Graduating high school or college, getting married, traveling abroad. Starting or switch careers, a pandemic, a recession. There are a handful of times in life where we really contemplate who we are, where we’re at, how we can improve, etc. Whether it’s the birth or passing of a loved one or a quarter or mid-life crisis, sometimes it takes an inspection of who we are in order to become who we want to be.

Let’s look at ourselves like cars. When your car has been running some thousands of miles, it’s time for a tune-up. When your car’s check engine light comes on, it’s standard to get it checked out and fixed. So when we’ve been running some thousands of hours of our lives, it’s smart to do a ‘tune-up’, or in other words, a check-in with ourselves. When we get sick, it’s pretty standard to let ourselves rest and get better.

So how can we have regular ‘tune-ups’ on ourselves? Well, it starts by wanting to continuously be a better version of ourselves. Who we are today may be better than who we were yesterday, but who we are tomorrow can be the best version of us yet. If we make it. So I’m constantly aiming to improve and be a better version of myself. A better me than I was yesterday, every day. There are so many ways to get inspired to do this yourself, but the 3 I think are easiest are these:

Set Higher Goals

If I were talking to my best friend right now, I would be telling her there is nothing she can’t do that she puts her mind to. And sometimes becoming the best version of myself requires me to realize this about myself. Becoming comfortable where you’re at can become risky. Risky because there is no room to improve, no growth in our comfort zones. There is no better version we can become if we are staying the same, and that’s exactly what our comfort zone is.

We can’t aim for more if we feel we’ve already hit our target. Well we can tell ourselves we are, and things may seem like they’re a challenge, but it’s all in our minds. We may say we’ve accomplished a lot by checking 10 things off of a 17 item checklist. We may tell ourselves that we did the best we could that day, but is that really how it feels? I know for me it’s not. If I don’t set higher goals for myself, I can check 15 things off of that 17 item checklist but it won’t feel like an accomplishment.

What really makes me feel like I’ve accomplished a lot is when I do the uncomfortable things, when I set goals for myself that challenge me. Even if I have one item on my checklist and it takes 4 days to achieve, that alone feels like a bigger accomplishment than the 40 other small items I would’ve checked off in those 4 days. Why? Because I did something that helped me improve or grow or will help me to become the version of myself that I really want to be.

Ask For Help

I don’t think it’s a secret that every single important person you can think of has had help to get to where they are today. And that’s a pretty profound statement to make considering two people reading this could be thinking of completely different important people. But the fact remains the same. No matter who you are, you can’t reach your ultimate goals without a little help. Whether it’s advice, advocating, care, or any other form of help they’ve received.

I think the part that’s more of a secret is that no one really realizes the help the people they idolize have actually received. I can think of countless people in high positions that have admitted to receiving help of some sort throughout their career or life. And I’m sure this is true for you too already! I know it is for me. I wouldn’t have been able to start this business or help others or a lot of other things if it weren’t from the help of my family and loved ones.

And it may seem intimidating or embarrassing to ask for help. It may feel like a weakness or a flaw, but I assure you it’s a strength. It takes a truly strong person to be able to admit when they’ve made a mistake or when they don’t know what they’re doing. And it takes an even stronger person to admit that and then be willing to ask for help in the areas that they lack. I honestly think asking for help should be celebrated. In wanting to learn and educating ourselves, we can be a better version of ourselves. And in wanting to help and teach those around us can we be an even better version of ourselves.

Change Direction

This one might not apply to everyone and that’s okay. I know it does apply to a lot of people at different times in their lives, myself included. There may be a point in life (or a few) that we find that we need to reevaluate our lives. Whether that be relationship related, career related, or even when it comes to realizing our true purpose and potential. This can be an especially tricky or difficult time in someone’s life. I know it has been for me. It may mean realizing we’re not on the path we want to be on and having to change directions, and this can be difficult.

Difficult because it may mean leaving an unhealthy relationship but this isn’t always as easy as some may think it is. Difficult because it may mean starting a new job or career but this can lead to a pay reduction and a hard time affording the things you have on a higher income. And difficult because it may mean having a different purpose or potential to do something great in unknown territory and this can be scary and intimidating. But it’s worth it!

I have personally had to deal with changing direction in my life many times, and I’m sure you can actually think of some yourself if you really try. I’ve changed directions by deciding to go against working to open a franchise like I thought I wanted to do throughout college and starting Earth To Momma instead. And so many other times throughout this business process have I changed directions. I’ve cried, I’ve made mistakes, and I keep going. And I’m sure I’ll run into another point where I must face the decision to continue the path I’m on or change directions.

Day By Day

Whether you’re trying to improve your relationships, career, happiness, or any other aspect of life, the most important thing to do is take it day by day. Like I said, it’s about trying to improve and be a better version of yourself each day. Yes, it’s important to set big goals for yourself, but don’t aim to accomplish 5 years of work in one week or you’ll be disappointed and most likely retreat back to your comfort zone. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

What areas of life are you trying to improve or what aspects have you already improved? Share in the comments below! You never know, you could be the person who help someone become the best version of themselves! And if you’re looking for some tips on when planning works and when it doesn’t, check out ETM’s blog here.

As always, thank you so very much for being a part of ETM’s community of Mommas! I encourage you to join discussions, interact with Mommas alike, and be unapologetically yourself! Until next time, I hope I’m able to help make your life as simple as could be. (:

With all my love, Brandolyn – Earth To Momma