There's always room for improvement, whether you want to improve your home, your job skills or your relationships. I'm a strong believer that for any surroundings to improve, one must begin with improving their self. If you take it one step at a time and stick through with wanting to become a better version of yourself, you must practice over and over again until it becomes second nature.
Here are a few things that I believe help you grow as a human being.
1. Cooking well for yourself
Take care of yourself in your kitchen. That does not mean every meal must include all the daily nutrients, but your meals should be made with love and care so you can enjoy it and keep yourself healthy. It's delicious to eat out, don't get me wrong. But you should still make an effort to tailor healthy food in a way that makes you crave it. If you enjoy stir-fry, make your own sauces with a healthy twist. Eventually you will learn everything you like and don't, become healthier, and save money.
2. Using a planner
I forget most of my tasks within the first 10 minutes of setting them up. When you write it down, you will have at least registered the memory in two different ways: thinking it and writing it. If you don't want to look back at the planner, you have given yourself a higher chance of remembering. And if you do end up looking at your planner, you will not miss a thing. Adulthood comes with many responsibilities which are not easily remembered (unless you have a mental gift).
3. Bettering a hobby or finding a new one
Hobbies keep us busy, differentiate us from others and give us a creative outlet. Whatever it is you like to do, work on fine tuning it and tweaking it to become your own trademark. If you do not have a hobby right now, find one. Use it as a stress-relieving outlet and as a way to strengthen your identity.
4. Getting out of your comfort zone
It's easier said than done. Try things that will push you past your boundaries to find out what you like and do not like. Let your personality evolve through experience.
5. Hanging out with people of all ages
Hanging out with kids will make you reflect on who you were, it will push you to be more responsible, and it will also make a different version of yourself come out.
I hang out with my 8-year-old brother and when I baby sit him, I always find myself finding a balance of what it means to be a fun but responsible adult. I will take him out to eat ice cream, but I will make sure that he eats enough vegetables. I will have a conversation with him about what it means to be a good human being, and I will see some concepts shape his mind into better thoughts.
When you hang out with people older than yourself, you will hear advice that is applicable in young adulthood. You will see why people act the way they do, and if you like something you can shape yourself in that direction. If there's something you do not like, you will find out how you can avoid that trait. You will also develop a malleable personality that thrives under all social/work environments.
6. Keeping rainy day funds
You never know what will happen to you financially. One week you may have $1000 at your disposal, but the next week you will find yourself draining a credit card to help pay for groceries. You should always have money on the side, no matter how small the amount. Train yourself not to spend a designated amount of money. This does not mean do not enjoy the money you have, but just keep in mind that some of it should be put aside. I make sure that every month $25 go into my savings account, non negotiable. It's not a big amount, but I will always have those funds if something were to happen.
7. Taking care of yourself first
You cannot give from an empty glass. Make sure you are taking care of your mental health. Check in on yourself and make sure that you do things that help you destress. Meditation helps because you are basically having an honest and pure conversation with your brain.
