5 Ways to Positively Reach Your Personal Best

My mom recently sent me a birthday card that was just fabulous. It’s one of those cards that’s worth holding on to for a loooong time because you just may need it as a pick me up on a bad day or when you’re not your personal best. The title of the card is “A Little Guide to Life”.

The card was especially relevant to me because I’m gearing up for the upcoming new year. I’m thinking about what I want to do for my businesses, what fitness goals and challenges I’ll establish, and what’s no longer serving me (and needs to be let go). This is all geared towards reaching my personal best in the upcoming year. Have you started thinking about what you need to do now to ensure that you reach your personal best next year? If not, I’ve got 5 ways to positively reach your personal best!

Past Failures

Have you messed up today? How about yesterday? I bet you did on both days. In fact we all did because there is only one perfect person who ever walked this Earth and we are not Him. Don’t let your mistakes from the past kill your enthusiam or motivation for achieving your dreams of the future. Instead, make a conscious effort to learn from your mistakes so that you don’t repeat them in the future. Think about it this way, your mistakes are an opportunity to learn, improve, refine, and GROW! So, give yourself a break for the mistakes of today or yesterday.

Oh, and if someone tries to call you out about a mistake (believe me, it happens and I know from experience), just turn the other cheek and move on. Yes, they’re a jerk for calling you out about it but who really cares? You’re the bigger person anyway.

Toxic People

Do you know any? I do. She’s a crafty one, I tell you. Ms. Toxic is the so-called friend who’s rooting against you, taking business away from you, or maybe even spreading nasty rumors about you. You’ll know that you’ve been around Ms. Toxic if you feel like you’ve been slimed when she leaves the room. As a general rule, toxic people take more away from your life and well-being than they give. And for that reason, you need to stay away from them at all costs.

I know that can be easier said than done because sometimes that person is a client, customer, boss, or family member. In those scenarios, try to decipher what they do to really push your buttons and then avoid those situations as best as you can. If your goal is to become your personal best, Ms. Toxic will not help you reach that goal. In fact, she will likely hinder you and make your life a lot tougher. You deserve a lot better, so keep your distance from Ms. T.

Competition

I’ve talked about this before in terms of starting a new fitness routine (see this post). But it can come up in everyday life. For instance, do you ever feel insecure because someone looks “better” than you, or has something that you wish you had? We all have insecurities and when we see someone who has something that we want, it can create a sense of competition and/or envy. But every time you feel bad about what you don’t have, you lose sight of what you do have. And you have a lot!

If you have a tough time reflecting on what you have (and why you should be thankful for them), get in the habit of using a gratitude journal. I use this one, and it has helped me maintain a positive mindset at times when things didn’t look or feel so great.

One more thing–you are uniquely YOU. No one can do what you do like you do it. And, you were put on Earth for a specific purpose. Before you compare yourself to someone else, stop and think about these last two sentences. Let it put a little more pep in your step because you are uniquely awesome and you should own that!

Doing the Same Thing and Expecting a Different Result

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big advocate for “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” But, if it ain’t working? Maybe you need to change what you’re doing. This applies to many things: work goals, fitness goals, weight loss goals, relationship aspirations, etc. Perhaps you have taken the advice of a trusted colleague, expert, or friend about something. And you’re doing what they said to do because they said it worked for them. You’ve tried to do whatever it is for a decent amount of time…and nothing works. Maybe it’s time to try something else?

Now, don’t get me wrong. Some things take time, so you should prepare to be patient and diligent. Growing an Instagram following, losing 50 pounds, meeting new friends in a new city…all of these things will not happen overnight. But at some point (and depending on the issue, you’ll know when) you’re gonna have to reassess and decide if a new strategy is necessary. When that time comes, follow your gut and choose a new MO.

You’re a Scaredy Cat

Are you seriously letting fear get in the way of you becoming your personal best? If you are, let me tell you–nobody’s got time for that! You have no idea how much time you have left on this Earth. That means you don’t have time to waste by waiting to do something because you’re scared. Just to do it.

Want to start a side hustle, but afraid you don’t have time? Learn how to be a better manager of your time and work smarter not harder. Afraid that people will reject you if you try to sell them something? Some of them will, BUT you’ll also find people who will be ecstatic to buy from you and they’ll be your best customers. Want to switch careers but afraid to leave the known for the unknown? Develop an action plan then execute it through the fear. Seriously, you’ll never know if you don’t try, and you’ll be a stronger person for doing it. So, exchange for fear for courage and just do it.

Are you pumped up? You should be, my friend! You now have 5 ways to positively reach your personal best. There’s nothing holding you back now. So go on, make the changes that you need to make, then move full speed ahead to become the absolute best version of you. Because you know what? You deserve it!

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