When we think about who we are as an individual, more often than not we begin by explaining who we are - I am Sierra, a wife and a mom, a grad student, the founder and CEO of Innovative Leadership, etc. Following that, we look into what we do - I work from home, help on the farm with meals, go on walks, clean the house, run off caffeine, etc. Once we have finished explaining who we are and what we do, our brain goes to areas we want to improve ourselves in - being fully present with my boys, spending more one-on-one time with my husband, prioritizing working out again, accomplishing all the goals I set for myself in a quicker manner, etc. 

 

How often do we take action to actually change and improve ourselves, though?

 

I find myself repeating the same areas that I want to improve myself in, but how often do I take a step back and create a plan that I can integrate into my life to make those things happen? More often than not, I try to do small things - which isn’t a bad thing if you are consistent with those small actions. It is when we do something small one day, and then we don’t do anything else for another week or two. When we don’t give ourselves the opportunity each day to be better than we were the day before, we aren’t giving ourselves the opportunity to improve. 

 

Taking this a step further, when we reflect upon who we are, what we do, and areas we want to improve ourselves, are we being fully honest with ourselves? Or are we setting goals for ourselves that are unrealistic for us to reach? Are we taking the time to reflect and ask ourselves if those goals align with our lives? Are we creating space for that improvement to take place, or are we hoping it figures itself out on its own? How frequently are we actually putting forth the effort to be better? Are we giving ourselves credit for how far we have already come? When was the last time you told yourself you’re doing a good job?

 

The truth is hard to hear. Especially when it comes from yourself. We are our hardest critiques, and hearing that we aren’t putting forth our best effort is HARD. Give yourself grace, but don’t allow yourself to make excuses. Consistency, motivation, and determination are key to being a better version of yourself, but only you can control those things.