Like many folks, I thought we were on our way out of this mess, but the recent spike in cases has made it clear the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over.
And, like many folks, I rode out the spring in a sort-of holding pattern – not taking on new projects or pushing myself much in the arena of self-improvement. Sure, I’ve kept up with my writing and my full-court press, and I did engage in some professional development, but I put all my major projects on hold and more or less stopped progressing.
Working from home and having very limited social interaction took a toll on my mental health, so I felt justified in taking it easy. I’ll get back to doing serious work in a month or so when things return to normal, I thought. I chalked this up to giving myself permission to be human. While I do believe that’s important to do, at some point, permission to be human goes too far and becomes permission to be lazy.
I no longer believe that things will return to “normal” anytime soon. And I’m no longer giving myself permission to be lazy. I’m ready to continue marching down the path of becoming better with newfound resolve and determination. We may be going through Hell, but we can keep going.
If you’re feeling like I am, then put on your mask, give me an air high-five from six feet away, and join me. Stop putting your life and your self-improvement on hold. Let’s get back to it!
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that getting all fired up right now is going to be enough. It won’t. As always, we need to use effective strategies and we need to maintain helpful mindsets. Here are some of the best:
- Start small and ease into it.
- Track your effort.
- Apply the 20-Second Rule by setting up your environment for easy access to whatever you’ll need: weights at your desk, a book where the TV remote usually lives (with the remote hidden elsewhere), etc.
- Give yourself permission to suck but not permission to skip.
Not sure what area of self-improvement to engage? Here are some of my favorites:
- Daily wisdom
- Gratitude journaling
- Walks after meals
- Loving-kindness meditation
- A creative endeavor like writing, painting, or music
- Relentless learning via online courses, podcasts, or audiobooks (See the bottom of my resources page for suggestions.)
Self-improvement is often seen as a way to become more independent and self-reliant. Although it can do that, I believe it’s better seen as a way to increase your ability to serve. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how interdependent we are. More than ever, we need people to be healthy, resilient, and wise. More than ever, we need people to create with compassion and contribute with care.
Self-improvement isn’t selfish. If you want to give your best to the world, you’ve got to spend some time becoming your best. And we can’t wait for the pandemic to be over. Let’s recommit to becoming better right now.