Self Improvement & Self Kindness
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The path to self improvement requires balance.
This week I’m diving into something that’s both simple and profound: the balance between self-care and leveling up.
First: be kind to yourself.
Beginning with self-care and self-kindness. As humans, thanks to our egos, we often hold the unrealistic expectation that we have to be perfect. But you don’t. You are not, and do not have to be perfect. You will make mistakes, and that's not just okay — they’re essential for growth.
“Mistakes and imperfection are a part of the human experience.”
When you stumble, or observe that you are being undisciplined, or aren’t as high up the mountain of progress as you’d like to be, the natural tendency for a lot of people is to beat yourself up.
But there’s no need for it. Mistakes and imperfection are a part of the human experience. No matter how skilled or experienced you become, and also on the path to get there, there will always be room for error and missteps, and that’s a good thing because it’s vital to the process.
The takeaway is: Go easy on yourself. The words you use to talk to yourself matter. Practice self-compassion, understand that making mistakes is part of the process, and allow yourself the grace to learn and grow.
Second: Don’t let yourself off the hook.
Now, let’s look at the other side of that. Yes, you’re human, and yes you deserve kindness, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. If you want to level up — whether it’s in your career, relationships, or personal development — you also need to hold yourself accountable.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, "I’m only human," as a way to excuse ourselves from being and doing better. If you want to be a better leader, partner, person, then you need to set higher standards for yourself. This means being disciplined, learning from your mistakes, and continuously pushing yourself to grow.
“Yes, you’re human, and yes you deserve kindness, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.”
Self-improvement requires effort. It requires that you push yourself and show up with the intention to do and be better.
The key is balancing the compassion you have for yourself with the determination to keep pushing and moving forward.
Balance is clutch.
The key to leveling up in a healthy way as a human being lies in balancing these two things. An overabundance of grace and self-kindness can mean complacency — where you let yourself off the hook too easily and stop striving to improve.
“An overabundance of grace and self-kindness can mean complacency — where you let yourself off the hook too easily and stop striving to improve.”
On the other hand, too much self-criticism will mean forming a negative self image, continual harsh self talk, or burnout. It can put you in a place where you never give yourself credit for your progress and constantly feel like you’re not enough.
The magic happens when you combine these two mindsets: be gentle with yourself, but also hold yourself to a higher standard. Recognize that you’re always going to be a work in progress, and that’s perfectly fine. But also come to grips with the reality that no one is going to swoop in and push you to be better — it’s up to you to take that on for yourself.
Final thoughts.
Be kind to yourself, but don’t let yourself off the hook. You have the power to be better, to do better, and to continue to level up and evolve as a person, leader, partner, friend in a way that embraces the imperfections of being a human. Find that balance.
Related Blogs:
5 Ways to Level Up Your Career
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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