Becoming Better Never Stops

Life is full of choices. Each choice comes with consequences; some positive, some negative. No matter what choices we make, we need to purpose within ourselves to never stop becoming better. We must push ourselves to be the best we can be everyday. We must push off the temptation of excuses, laziness, and self-righteousness. We must humble ourselves and push ourselves to become more. We must set the bar high, and when we reach that bar, we must set it even higher. It is up to us to become better. No one is coming to do it for us.

Mel Robbins, an American lawyer, author, and speaker once said:

‘It’s very, very simple to get what you want, but it’s not easy. It’s your job to make yourself do the crap you don’t want to do, so you can be everything that you’re supposed to be. And you’re so damn busy waiting ‘to feel like it’. And you’re never going to – ever. No one’s coming. No one. No one’s coming to push you; no one’s coming to tell you to turn the TV off; no one’s coming to tell you to get out the door and exercise; nobody’s coming to tell you to apply for that job that you’ve always dreamt about; nobody’s coming to write the business plan for you. It’s up to you.’

We must push ourselves to become better. We must stop pretending that “things will change someday.” Things won’t change unless we do. Our attitude, actions, thoughts, purpose, passions, goals, dreams – you name it – will never change or become reality unless we act. Waiting in hopes that everything will magically change on their own is a pipedream. If we KNOW we need to be better and do nothing to make ourselves better, then we are wasting our potential and building a character of idleness. 

Life is about learning and applying what we learn. Koby Bryant once said in an interview, “The Mamba Mentality is about trying to be the best version of yourself. It means everyday you are trying to become better. It’s a constant quest; it’s an infinite quest.” He goes on to say that he does this by always looking for things to learn from. Learning is not about memorizing information, but rather the application of what we have learned to become better. It doesn’t matter how much we know if we choose to never do anything with that knowledge.

To become better means we must always be in a state of reflection. We must seek out the opportunities to learn, observe, and be like a sponge. We must not look at our faults and mistakes as all ending failures, but rather as opportunities to strengthen our weaknesses. Becoming better starts with being vulnerable and willing. Once we allow ourselves these qualities, we must focus on two more: discipline and consistency. We must change our mindset to push ourselves to become better. We must change how we view ourselves and how we view mistakes and failures, and we must reprogram our thinking to become self-motivating. As Mel said, “No one’s coming.”

Will you have bad days? Absolutely! Will you have days where you fall back into a negative pattern? Probably. But what’s most important is what you do with those days. Do you allow for excuses to keep you from moving forward? Do you see your failures and mistakes as reasons to not keep trying? Your success is solely dependent on you. Only you can change your mindset. Only you can put in the work to better yourself. Only you can force yourself to be disciplined and consistent. There is only one question that still remains: Will you stop trying to become better, or will you never allow yourself to stop becoming better? 

As always, stay humble and serve well!