{"id":7688,"date":"2011-10-23T22:12:42","date_gmt":"2011-10-24T06:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=7688"},"modified":"2013-09-13T09:05:45","modified_gmt":"2013-09-13T17:05:45","slug":"how-to-simplify-self-improvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-simplify-self-improvement\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Simplify Self Improvement"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c10 Tips to Increase Your Motivation!\u201d
\n\u201c8 Ways to Maximize Your Productivity!\u201d
\n\u201c32 Secrets for Being the Best Person Ever!\u201d<\/p>\n

Self-improvement advice is everywhere. And it\u2019s no surprise: with a rough economy, uncertainties about the future, and simple dissatisfaction with our lot in life, the desire to make things better \u2013 to make ourselves better \u2013 is a natural response.<\/p>\n

But with all the self-improvement advice available, why do so many of us struggle to make lasting changes in our behavior? More than ever, we drink too much, spend too much, eat too much, sit too much, procrastinate too much, and worry too much. For those who want to change, the reasons are normally clear: improve health, wealth, and satisfaction. So, why do we quit?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong – much of the information on the web is valuable, posted by caring people who want to share strategies that have worked for them or have worked for others. However, the massive quantity of information is contributing to the problem: with so much advice, where do we start? Instead, many of us read a long list of \u201ctips\u201d, vow to change, then go back to our old ways.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s time to simplify.<\/p>\n

One of the most described approaches to achieving goals is to divide big projects into a bunch of little steps. PickTheBrain has featured many articles with this very advice<\/a>. It\u2019s a great tip: take a monster of a project and break it down into tiny, isty-bitsy steps that are so easy to do, they happen naturally.<\/p>\n

Why not apply that principle to self-improvement?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the key to simplifying self-improvement: don\u2019t tackle \u201c50 Amazing Tips\u201d all at once. Try one at a time, one per day. It\u2019s so easy! Just print out a recent list of self-improvement wisdom, and make it a game to try one each day. When you\u2019ve tackled a tip, cross it off the list\u2026 When you\u2019re done with a list, print another one!<\/p>\n

Before you know it, you\u2019ll have logged countless hours of focused, self-improvement energy, accomplishing many \u201csmall wins<\/a>\u201d along the way. Rinse and repeat, and before you know it: you\u2019re a totally new person.<\/p>\n

Need some help getting started? Here is your first challenge. This is all you need to do today \u2013 complete the game and you\u2019ve made progress in reshaping your own mind:<\/p>\n

Challenge: Think Change<\/strong><\/p>\n

Task: Think about your own beliefs about self-improvement for 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Info: What are your attitudes towards change? Are you open to change or do you fear change? Do you think self-improvement is possible? For 15 minutes, explore your own beliefs about change. Brainstorm ways you might become more open to change. Determine mental obstacles to self-improvement. Challenge your own assumptions about what degree of self-change are possible.<\/p>\n

Goal: Become more open-minded to the possibility of self-improvement.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind: any self-improvement tip can be made into a daily challenge. Try it for yourself\u2026 Here are a number of tip-lists from PickTheBrain to get you on your way:<\/p>\n

– 14 Ways to Procrastinate Productively<\/a>
\n– 5 Simple Ways to Increase Your Intelligence<\/a>
\n– 6 Ways to Minimize Interruptions When You Need to Focus<\/a><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t like those lists? That\u2019s ok, find some tips about a topic that\u2019s important to you. Try only one challenge per day. That may seem too easy, but that\u2019s the point: self-improvement doesn\u2019t have to be hard. Simplify your approach to self-improvement and you\u2019ll be surprised how easy change can be.<\/p>\n

This is a guest post by Vince Panzano<\/a> who blogs at The Happy Homunculus<\/a>, a website exploring the psychology and neuroscience of self-improvement.<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t Forget To Follow PickTheBrain on Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n

Related Articles:
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

20 Ways To Stretch Yourself<\/a><\/p>\n

Words That Heal and Empower<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Self-improvement advice is everywhere. And it\u2019s no surprise: with a rough economy, uncertainties about the future, and simple dissatisfaction with our lot in life, the desire to make things better \u2013 to make ourselves better \u2013 is a natural response.<\/p>\n

But with all the self-improvement advice available, why do so many of us struggle to make lasting changes in our behavior? Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":7693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[17,6],"tags":[463,1705,66,4639,4629],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Simplify Self Improvement - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Self-improvement advice is everywhere. 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