by How can you be the best version of you? Perhaps this question has been buzzing around your mind for a while.
Let’s take a minute and do some imagining. Picture the best version of you. What are you doing? How do you look? What is your energy like? Do you like what you see?
Working towards being the best version of ourselves is always a work in progress. We aren’t looking for perfection because perfection isn’t possible.
But what you might be looking for is a little help on the journey. Help to get a little closer to that image in your mind, the authentic you that is waiting to emerge.
That help is exactly what you’ll find here.
What does the ‘be the best version of you’ mean?
So how do you know what the best version of you is? Intuitively deep down we all know it.
The imaginative exercise we started with is a simple one but it can be powerful. Perhaps in that visualisation, you saw your body as healthy and strong. Or you looked calm or at ease with yourself. Perhaps you saw yourself doing a job that you loved.
All of these things are clues to your own sense of what you need to flourish and what you need is unique to you.
Becoming the best version of yourself is a personal journey because it is about you. It is about making the most of your passions, goals, personality and uniqueness. It is about living in a way that feels authentic to you.
The best version of you already lives inside of you. You simply need to take some time to hear that voice and to let that person emerge.
Why work to become the best version of you?
Why focus on becoming the best version of yourself? Well, you owe it to yourself!
So often we can get caught up in living other people’s version of success or lose ourselves in the demands of life.
Focusing on becoming the best version of yourself is a way of loving yourself and supporting yourself. It’s about valuing yourself and your own potential. This will make your own life infinitely better but will also make you a much better person to be around.
Here are some of the benefits you might discover as you work on becoming the best version of you:
You’ll have increased self-confidence
Pursuing the best version of yourself means getting to know yourself. You’ll become intentional with your time as you chase after what you know is uniquely valuable to you.
Knowing yourself is a fast track to self-confidence. There is less room for unhelpful self-doubt when you are aware of what is important to you and make it a priority in your life.
The time you spend worrying about other people’s opinions (or questioning decisions that you know deep down are right!) can be focused on getting where you really want to be.
You’ll have more self-love
Working towards the best version of yourself is also a way of showing self-love. Taking this action is a constant reminder that you are important too.
It’s a way of signalling to ourselves that our goals matter, our health matters and our feelings matter when we might otherwise push our own needs to one side.
Making your own development central in your life is an act of love and care that allows us to be able to give out to others too.
You’ll enjoy a more fulfilling life
Working towards becoming the best version of ourselves puts us on a path towards what is purposeful and meaningful to us.
Rather than allowing life to simply happen to us, or living in a reactive mode, we can take decisive steps towards where we want to be.
We all want to live a life that is rich, full and happy. Working on becoming the best version of yourself is a way to work towards that goal through a series of real and achievable steps.
So what are those steps and how can you get started today?
How to be the best version of you
By now that vision of the best version of you might have caught your imagination. You want to be living that life right now, I know I do!
The process of working towards the best version of yourself takes time, just like all real and meaningful change.
Imagine that you are on a long journey by boat (a yacht if you prefer!) To steer a boat well you need to make small and early adjustments to your course. Changing your direction by a single degree can get you to a whole different place.
Small adjustments can make a huge difference in the long term and the same is true of our personal development.
Remember we aren’t seeking perfection here. Becoming the best version of yourself should be a process that is fun, enjoyable and liberating. It is a journey that has no real end so enjoy the process.
Why not choose one of these tips today to get you started and before you know it you’ll be on a very different path. A path that you have chosen and that you know is just right for you.
Focus inward
The first step to becoming the best version of you is to look inward.
This journey, after all, is about you so you need to take the time to understand your own hopes and motivations. Other people’s voices and expectations can drown out our own so this process is about putting your own voice front and centre.
When looking inwards it is important to dream up the positive changes you might make while also identifying the things that might be holding you back.
Here are some tips to get you started
Write it down
Now is the time to get even clearer on that vision of the best version of you. Dig out a notebook and pen and take some time to process your thoughts. There are some great tips to get started with journaling here if it is new to you.
There are lots of options for how you might begin to shape your vision of the best version of you. Perhaps journaling for a few minutes each morning on a different area of your life might work for you.
