The desire for self improvement is a great thing to have. In fact, I believe it is one of the most important aspects in finding success in your career and life. If you’re anything like me, you don’t want to go through life coasting along. You aren’t satisfied with the status quo. And the list of things that you want to improve is ever-growing.

Eat healthier

Improve career trajectory

Exercise more often

Spend more quality time with family and friends

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Pay off debt

Spend more time on your hobbies

The list could seriously go on and on and on (and on). But that one finite variable holding us back from accomplishing all that we desire is, you guessed it, time. It is easy to get overwhelmed with all the improvements we want to make in our lives. Here are a few quick tips to keep from getting discouraged.

1. One thing at a time

It is incredibly easy to get overwhelmed when our “improvement list” continues to grow without us marking anything off. The key here is to not focus on everything all at once. Start easy, set a goal, and focus only on that one improvement. Remind yourself and work towards this goal as a part of your daily routine. And stick with it. It depends on what change you’re making but it can take months to create a new habit.

2. Be Specific

Giving yourself a goal to “workout more” is not going to get you anywhere. Now, something like “run for 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week” or “start going to a weekly aerobics class” are the kinds of goals that will get results. Being specific and having measurable goals will do wonders for actually accomplishing them and not just letting them linger.

3. Give yourself a break

Take a minute to breathe, people. If you are anything like me, your day is a never-ending shit-storm of one thing after another. In today’s world, where everything is instantaneous and we have just about everything we could ask for at our fingertips, we get caught up in this “never rest” mentality. Sometimes we just need to escape, relax, and recharge in order to get rolling again and truly make progress.

4. Ignore the Joneses

Don’t strive for self improvement because of what others around you have and are doing. Improve because it is what you want for yourself. You have to consciously remind yourself to not let others around you affect what you do and who you want to be. Doing this will help focus on the things that are truly important to you.

5. Self affirmation

Savor your accomplishments. Even the little ones. Appreciating the improvements that you have made over recent weeks / months / years will go a long way and will inspire you to keep the needle moving.