How to be ‘You’ But Better

You are talented, smart, and willing to learn new things (that’s why you’re on this site).  But, with all of those things going for you, you’re still not where you would like to be in life.  Don’t feel bad.  You’re not alone.  We’ve all felt as though we are not reaching our full potential.  So how do we change direction and become a better version of ourselves?  I thought you’d never ask.

This post is about the ‘you’ that you see in your head.  The version of yourself that one day will replace the version that is reading this today.  The ‘you’ that you want to be.  I fully believe that you can get to the place you would like to be and that this post can be the beginning of that journey.

Sometimes the better ‘you’ is hidden under a mess of clutter.  When I was in the 10^th grade my skin began to break out.  It wasn’t terrible, but I sure didn’t appreciate my new found facial friends.  My sister told me to try an exfoliating scrub.  I didn’t know what exfoliating was, but it sounded high tech and revolutionary.   So, I tried it and my skin became clearer and softer.  Whatever the complex science behind exfoliating was, I liked it.I soon found out that there wasn’t any complex science at all.  Exfoliating was just a fancy word for “removing”: as in removing dirt, oil, and dead skin cells from my face.  Basically, once that crud was gone, my facial skin looked good – naturally.There is a lot of crud that stops us from being a better version of ourselves. For some people it is unresolved past issues.  For others it’s a belief system that is negative or just untrue.  Addictions, bad habits, and an unwillingness to change act as a layer of crud that prevents the better you from seeing light.  Target those things that are clogging your progress and commit to removing them from your life.  The sooner you can exfoliate them the better.

Find Your Vision and Values

Don’t Fool YourselfOnce you can take an honest look at yourself, you can begin to clearly see what it will take to get you to the next level.   Learn to be honest about who you are and where you are in life.  That honesty will reveal the real you without all of the fluff that tends to steer us in the wrong direction.  Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses and that honesty will pay off in the end.

This site get over 25,000 visits per month and that number is rapidly climbing.  Even though I do almost zero marketing for this blog, my numbers are rising at about 23% per month.  One of the reasons why I think the site does so well is because I’m honest with the readers.  I try to write articles on the things I know or have experienced personally.   For example, instead of just writing about how to wake up early, I did “The 3am Experiment”.In other words, I don’t fool myself on who I am and what I’m capable of. You won’t find a post by me on this site called “How to be a Millionaire” because, well, I’m not one.  That honesty has paid off because even though I am not a millionaire, I understand how to accomplish goals and achieve personal success.  That has been enough to draw thousands of people a month and that is a great feeling.

Do What ‘You’ Does

In order to become the better version of yourself that you dream about, you must begin to take on the characteristics of the better ‘you’.  Is the better version of you a risk taker?  Then begin to step out and take chances.  Are they the type of person that is discipline, courageous, and confident?  Then begin to do the things they would be doing if they were in your position today.  The sooner you can align your mindset and actions with the better version of you, the sooner you will become like that version.

One of the God given talents that I am most thankful for is my ability to speak in front of an audience without fear.  I’m not sure why I’m able to do this but I know that I have never been afraid.  I was about 23 when I first realized I had this gift and my excitement was overwhelming.  I began daydreaming about the better version of myself; the audiences I would speak to, accolades I would receive, and lives that I would influence.  I saw a vision of myself in the future and I liked it.

Then one day I decided to stop daydreaming and start doing what that guy in my vision was doing.  I started asking myself, “If I were that guy, what would I do in this situation?”  Soon, I started taking more chances, being bolder about my decisions, and searched for every opportunity to grow my gifts and talents.  Less than a year later I had already won area speaking competitions as well as receiving invitations to speak at local associations and universities.

Taking actions that were abnormal for me helped expand my comfort level and made it possible for me to reach new heights.

The ‘you’ you want to be is inside of you.  Take a few of these tips and begin reveal that person to the world.  We’re waiting for you!