started decluttering
In making this possible, I started getting rid of everything that I didn’t need.
I started with the unnecessary things in my room, then my workspace and other areas of the house. I didn’t only restrict myself to the physical things and spaces within the house, I also arranged the files and apps contained in my laptop and phones.
I deleted and erased anything and everything that wasn’t serving any purpose.
At some point, it felt quite liberating. Old clothes were also not spared, as they were donated to others who needed them. Now I work better in an airy, spacious workspace.
I am so grateful for a less cluttered environment and life.
Final Thoughts
Creating a bucket list helped me put my plans into action. It gave me more freedom than I had originally envisaged.
Although I cannot deny that discipline and consistency played a great role in achieving most of the set goals, having a good plan set things in motion. It boosted my drive towards attaining each goal.
With the bucket list, I was able to visualize all that I needed to do and follow up as I settled into each target.
It’s possible to have many plans in mind, but if there is no clear means of achieving it, the plans may fall through. What matters most is to have visionary goals and see them through.
Even if you can’t meet everything on the list, some great memories will have been made, long enough to last a lifetime.
