WELCOME to Self-Improvement-Stretch.com

Your Self-Improvement Path

When individuals start down the path of self-improvement in order to be successful in a career or relationship they find the path less cluttered if they have a plan. The plan that leads to success has several parts to it including knowing the origin of your path, your vehicle, what to pack in your travel bag, the landmarks to look out for along the way, the route to take, and any anticipated detours, potholes or turns along the way and of course the destination.

The Origin of your Path:

The origin is the starting point on your path to success. It is you! Well, the current you, before your desired self-improvements. Think about what you say to others when you introduce yourself. What do you say? Do you state your name, occupation, and age? When you describe who you are to strangers, new acquaintances, or to a social group do you describe your skills, your good traits, strengths, what you do for a living or your economic status? When you start on the path to success it is always important to know what your status is when you start out. Sort of like taking an inventory of yourself before you start the "improving part". When you describe yourself to others what are the "good parts" that you describe. Are these the parts that you are proud of, happy with and are the things about you that you do not need to improve upon? What things about yourself did you leave out when you were describing yourself? Are these the things that you need to improve upon? Do you hide your occupation when describing yourself or embellish upon it because you are embarrassed to say what it is that you do for a living? If this is the case, this may be something that you wish to add to your list of things you would like to improve (skills, education etc.).

Your Vehicle:

The vehicle you chose to use that will take you along your self-improvement path is the "means by which you reach your destination". The vehicle can be analogized to your vocation in life or your mission in life. This vehicle can be based on your self-assessment or a deep desire, or it may be that you design your vehicle based upon obvious talents or a deep passion.

Your Travel Bag:

The travel bag you take with you on your self-improvement path to success is filled with the knowledge you have and the knowledge you gain along the way, the skills you have and those skills you nurture along the way, and your attitude. All of the things in your travel bag make up your perceived "competence" and can make up your vision. They can also help you to create landmarks or measures of success. These can even include necessary tools that are needed for success in your chosen path.

Landmarks:

Landmarks are necessary to keep us on the correct path. They can also be used as a means to measure traveling time or to mark our steps to success. Landmarks are measurable, attainable, and realistic and time bound. Landmarks can be earning a degree, achieving a rung in the corporate ladder, becoming a spouse or parent.

Anticipated detours, potholes or turns:

Detours, potholes and turns can make us lose our way when we are on any path. When on the path towards self-improvement there is many things that can make us lose our way including fear, discouragement, disillusionment, nay Sayers, disappointments, distractions, laziness, even events or crises.

Destination:

The destination is the vision of who we want to be when the self-improvement phase is complete. When we know who we are to begin with we can have a much clearer vision of the destination that we are striving to reach. We need to have a clear vision of the things we want to change about the destination whether that is to change attitudes, habits, or points of view. The final destination for your particular self-improvement path that you are anticipating going down should be defined by your vision, target for the future, and the entire "being" that is you, including your physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual you. You must define your beliefs, values and principles in life if you are going to have a clearly defined destination.