10 Steps to Self-Empowerment Through Self-Teaching

1. Define what you want.

2. Find your passion. 

3. Know what you're doing wrong. 

4. Create a plan of action - set goals & priorities

5. Take personal responsibility.

6. Monitor & motivate yourself.

7. Trust in the power of people.

8. Accept that everyone has flaws.

9. Be kind to yourself and others. 

10. Be grateful. 

Step One: Define What You Want

This is an important first step that needs to be taken before you can start working towards your goals, so make sure it doesn't get skipped! It's not enough to say "I want mastery."

If you don't know what exactly you're trying to achieve and why, how will you ever find the motivation necessary for success?

• List all of the things in life that are most important to you.
• Consider which aspects of yourself are more developed than others and list those as well.
• Use these answers as a guide when deciding what path would best suit your individual needs.

Step Two: Find Your Passion

Not everyone wants self-development simply because they want to be more successful. People want to be experts because they are motivated and find this important. You will need to find a passion that will help you work hard and achieve your goals.

Consider what types of things bring out energy inside yourself.

If none come up, don't worry. It's not an easy task for everyone to identify their true passions. But this is something worth taking some time on and thinking deeply about when considering which path would best suit them personally.

Step Three: Know What You're Doing Wrong

To be able to do something new or difficult, you need to know where you are now. You also need to know how close you are to being the best at this thing.

• Know what you do wrong.
• Figure out where your weaknesses lie and then aim for improvement in these areas first when setting goals.

Step Four: Create a Plan of Action - Set Goals & Priorities

The most important thing is that you have something concrete to work towards, whether large or small. If you want to become more healthy, you might not know what type of exercise will work best for you. You could ask a coach or find out which ones are good for the body.

So you could make sure you were doing all the different things that are necessary, like dieting and exercising every day.

Step Five: Take Personal Responsibility

Acknowledge your flaws and commit to overcoming them, rather than just waiting for somebody else to do it for you.

It is important not to blame others when something goes wrong. We need to learn from our mistakes. So they do not happen again.

Step Six: Monitor & Motivate Yourself

Find out what motivates you the most. Goals that are ambitious and achievable can be good if they help push people forward when times get tough.

For example, someone who is on a diet might feel more motivated if people tell them good things like "You have lost five pounds since starting this diet!" or "Congratulations! You are now 50% of the way there!".

Keep a journal of your progress and review it on occasion. This will help you see how far you've come and motivate yourself as well, since seeing all the hard work that's been done can be inspiring!

It also serves as reinforcement for things like goal setting (i.e., "I'm almost halfway through my weight loss program!"). 

People who don't commit to their goals need to find outside sources of motivation. They can do this by asking themselves why they want the goal, and what it will mean for them to get that goal.

Step Seven: The Power of People

Get involved with people who are positive influences rather than negative ones. Even though we cannot always control what happens around us, we do have power over our actions so choose wisely when it comes to the people we spend time with.

Step Eight: Everyone has Flaws

Get over any of your insecurities or self-doubt by reminding yourself that everyone has flaws, even if they're not apparent on the surface. It can help to share your imperfections with others so people will not judge you. This way, you won't need to worry about being judged or scrutinized as harshly. 

Don't let your fear of rejection stop you from asking someone out on a date or trying to make new friends. It's better to try and fail than never know what could have been if we dared to take that first step in reaching out.

Step Nine: Be Kind

Nobody deserves to be unhappy. If you see somebody who looks like they are hurting, go up and say hello! Just saying a few kind words can make the difference between someone feeling alone or being uplifted by their fellow human beings.

It's easy for most people not to notice when another person is struggling emotionally, especially in an environment where everybody else appears content with themselves. 

It is bad when people ignore those who need help because it can cause problems. One act of kindness from you might make a big difference to them.

Step Ten: Be Grateful

When one feels gratitude, it's easy to reflect and find other sources of joy in life that might not notice before. Walking in gratitude is an excellent way to bring joy, peace, and hope into your life. When you're grateful for what's going well but also open about what hurts or bothers you, it makes others feel like they can trust you with their struggles.

This can be as simple as looking at a beautiful photograph or listening intently with someone else who has shared something significant about their day/life.

Final Words

Becoming a self-improver is not an easy task. There are many steps to take, and it takes time. The journey from being self-taught to becoming self-improving can be long, but the rewards at the end of that road will make all your hard work worth it in the end.

We hope these tips have helped you on this journey so far - we wish you nothing but success as you continue to improve yourself every day. 

What are some other aspects of improving oneself?

About the Author

Ross Jenkins is the founder of DigitalME, a company that helps executive teams improve their workflows and decision-making processes through automation.

He started his journey from scratch, with no university degree or credentials; all self-taught by hard work alone with only perseverance on his side as an ally to help him succeed.

Follow Ross on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

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