Day 38: Self-Management

I have no illusions: maintaining the status quo and progressing successfully require hard work. However, this is not just about the daily work invested in projects or business; it's more about working on oneself. Success belongs to those who have control over themselves. And to have control over oneself, one must first understand how one functions.

On the 38th day of my Life Transformation Challenge, it's about a crucial realization. It's about understanding who you are, what you need, and how to blend it all together to consistently move forward in life.

When asked about the most important recipe for success from my perspective, I say: "Continuous progress." Taking a step forward every day, no matter how small. This also includes understanding that speed doesn't help us. Those who constantly rush towards their goal will burn out. And those who burn out are forced to take a break. I have already written about this in my article on the topic of overpacing.

How to consistently move forward

To achieve constant progress, we must first define in which areas we want to make progress. One could argue that this doesn't really matter, as progress is progress. Yes, that is correct. Ultimately, it's not necessarily crucial where we want to make progress, as long as we align ourselves with our North Star, our overarching goals, and follow them. Every step is a step forward in this sense.

Write down your future life

Nevertheless, it is worth specifying in which areas we want to make progress. The best way to do this is by creating a life plan. Specifically, we develop a vision, an idea of what our life should look like in a year. Take the time to describe in detail how you envision your future life in all the important core areas. It's worthwhile! I have already written extensively about this in my linked article – feel free to check it out.

From the vision of your future, you can derive concrete action steps. For example, if you aim to build a stronger connection with your friends, you can set the next step as reserving a few hours each week to talk to your friends or inviting a friend to dinner.

The more concrete your vision of the future, the more specific actions you can derive from it.

Understand how you work and learn to navigate yourself

Self-management means doing everything for yourself to enable continuous progress. This mainly means understanding how you work. Knowing your needs and recognizing in time that you need a break. Understanding that maybe it's not Project X you need to invest in right now, which might make you unhappy or frustrated. Instead, it might be the hobby you should dedicate yourself to in order to generate new thoughts or clear your mind.

Learn to understand your needs so that you can give yourself exactly what you need.

Self-management means precisely that. Listening to yourself and protecting the flame of motivation from extinguishing. Understanding what to do when you're not feeling well, whether it's due to overwork or perhaps in a depressive phase. Learn to navigate yourself!