Be Your Best Self: A Guide to Becoming the Best Version of You

On average, we see between 4,000 and 10,000 advertising messages every day. If we were to analyse these advertisements, we have a gut feeling that most of them would be telling us in one form or another to ‘be better’ at something, or ‘do better’ in a particular area of life. While we’re of course advocates of self-improvement, it can be easy to feel that we’re not doing ‘enough’. In this blog post, we’re exploring how you can unlock your potential, and become the best version of yourself – using skills you already have inside you (no trending products from TikTok required!). Let's embark on the exciting journey of self discovery and fulfilment together.

Find Your Passion

To become your best self, you must first understand who you truly are and what you’re passionate about. Ikigai – a Japanese philosophy - refers to your life’s purpose, and can be established by looking at three key questions: 

• What do you love to do?

• What are you great at?

• What does the world need?

By answering these questions, through self-reflection and journaling, you can discover how your values, skills and aspirations combine to drive you forward. A journey towards your best-self begins with first knowing yourself. Does this mean you have to make your passion your career? Absolutely not. Although pursuing your passions at work can lead to a more engaging career, it can also make it harder to switch off, or pursue hobbies outside of work. 

Action step:  Take a moment to reflect on your values, dreams, and aspirations. What drives you? What are your passions? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Identifying these will help you focus your efforts in finding your passion effectively.

“The belief that unhappiness is selfless and happiness is selfish is misguided. It's more selfless to act happy. It takes energy, generosity, and discipline to be unfailingly lighthearted, yet everyone takes the happy person for granted.”
– Gretchen Rubin. The Happiness Project. 

Limiting Beliefs, Thoughts and Patterns

Limiting beliefs are the mental barriers that hold us back from realising our full potential. These beliefs often manifest as self-imposed restrictions on our abilities and potential for growth. One common type of limiting belief pertains to physical limitations, where individuals might convince themselves, "I can't do that anymore," or "I'm not as flexible as I used to be." Limiting beliefs can also make us feel unworthy as we are right now, and that we are only worthy once we achieve something. 

These limiting beliefs can hinder personal development by eroding self-confidence and discouraging us from pursuing new challenges or opportunities. As renowned author and researcher Brene Brown aptly puts it, "When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write a brave new ending." Overcoming limiting beliefs involves recognising and challenging these self-imposed constraints, allowing us to break free from the shackles of doubt and reach for our fullest potential on the path to becoming our best selves.

Action Step: Take out a pen and paper – on one side of the piece of paper, write down the limiting beliefs you have about yourself. After you’ve completed your list, for each limiting belief ask yourself ‘is this true’? When we see our limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns there in black and white, we can easily identify the non-truths our brain has been telling us. Now, on the other side of the piece of paper, reframe this limiting belief into a positive motivational affirmation you can tell yourself each time you notice the limiting belief pop into your head.

Make 1% Improvements

When it comes to setting goals for ourselves, many of us set big, lofty goals that are difficult to achieve in a short amount of time. Things like ‘lose 10 kilos in 6 months’ or ‘be able to run a marathon by December (when you can’t yet run a 5k)’. Don’t get us wrong – we’ll be cheering you on when you reach those goals. However, the key to long-term success towards your goals, is to make small, incremental improvements. In his book ‘Atomic Habits’, James Clear explains that by making small 1% improvements every day, you’ll be 37x better at the end of the year. When we make massive changes to our lifestyle and routines that are hard to stick with, we might make some changes stick, but it’s unlikely to stay that way forever. 

Action Step: Set yourself up for success. Once you’ve identified a goal that you’re working towards, determine the ‘when, where and how’ you’ll achieve it. Create time in your schedule to work on this goal, and a space where you’ll do so. Also consider any obstacles that may get in the way and how you can create an environment that reduces or eliminates them from getting in your way.

“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”

- Gretchen Rubin. The Happiness Project.

Remember, becoming your best self is not a destination but a rewarding (lifelong) journey filled with challenges and triumphs. Embrace it, and you'll discover a version of yourself you never thought possible. It’s okay to strive to be better at something, grow in certain areas or try something new. But self-loathing, shame and feeling not enough are not the right motivators to do so. As Brene Brown says – ‘we have to love the things we want to change’. Stay committed to your journey, resilient in challenging times, and open to the possibilities that lie ahead. Your best self is waiting to be discovered and nurtured.