(Annie Spratt via Unsplash)
September is the month dedicated to promoting self-awareness and encouraging people to strive to achieve their goals healthily. The Self-Improvement Month developed in the 1980s; various organizations began spreading awareness about well-being and self-improvement content to their communities. The purpose of this nationwide event is to encourage. People practice techniques and strategies that will help improve their lives professionally and internally.
The most effective way to approach Self-Improvement Month is to write down your hopes and goals for the year, if not the academic school year. Then, once the list of your goals is in a safe location that can be referenced back to later on, analyze your daily routine and challenge yourself to make slow differences in how you can change one aspect of your day that will help you improve into a better version of yourself.
Changes you make, such as getting up earlier and fixing a broken sleep schedule, will eventually lead to a different lifestyle that increases productivity. The idea of transforming into an improved version of yourself is why September is the timely excuse to begin changing your poor habits that keep you from reaching your fullest potential into new ones that will bring out the best in you.
To effectively manage my schedule, I rely on a calendar application installed on my smartphone that provides me with a visual representation of my calendar and reminders. Time, the most elusive and challenging aspect of life to control, requires constant vigilance and strategic planning to make the most of each day. It is essential to acknowledge that time passes by in the blink of an eye, but rather than feeling disheartened by this realization, it should serve as a motivating factor to surpass our previous accomplishments and strive for continuous improvement year after year.
If you want to successfully improve your mental, spiritual, and physical state, organizing your daily routine and taking accountability for yourself is the first step. September is the first month of the academic year for many universities and is repeatedly used to reset. Self-improvement techniques such as caring for one’s physical and mental well-being may seem out of reach in a month, but it is a lifelong commitment that should be practiced year-round. In this regard, September provides an excellent opportunity to start and continue self-improvement by not waiting for this month to occur.
Ashleigh Ewald (she/her/hers) is a Georgia-based journalist who attends Oglethorpe University. Follow her on IG: @ashleighewaldofficial.
Edited by NaTyshca Pickett