As I’m nearing the halfway point through my high school years, I’m beginning to realize more about myself. I’m also starting to get a better understanding of how to go about self-improvement. If you have qualities about yourself that you aren’t the biggest fan of, then this article is for you. If you’re losing motivation but want it back, then this article is for you. If you want to be like your icons or become one yourself, then this article is for you!

don’t be the wrecking ball

You might be wondering what I’m trying to get at with the hook in this title. Well, in my personal experience, I’ve spent a lot of time reading about what I can do to change myself. To become this magical new person who’s all the things I want to be. Someone confident, charismatic, the type of person who stops the world in its tracks. My main takeaway is that your goal should not be to become a new person. Instead of spending time trying to become someone else, work to shape the best possible version of yourself.

It truly is a battle between self-improvement and self-destruction. When living in a world where everyone is hopping from trend to trend, jumping to find the next best thing, the only thing that you can really depend on is yourself. Maybe you don’t have a full understanding of who you are. That’s okay! You don’t need to know that right now. Maybe you never fully will, and that’ll be okay, too. Above all, the most important thing is that you stay true to what you do know about yourself.

growing with intent

The goal should never be to break yourself down and build up again. It should be to let yourself change, evolve, and take shape however you need to. Think of your identity–your personality–as a tree. It’s going to grow and develop as much as you’ll allow it. As much as you’ll nurture it. Are you going to chop it down to plant another that you think is better? No! That’d be stupid, and it wouldn’t be you.

What you should do is this: Think about the traits that you admire in others. Then, try to bring those into your own daily life. Make a list of the things you want to do and then actually do them. In order to be who you want to be, you have to start by believing that you can. Otherwise, you’ve got nothing. The potential is already there, now you just have to put in the work. I believe that you can, so you should too. Take a good, hard look at all the things you want/want to be and really think about how you can get there. Nothing is impossible.

self-improvement is important

It’s never too late to implement some changes, and you’re not too far gone to try. There’s always room for you to become a more well-rounded, developed version of yourself. But it’s essential that what you’re doing is growing into yourself rather than breaking yourself down. You right now, as-is, is the perfect starting point for whatever changes you’re making or planning on. All of the maybe embarrassing or unfortunate experiences of the past only help you to know what you can do better in the future. Don’t shut away the past; use it as a guidebook.

Just remember, whoever you want to be is already there. You just have to do a little work to go find her.

your friend,

shaharazad ♡