Buongiorno!
If you’ve been reading my blog lately, you’ll know that I’m on quite the self-help kick these days. I’ve always loved reading/learning/practicing all things “self improvement,” but in the last couple months I’ve kicked things into high gear. I have a bunch of tools and practices that help me feel inspired every day to go for it and I’m feeling really positive going into this new year thanks in large part to a bunch of these new resources. I wanted to share some with you today in the hopes that you find the same inspiration!
Get yourself some good reads
I know I’ve mentioned my latest books a few times lately, but they really are helping me change my mindset. There are so many amazing, conscious authors out there that write things in just the right way to strike a chord within you and inspire you to grow. It’s also really comforting to read something that someone else has gone through that’s similar to your journey.
A lot of these books like
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
^ book + bath = better
Listen to podcasts that inspire
Right behind my favorite reads are my favorite podcasts. I am obsessed with them! (Again, late to the game as usual but bear with me.) When I’m washing dishes, cleaning the house, or in the shower (my favorite place to listen and relax) I have a podcast playing on my portable speaker next to me. I’ve always listened to my favorite nutritionist, Kimberly Snyder’s podcasts, which are centered around food but discuss some lifestyle practices as well.
However, I recently began listening to Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations and I cannot get enough. She has interviews with “thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health and wellness experts” all with the purpose of helping us better ourselves and connect with our purpose. I’ve picked up some phenomenal philosophies and ideas and now look forward to washing my dishes — which is saying something. I’ve only started listening to these a couple weeks ago and I’m noticing how much the new ideas and nuggets of wisdom I’m learning are churning around in my head every day.
My favorite beach activity is walking and listening to music or a podcast.
Start up some rituals
I don’t know about you, but I prefer “rituals” to “routines” and I have many of them. Having a ritual that you can count on everyday is important for mental and emotional balance and if you make that ritual a healthy and energizing one, you can feel like you can do anything.
My morning ritual is my favorite and sets the tone for my day. I start with hot water with lemon, then I prepare and drink my green smoothie, and then I have my cappuccino while watching the news. I love my morning ritual and get excited to get out of bed in the morning for it. I make sure to always have the food I need in the house for my ritual so my morning always goes the way I want it to. Healthy food, a clear mind and an easy morning first thing inspires me to start my day off on a positive note and get ready to make things happen.
The same can be said for a lunch ritual, an after work ritual, a yoga practice ritual, a nighttime ritual and so on. Humans like routine and there’s a reason that we function better with some habits in place. Take advantage of this little “hack” and set yourself up with some beautiful rituals.
Make Your Bed
This is a small practice with a big impact. I find that the state of my bed directly corresponds to my mental “tidiness”. When I make the bed every morning, I physically feel better. It is one of those things that I can’t go one day without doing (like I once did as a teenager every single day) and it helps me to feel more “together” instantly and every time. Talk about an easy way to get clear headed. Worth the two minutes spent.
Making the bed is my non-negotiable, everyday job, but the same can be said for general cleaning of the house. I cleaned the floors of my apartment last night so thoroughly that I swear I felt “cleaner” after it. It may sound silly, but a clean and clear space = a clean and clear mind and spirit. Physical clutter = mental clutter. I work from home, and the first thing I do before sitting down at my computer is clear a space at my table. I can’t get focused with dirty dishes, napkins, or anything else in my space. Another crazy easy hack to help you get where you want to be. (Sidenote: I used to be a major procrastinator in this category. I didn’t get it and thought it didn’t need to be an everyday effort. Ever since shifting to this practice, I feel better and more motivated and can never go back. Moral of the story: stop procrastinating, it’s worth it!)
These are some of my habits for laying down the groundwork for reaching my potential everyday and I hope that some of my suggestions make sense to you and can help you too. What are your tools for self improvement? I’m still learning too, of course!
Baci,
Amanda ❤️
Yes yes yes! I am so for this post! This is the year that everyone should take the time to improve themselves and live a healthy and happy live. I love the book you mentioned, I read it last year and it completely changed my life. I have heard so many good things about the Oprah podcast, but still haven’t had the chance to give it a listen myself, so I’ll definitely have to do that, specially since it made you excited to wash your dishes, aha! Great post Amanda xxx
Melina | http://www.ivefoundwaldo.com
Author
Aw thank you love! You have got to listen to that Oprah podcast, I am so hooked, I know you’ll love it! Thank you for the feedback Melina. ❤️
I am currently reading “You Are a Badass” and it’s so good! Also I may have to listen to that podcast you mentioned. I mean, I’m one of the odd ones in that doing dishes is actually therapeutic for me haha. But maybe I should listen to a podcast while I do them too and see what happens!
Author
Omg yay that you’re already into it! It is so good, definitely one you could read a few times to absorb all the great info. Hahah well substitute my doing the dishes for some chore you dread and podcast it up girl!!
Love these goal, love having new rituals, well done Mz Amanda !!
