Constant improvement is necessary in all facets of life. If you have the desire to master a particular craft, earn a solid job, or most importantly, be a good human, you must always be evolving and getting better.
At 19 years old, I am very far from being anywhere close to where I want to be at in life; I still have countless things that I can improve upon.
But to narrow it down a tad, here are 10 things that I want to get better at in my 19th year. Read and find out some things you could improve on, too!
Being Consistent
Consistency is something that I have struggled with. Often, I get really excited about something for a couple of months, put a lot of work into it, and then get burnt out. Instead of just being consistent, I typically rely on excitement to motivate me. Lacking consistency has limited me in more ways than one.
Moving forward, I am going to force myself to do the work no matter how hard it is, because that is what a person who is consistent would do. It is not about showing up only when you feel like it. It is not about working only when you feel great. It is about showing up, rain or shine.
Being vulnerable
To be honest, I am really bad at being vulnerable. I don’t know why, but it is just something that I have never been particularly good at.
But just like any other skill, being vulnerable takes practice. It is something that requires you to put yourself in the uncomfortable positions that you usually shy away from. In my 19th year, I am going to push myself towards these uncomfortable positions.
Reading more
All of us could read more. One of the biggest excuses when it comes to reading often revolves around time constraints. “Oh, I am so busy, I don’t have any time to read,” a lot of people will say.
This is bullshit. You have time for what you make time for. In my 19th year, I would like to make more time for reading.
Embracing what is in my control — and then taking action
While I do feel that I have done a pretty good job of letting go of things that are outside of my control, I do feel that I should be much better at embracing what is in my control. I would like to get better at directing one hundred percent of my focus towards taking action around what I can control.
I am good at recognizing what can’t control and what I can’t. But taking action has been a little harder. Now, I would like this to change. I want to focus on making the right actions surrounding what is in my control.
Being a little more outgoing
I don’t think that I will ever be a social butterfly — it is just not in my personality. But I do think that I could improve upon being a little more outgoing in social scenarios. Normally, I am very shy and rarely initiate conversations or interactions. This is something that I would like to change.
I have found that I am at my best when I am engaging with other people. Instead of just sitting off to the side in my own metaphorical bubble, I feel better and do better work when I am talking to others, asking questions, and staying engaged.
Spending my money better
I definitely don’t think that I have poor money management skills, but they could certainly be better. In my 19th year, I really want to focus on spending my money on things that I actually want.
For example, instead of buying fast food because I am hungry and impulsive, I would much rather save some money and make a quick trip to the grocery store. That way, I don’t blow all my money on quick, cheap food. Instead, I can save my money and use it. I can save up for a new pair of shoes that I have been eyeing. I can invest it into my website. I can use it for an experience.
Instead of spending my money on what I want right now, I want to be able to save my money and use it for something that I actually want and will get value out of.
Finding More Stillness
Finding stillness can be so difficult in today’s modern world. Distractions are constantly beckoning. There is always something to distract us.
But the best moments in life don’t come when your head is buried in a screen. They come when you find complete focus in a task. They come when you are fully emersed in a conversation. They come when you are present in the moment. They come when you find stillness.
Trying new things
Too often I find myself stuck in my ways. I refuse to try new things out of fear.
This needs to change. Life is made up of experiences. If you want to live a good life, you have to have a wide variety of experiences, which means at some point, you are going to have to try new things.
In my 19th year, I want to get better at trying new things.
Expressing Gratitude
I often find myself expressing gratitude privately. But in my 19th year alive, I feel as though I should become better at expressing my gratitude to other people. It could be as simple as telling someone how much they mean to me or journaling every day about something I am grateful for.
Instead of just keeping my gratitude inside, I want to do a better job at letting people know how grateful I am for them.
Continuing to practice meditation
Lately, I haven’t meditated as much as I probably should. In June, I meditated an hour a day for a week. It was definitely very difficult but also extremely rewarding.
Starting now, I am going to place even more importance on carving out time for practicing all different types of meditation. When I am meditating, I find that I am much calmer, and a little bit happier.