Self-Improvement is a Trap for the Ambitious Person
A 3-minute 32-second read
TL;DR:
Modern self-improvement practices prey on ambitious individuals. Become hyper-critical of the activities in your life and their effectiveness at getting you to your goals. Analyze your activities and habits harshly: do they give you more time, do I receive clarity, and does this help me work harder? Identify what works for you and judge self-improvement practices on their effectiveness instead of their aesthetic appeal.
Shiny cars, expensive watches, and dream homes infiltrate the desires of the everyday man. These items signal to others that you are successful, whether this is true or not.
Lamborghini and Ferrari don’t have commercials. Why? People say it is because they are such elite vehicles, their buyer isn’t watching television.
In reality, their main buyer is someone who needs to show off their purchase. This car will be seen by the masses! There is no need for commercials.
But today is not the conversation of a rich vs wealthy mindset…
There is something else flashy in this world that allures the ambitious in many of the same ways as the fancy car, but is far more devastating.
Modern Self-Improvement
Unfortunately, modern self-improvement gives the illusion of achievement even when you accomplish…nothing.
You complete something difficult, and you get a hit of dopamine. Ice baths every morning for a week, running 3 miles every day for a month, journaling every night before you go to bed. You did that! If it is difficult enough, you may get recognition from those around you, further solidifying this as a successful activity.
But wait!
Does this get you closer to your goals?
These activities do have benefits. But do they actually move the needle for YOU?
Saunas, meditation, waking up at 5 AM - the truth is, everybody is searching for a guide that will make their life better.
When a new trend comes out, ambitious individuals are eager to see if it is the answer, the quick fix to their lofty goals. Will this provide the life that I want?
In reality, you now have another activity to fit into your schedule. This is guaranteed to take both time and energy. Make sure this is worth it!
Real Self-Improvement
Anything that helps you get to your goals!
Often the theme of these improvements is as follows:
They provide clarity
They give you time back
They help you work harder
Steve Jobs wore the same outfit every day. This gave him time (he didn’t have to pick an outfit), and it gave him clarity (he used less mental effort in the mornings, so he had more to give for important decisions). This helped him get closer to his goal of “put[ting] a dent in the universe.”
We laugh at his blandness, but Apple has over 2.35 billion active devices today, 14 years after his passing. This is a goal accomplished.
5 Key Takeaways
If your goals are unclear, you are highly vulnerable to distracting self-improvement practices.
This is by no means a reason to stop testing. If ice baths in the morning work for you, great! Instead, this is to provide criteria to judge the effectiveness of activities and practices in your life.
I urge you to strictly test any changes in your life, especially if they are made in light of self-improvement. Ask directly, “Does this help me get closer to my goals? Does this activity provide clarity, give me time back, or help me work harder?”
It is in the name. You must implement what helps the self…YOU. What worked for Jobs may not align with your goals. The influencer @wisdm would lose his entire profession if he wore the same outfit every day!
Define your goals, then identify what will give you clarity, what decisions will give you more time, and what will help you work harder.
Action
Every person, successful or unsuccessful, has two things: time and what they do with it.
Align your activities with your goals and identify efficiency gaps that may have simple solutions to accelerate growth. This is the Activities Audit:
For 2 days, fill in a chart for every activity you partake in and the time it takes in your day.
Activity on one side and a spot to track time on the other - super simple.
After two days, take this snapshot, and ask the following questions:
Can I easily connect each activity to my goals?
What activities waste my time, and/or energy?
Can I do less of a beneficial activity and produce the same impact?
Am I putting too little time towards an activity that I say means a lot to me?
Am I doing too many activities?
Start this today and get on track!
Cheers,
Spencer A.
P.S. The term ‘self-improvement’ has been stripped of its original meaning. Because of this, I would like to clarify that I share concepts and frameworks that help you achieve your goals.
