6 Effective Strategies to Be the Best Version of Yourself

We all have goals and aspirations that fuel our lives. It might be a business plan you’ve always dreamed of embarking on. Or perhaps you’re looking to develop more meaningful relationships? 

Whilst it’s important not to change yourself to please others, sometimes to reach fulfilment in your life, you need to self-reflect in your journal and develop your outlook to be the best version of yourself. So, what does that mean and how can you strive to be the best version of yourself? Read on to learn more...

‘Be your best self’ meaning

Before we look at some ways to be the best version of yourself, it’s important to understand what ‘be your best self’ really means. Becoming the best version of yourself doesn’t mean forcing yourself to change into something you’re not. 

It also shouldn’t mean that you labour over your goals at the expense of your wellbeing. Self reflection and positivity are at the heart of the phrase ‘be your best self’, meaning it’s a process of recognising your own strengths and acting on them - rather than adopting a fake persona.

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Top 6 ways to be the best version of yourself

Give thanks for what you have through gratitude journaling

How can your life progress, if you don’t appreciate what you already have? One of the greatest ways to be the best version of yourself is to express gratitude. 

At the end of each evening, record three things that made your day special - from the support of a good friend to the sound of birds outside your window. 

Writing in a gratitude journal helps you to recognise the opportunities you currently have at your fingertips.

Scripted manifestation for becoming your best self

There’s no better motivation strategy for becoming your best self than seeing your future unfold before your very eyes. 

Scripting is a manifestation technique that involves writing about your future goals in the present tense - as if they’re happening right here, right now. 

Picture your future self. What are they doing? How do they feel now they’ve reached their goals? What have they achieved? Keep a ‘be your best self’ journal and write about the sounds and sights surrounding your future self as they reap the benefits of their hard work. 

Scripting manifestation brings you closer to that better version of yourself. That’s because the act of writing about your future motivates your progress and, ultimately, helps to manifest your goals.

Develop your self reflection in a ‘be your best self’ journal

The more you examine your outlook, the more you understand what steps you need to take to become your best self. As well as working towards your goals, you need to set aside time to reflect on whether your current strategy is working. Returning to bad habits or unhelpful strategies won’t help you move forward. 

For example, you might discover that your biggest problem is procrastination, which will give you the direction to cut your social media intake and practice the Pomodoro technique. Self reflection ensures that your mission to be the best version of yourself is tailored to your unique strengths and needs.

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Manage your time to avoid procrastination

Organisation and procrastination are the two biggest obstacles to becoming your best self. No matter how passionate or talented you are, if you don’t arrange your time effectively, you’re holding yourself back from your dreams. 

The best way to manage your time is to create habits that fit easily into your current schedule, rather than forcing yourself to adopt a brand new routine in one go. In your daily goal setter or ‘be your best self’ journal, plot in one important task to work on habitually during the week. Build your routine gradually by adding in another task at the start of each week. 

To be the best version of yourself in your everyday life, you also need to remember to prioritise your goals and tasks. You can’t build a successful business or plan your dream wedding if you choose to focus on rearranging your sock drawer.

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Motivate yourself with ‘be the best version of yourself’ quotes

Becoming your best self should be a cathartic experience, not a chore. It’s about discovering who you are and maximising your potential - and ‘be the best version of yourself’ quotes can be a great spark of inspiration. Here are a few of our favourites:

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” - William Shakespeare 

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life—and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do.” - Georgia O'Keeffe

"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." - Henry David Thoreau

"He can who thinks he can, and he can't who thinks he can't. This is an inexorable, indisputable law.” - Pablo Picasso

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” - C.S. Lewis 

Once you’ve found some ‘be the best version of yourself’ quotes that you like, record them in your journal. Choose a new quote each day to inspire you for all the challenges and opportunities that come your way.

Foster a growth mindset

As you work on being the best version of yourself, it helps to have a productive outlook. Your outlook dictates what you do and how you handle yourself. If you have a ‘fixed mindset’, you likely believe that your skills are innate and cannot be changed or improved on. 

If you develop a ‘growth mindset’, however, you are far more likely to be your best self. That’s because the growth mindset centres on the idea that you can develop your skills and intelligence by staying open-minded and making time to learn new skills, even if you find it difficult. 

Devour books about your future goals. Watch YouTube videos and read articles. Sign up to a new course or join a group. Brainstorm and journal your thoughts and aspirations. Make a vow with yourself to learn something new each day. With a growth mindset, you can take control of your destiny, rather than viewing it as set in stone.

If you’re wondering how to be your best self, it can be hard to settle on a clear strategy. Becoming your best self is an individual experience, so don’t compare your best with someone else’s. It may take time to mix and match the strategies that work for you. 

Through working towards your goals, you will gravitate towards the right strategies. By expressing gratitude, managing your time and priorities, or even motivating yourself with ‘be the best version of yourself’ quotes, you’ll be setting yourself on a course for success, so you can achieve your hard-earned dreams. 

Browse our selection of Scandinavian-inspired journals, goal setters and affirmation decks to help you on your journey to becoming your best self.