We all want to be true to ourselves. But sometimes, life gets in the way. And you can’t always be your best self because you’re busy doing things like working and going to school, meeting deadlines, and taking care of your family.
Well, I’ve got good news: it’s totally possible to do these things AND be true to yourself every day. Here are 5 small steps you can take to help yourself be more honest with yourself and others—and feel better about it!
We’ve all been there. You wake up in the morning, and you feel like you’re losing yourself. You’re not sure who you are anymore. You feel like you’ve become someone else entirely, and it’s scaring you to death.
But it doesn’t have to be like this. There are steps you can take every day to help remind yourself who you really are—and who you want to be.
We usually end our days, flopped out on the sofa on a Netflix binge or in bed scrolling the socials and then literally just let our eyes shut when we’re too tired to look at the screen anymore. But what if you took a concerted moment to take stock of your day?
Take a moment every night before bed when you’re alone (or with just one other person) and ask yourself these questions: “What did I do today that was true to me? What did I do today that wasn’t?” Then write down your answers.
You can then take those answers into your new day to help you be more true to yourself.
Set small goals for yourself every morning based on what YOU want from life—not what other people want from you or expect from you or think is normal for someone in your position (like being CEO). For example: “Today I’m going to go for a run.”
These small goals act as a compass for the direction you want your life to go in. You’re being true to yourself by actively checking in with what matters to you rather than what anyone else wants. Daily actions like this, help you to be who you are.
Find what makes your heart sing, and do that every day like “today I’m going to read a book.” Or “Today I’m going to paint.” When we do something just for ourselves which brings us pure and utter joy, we cultivate being true to ourselves with ease. It becomes a part of our daily routine. We become better at handling stress, anxiety and other mental health challenges.
I personally find that joy is extremely underrated and when a client starts to experience joy everyday, I remember exactly why I talk about it so much. We put a lot of emphasis on finding happiness but not necessarily joy. Joy is just for you and it’s a feeling that you literally tune into when it’s happening.
Tune out the noise around you. “Time is your most precious commodity and yet most of us live our lives as if we have all the time in the world. The real secret to getting control of your life is to restore a sense of focus in your days. The real secret to getting things done is knowing what things need to be left undone. Once you start spending the hours of your days only on those high-leverage activities and priorities that will advance your life’s mission and legacy, everything will change.” – Robin Sharma, Who will cry when you die?
Don’t forget who loves you most. We can easily take our lives and loved ones for granted – this is normal. But what if you were grateful for those who love you everyday? What will happen is that you’ll feel good about them and in return, you’ll get more love. Love is brilliant.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of life and forget about the things that really matter.
You know what I mean: the little things that make you who you are and make your life full of purpose. The things that used to make you excited about getting up in the morning, but have become so routine over time that they feel like a chore or an inconvenience—and not something worth making time for.
I want to help you get back on track by reminding yourself why it’s worth making time for those small steps every day. Because when you do that, it becomes easier to go after bigger goals, too!
I’m Puja McClymont – certified coach, wisdom teacher, speaker and host of the SELF Care 101 podcast.
I help professionals who are seeking direction and contentment in their lives by taking their work, health and relationships to a new level of success, so that life becomes more impactful, meaningful and fulfilling.
Through wisdom traditions and modern personal-development techniques, I teach you how to understand your Self better to achieve your goals.
Discover tips and insights through my podcast, blog and email edit.