Or you could try writing down a visualisation of yourself in one year, five years or ten years from now. You could even ask this best version of you what got them to where they are today, you might be surprised by what you hear!
By journaling, you can tune into your inner voice and become clearer on what is most valuable and meaningful to you.
Check-in with your limiting beliefs
As you work with your journal you might come across some thoughts and feelings that are negative or begin to uncover some limiting beliefs about yourself and your life.
These thoughts and feelings pop up for all of us from time to time but if they are blocking your progress then you might draw from these tips on developing a healthier relationship with yourself.
Sometimes we might come across some beliefs about ourselves and our future that are we realise are holding us back. These are limiting beliefs and there are some concrete steps you can take to overcome them if you hear them come up again and again.
Work on your negative self-talk
Another voice you might begin to hear is negative self-talk. As you become more aware of your own thoughts it can be surprising how much of your internal chatter has a negative slant to it.
Consider what this is doing for your own self-relationship and your ability to work towards your goals! It’s like having someone follow you around reminding you of everything that has gone wrong in the past or might go wrong in the future.
Once we have identified this negative voice we need to find ways to speak more kindly to ourselves if we want to be the best version of ourselves.
Overcoming negative self-talk is an important step in becoming the best version of you. Check out this article to find out how to break the cycle.
Stop the comparison
Having a deep sense of who you are is vital to becoming the best version of you. This is even more important with temptations of comparison all around us.
Looking to others, our friends or social media, to define us and our future is a toxic pattern. It traps us in other people’s expectations rather than focusing on what truly makes us happy.
Comparison can lock us into working on surface changes that appeal to others rather than finding out what is meaningful to us and working towards it.
If you feel like you might be locked in a comparison trap, particularly on social media, then this might be an area to work on first for you.
Develop an attitude of gratitude
As you work towards any goal, including becoming the best version of you, there can be a temptation to focus on what you don’t yet have. It is so important to celebrate our achievements and to appreciate what we already have.
After all, many of the things in your life now were probably things that you longed for a few years ago. Taking time to notice all that you have, and to cultivate an attitude of gratitude on your journey to the best version of you.
Invest in yourself
Once you have turned inwards and identified the areas you want to work on, your next step is to start making some investments in yourself.
Here are some ideas to try:
Fill your mind with the right things
On your journey to the best version of you it is important to take stock of the information you are taking on. We all consume information from a wide range of sources throughout the day in our digital age.
This doesn’t mean you need to cut out your much loved Netflix session but it does mean taking time to be mindful about how the things you consume affect you.
If what you are feeding your mind with feels good then carry on! But if you find that it is affecting you negatively then now might be the time to tweak your consumption of certain sources. Many people, for example, find a social media break can be beneficial.
Can you take time to tune out from things that might be distracting and instead focus more on your journey to the best version of you?
Perhaps you could swap some time lost on Instagram for half an hour reading that stack of business books you’ve been meaning to get around to?
Take small steps towards your goals
Once we have identified our goals, and have a vision for our future, we can be desperate to make big leaps straight away. This is completely natural but remember that small changes soon add up and make a big difference.
Making small changes will also be more sustainable. You’ll be able to keep it up in the long run.
For example, committing to spend one hour a day on a new project is much more realistic than deciding to work on it from the moment you get home to the moment you go to bed every night.
Small and steady really does win the race!
Make time for rest
And finally, remember that becoming the best version of yourself is a long game. It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
Working towards any goal has the potential to sap us of energy so make sure to find time to rest, relax and recharge. After all, you can’t keep pouring from an empty cup!
Think about those parts of your vision for the best version of yourself that centre around your wellbeing and remember to make that a priority too.
Perhaps you could plan a slow morning for yourself. Here’s a morning routine for when you really need to slow down.
And if it all feels like it is getting too much, these tips on avoiding burnout should help you get back on course.
Becoming the best version of yourself
Becoming the best version of yourself is the project of a lifetime but it is a project that will bring you fulfilment and joy along the way.
Ultimately becoming the best version of yourself is about understanding and staying true to who you really are. It means crowding out the noise and finding your own way.
It’s about crafting a life that brings you joy and fulfilment – and is uniquely you.
