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There is currently a proliferation of great information on the topic of personal development, from blogs to self-help books and eBooks to support groups to workshops and seminars. It's a very exciting time in today's world to engage in the process of developing one's capabilities and potentialities.

The risk has now become that we have too much information. In our increasingly-competitive, always-on world, we face complex challenges that require a more advanced process of evaluation, especially in our careers. This is an appraisal that we very often don't possess the time or energy to focus on. We search for clues and inputs from our universe to assist us, yet we become overwhelmed with the sheer number of choices in front of us.

The problems come once we realize that we'll never have all the information we need to make proper evaluations and decisions. That is, there simply isn't enough time in a day, week, or lifetime to analyze all the options. This causes us to again feel inundated – so much so that it paralyzes us from making any decision to commit, build determination, act, or sustain any effort.

The bigger peril, I believe, is that we haven't built a strong enough foundation on which to learn and grow. We haven't done the heavy lifting of asking ourselves the tough questions.

Most often, we go from one self-help book or article to the next focusing very closely on what others are doing, and we end up snuffing out our own creativity. Instead of coming up with our own solutions and insights, we hijack ideas. We imitate. We don't determine, discover, decipher, and solve things that apply to our own lives – current and future.


So what's the solution to our dilemmas? Go back to the basics. Erect a strong foundation. Look in the mirror. Engage in some deep investigation and learning. Embark upon in the simple process of critical reflection. The strategy involves self-assessment – thinking about where you are today – and seeing yourself as you really are. It is a process whereby you think about your ideas, beliefs, and values and then challenge and confront your own thinking by asking some probing questions like:

What do I think and why do I think this? What do I value and what do I believe? Are there inconsistencies in my thinking?

What things do I cherish most in the world?

What are the underlying assumptions of my values, beliefs, and opinions?

What am I willing to work for, take risks for, and even sacrifice to manifest in my lifetime?

How could I do things differently?

You need to re-engage in self discovery. When you start asking yourself new questions, you’ll get new answers and find new solutions.

Try these 3 suggestions for building a strong foundation for self-improvement:

Do things your way. Live the life that you desire. Design a life and lifestyle that supports your personal values and needs. The secret to life if figuring things out that work for you and you alone. Prioritize each succeeding day around your re-found boundaries, goals, and values. In doing so, you will be living the life that you choose, and not a pre-packaged life that has been carved out for you by a so-called "authority" on the subject.


Spend a few moments each day in quiet reflection. Take the time to get to know yourself. Take a look around you and within yourself. Regularly reassess your goals and priorities. Write them down. You have tremendous pressure on you to constantly better yourself and to want it all and do it all. This pressure exists in your work, your community, your family, and with your friends and associates – and most especially in your mind. Take time to consider how you have responded to those expectations.


Be authentic – be yourself. Self-improvement is a process, not an outcome. It changes constantly, particularly at different points in your life. Wherever you are today is all right. Don't beat yourself up. Accept yourself and learn and grow from where you are. There's nothing wrong with aspiring to be in a constant state of total awareness, but you cannot even approach that goal until you've taken the time to look in the mirror and see what you need to see. Your true objective should be to inspire personal growth and positive change, moving you closer to what you want. If your aspiration is learning and growth and positive change, then you'll be just fine.

To accomplish this simple task, all you need to do is to expend some effort. You’ve got to do the heavy-lifting up front before you can figure out exactly where you want to go. Only you can be trusted with such a critical assignment. You are the only one who truly has a vested interest in your own life. Only you can handle the important decisions needed to define and create the life and lifestyle you desire to live.

Written for Dumb Little Man by David B. Bohl, Husband, Father, Friend, Lifestyle Coach, Author, Entrepreneur, and creator of Slow Down FAST. For more info go to Slow Down Fast and visit his blog at Slow Down Fast blog.