UCanMakeItIfYouTry – Become The Best Version of You
Being the best version of you means different things to different people. Some are happy with the bare necessities. For others, they want something more. No matter what category you fall into, you can use these tips to become the best version of yourself.
1 – Know And Understand Your Purpose
Instead of wandering through life aimlessly, ask yourself questions to determine your true purpose. For example, do you want to be the best employee? Or do you want to be a triathlete? Writing down your purpose gives you a reference to keep you on track.
2 – Visualize Your Future Self
Once you know your purpose, visualize how a life like that would look. If you want to be the best parent, think about what that looks like to you. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, envision the version of yourself doing that. Think of visualizing as structured daydreaming.
3 – Let Go of Fear
Once you accept that you will fail along the way to your dreams and goals, you open your mind to all sorts of possibilities. Consider failures as learning opportunities to help you become the best version of yourself. Use your fear to motivate you to push onward toward success.
4 – Put a Stop to Negative Talk
The moment you commit to becoming a better you, your mind finds ways to talk you out of it. You will need to work on techniques and habits to reign in those thoughts that will hold you back. It’s time to silence the inner critic.
5 – Show Up and Do the Work
You need to take action. Putting effort into visualizing goals does nothing for you if you fail to put forth the effort. Many can talk the talk. Few can walk the walk. Be one of the few that put their words into action by taking the first step.
6 – Let Go of Others’ Expectations for You
Becoming the best version of yourself is personal. Only you determine what that looks like and how to get there. Now is the time to ignore the opinion of those that don’t matter and embrace your new journey.
7 – Develop Empowering Habits
Habits can make or break your progress. Think about who you want to be and build the habits to get you there. Start with something small, but eventually, you will want to include various habits that impact every level of your life.
8 – Give Yourself a Break
Making changes to enhance your life will come with some setbacks. That’s okay. When those moments appear, give yourself loads of self-love, reflect, and get back in the game.
9 – Give Back to Others
Volunteering your time, knowledge, and skills helps others and reveals your best self—no matter where you are on your journey. Make volunteering a priority. You will feel fulfilled and grateful.
FAST-ACTION STEPS
1 – Write down what your purpose is by asking yourself what you value. It may help to answer questions like: What activities do you enjoy? What impact do you want to make?
2 – Establish the next steps. Once you understand your purpose, what do you need to do next? And after that? As you take the next step, you will build momentum.
3 – Choose one habit you can implement now that will push you to become the best version of yourself. Practice it for a couple of weeks, and then add a new habit.
- About the Author
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James Donaldson
Former Owner and Director of The Donaldson Clinic (an outpatient physical therapy clinic)
James completed a 20 year professional basketball career in the spring of 2000. James established The Donaldson Clinic in (January 1990 – 2018) (shortly after a career threatening knee injury) with an idea that he would eventually become a physical therapist. He is a strong advocate for Women & Minority owned businesses and is very involved with various Chambers of Commerce. He understands what it takes to sustain a strong business environment that is conducive to the success of businesses overall.
James is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the N.B.A. with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks and Utah Jazz. He also played for several in Spain, Italy and Greece of the European Leagues plus toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an N.B.A. All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac – 10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
He now devotes the majority of his time to various community activities, and toward the Gift of Life Foundation, speaking on mental health awareness and suicide prevention. James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, youth groups and is the author of the published “Standing Above the Crowd” of which you can learn more about at www.standingabovethecrowd.com and is available for sale now.
In 2021, James published Celebrating Your Gift of Life: From the Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy. www.celebratingyourgiftoflife.com
James is a 40+ year resident of Seattle. He believes in being a role model of success and professionalism for the scores of young people that he devotes so much of his time to. He currently serves on several Boards and/or committees and is a member of many organizations. (Please see complete listing on back)
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win – Win” environment for everyone involved, and being the best he can be!