Agree with others, GREAT post! And I’m on the similar mission my dear. BTW, love the photos and the tile is fabulous. I’ll have to buy that book too. I’m re-reading Daring Greatly and some others I have as well. And love Podcasts (especially Oprah & Tony Robbins).
I like Sarrah’s idea of listening to the Podcasts while doing dishes – I also need to set that up for my drive into work (something more therapeutic). LOL
Thanks for perusing my blog as well. Love yours.
Author
Thank you!! Tony Robbins has been on my radar for a while, but I haven’t taken the plunge into his stuff yet. But yes to podcasts on the drive to work too! Thank you for all the kind words and I wish you the best this year. ❤️
You’re very welcome and best to you as well. Tony also has a great video on Netflix (of course).
Author
Thank you, I’m curious now, will definitely check it out!
I love your loafers, where did you get them?
Author
Thanks girl! I got them here — they’re on sale now too!
I am all about bettering yourself and finding tips and tricks towards the path of self improvement. I’m definitely going to add that book to my reading list. And I really like listening to NPR’s politics podcast- it makes my commute go by quicker and makes me feel more informed on current events and world news!! Great post!!
Author
I’m with you on that! That’s a good idea too, I usually watch the news in the morning and then call it quits for the day since it’s so crazy lately. But I’m all for whatever makes chores and errands go by quicker! Thank you for stopping by!
I love this post! I’ve recently been getting more into self help books as well and ‘you are a bad ass’ was the first one I picked out!
Author
Thank you! Good choice! That book is so universal and I think everyone can find wisdom in it. <3
Really enjoyed reading this. I’ve been doing a short podcast yoga ‘class’ most mornings and that’s really helped set the tone for my day, as well as trying to reduce the amount of caffeine and sugar I ingest! I just read Torre deRoche’s wonderful The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World. Not classically a self-help book but a look into someone’s journey towards self-improvement, happiness an’ all that good stuff. Sort of in the vein of Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Wild’.
Author
Thank you so much. That sounds like an amazing start to the day, I am trying to get into more at home yoga practices too. I haven’t heard of that one, but I like reading/listening to other people’s journeys toward self-improvement too. There’s always something to pick up from them. <3 Thanks for the suggestions!
Such a great post! You make a great point about the routine/ritual thing. I should start thinking this way too…perceptions matter! I always make my bed. It’s like the centrepiece of my bedroom so if that’s messy, I feel like everything else is a mess?
Author
Thank you! I heard that routine/ritual distinction once, and I just love it. I totally agree with the bedroom being tidy. It’s a non-negotiable for me honestly. <3
One of my tips as another form of self improvement is reading autobiographies / biographies of the people you admire! Seeing that this book is going viral everywhere, I will definitely purchase it asap!
Author
Completely agree with this! And the great thing about most of the self help books that I’ve talked about is that they are part memoir. I think any great self help author can’t even write about the subject well without sharing their background. xo
Making my bed is the key to feeling like I’m on my game! Weird but true!
Author
I couldn’t agree more. I don’t feel good in the morning without seeing the bed made! It’s definitely related to mental tidiness!
Thanks, so much of this resonates with me.
I’d totally forgotten about starting the day with hot water and lemon, used to love doing that and will start the ritual again.
Snap with making the bed, and keeping the house tidy in general, I feel much better for it.
Sarah 😊
Author
Thank you so much for the feedback. Sometimes I stray from parts of my rituals and come back to them too when I feel like it’s the right time to start up again. Completely agree with the tidiness of the house corresponding to feeling better. Thanks for stopping by girl!
Nice article, I like that part for making the bed because it’s a must for me.
An organized room equals an organized mind.
itsadelitte111.wordpress.com
Author
For sure, can’t get going in the morning without making the bed. Thank you for stopping by and for the feedback!
I too, love rituals. Morning meditation followed by hot water with lemon, morning pages and then a green smoothie start my day off 100% perfect every time.
Author
That sounds lovely!! I should get some reading in in the morning too.
I love some motivation! :;)
Author
Me too girl!
💝
This is a great post. It’s motivational and do-able! This is really helpful for anyone trying to figure out to really tap into their best self. I’m so happy your list started with reading. I’ve met too many people who think reading is overrated. Job well done!
Author
Thank you! I wasn’t always a reader, but the self-help genre is so enlightening for me and I love sharing my findings!
This is a great post, a very important topic to touch upon!
Thank you for the podcast suggestions too, I’ve just started to get into them too and wanted some recommendations !
x x x x
Author
Thank you! I love my books and podcasts and was so eager to share, so thanks for the positive feedback!
I Enjoyed your article, I will pick up a copy of the book you are recommending. I recently read Emotional intelligence a practical guide by Dr David Walton, another great read. We share similar thought about life handling.
Author
Thank you! Oooh I think I’ve heard of that, it sounds super interesting. I’m growing a long list now of self help books to get through, there are so many great ones (it’s a good problem to have I think.) That’s awesome to hear. 😊