It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap, comparing ourselves to our friends, coworkers, or even our bosses. More often than not, we can always find something about ourselves to focus on and improve every single day. Feeling the need to compare and compete with your peers has shown to inhibit learning, teamwork, trust, and overall workplace performance.

Winning is not about being the best. Winning is about being your best. That doesn’t mean trying to be perfect. If we aim for perfection, we’ll be in a constant state of frustration because nobody is perfect. If we focus on progress, we become much more positive and purposeful.

At the end of the day, it’s up to us, as leaders, to drive ourselves and others forward. No doubt, you have a vision of your future self. You have specific goals you want to achieve. You may even have tactical game plans devised which are your roadmaps to get you to where you want to be. Here are five ways we recommend you can become your best self.

Exercise

Exercise, posture, and stretching are all means to help us take care of our bodies. Exercise is a critical aspect of maintaining high amounts of energy. Light exercise on a daily basis outside of our work routines helps us become physically and mentally stronger. You must find time to challenge your body physically throughout the week. And, physical health is one of the most important psychological reasons for an individual’s self-confidence and esteem. You need to find time for both aerobic and anaerobic activities.

Note that these do not have to stem from the local gym but can be enjoyed outside and incorporated into your daily errands and routines. Think about playing with your kids, walking or biking to and from your desired destinations, taking a walk at lunchtime, or getting outside more with your family and friends.

Get the Proper Nutrition

It’s challenging to consider the topic of human energy without factoring in what one eats and when they eat it. But all too often, a discussion of “diet” is primarily focused on weight loss and, to a lesser extent, disease prevention. It’s time to understand the role food plays in day-to-day energy, mood, and one’s overall sense of well-being.

The science is pretty clear: the way our bodies process foods can have a direct effect on sugar and insulin levels in the blood system, and that processing largely depends on the makeup, quantity, and timing of our meals and snacks. Fortunately, a smart approach from an energy standpoint is consistent with conventional wisdom on weight management and health-enhancing nutrition.

We also need to consider how we feed ourselves mentally. As leaders striving for self-mastery, always looking for ways to improve as lifelong learners, we have to feed our souls. In addition to feeding our bodies with the proper nutrition, think about how you’re feeding your soul. What are you consuming to feed your hearts and minds?

Feeding your soul can be as simple as:
• Reading books, blogs, and articles
• Listening to podcasts, audiobooks, and music
• Finding a faith organization
• Joining a community group
• Sharing what you learn! It’s amazing how much it truly feeds our souls when we enrich, enlighten, and inspire others.

Stay Positive

Attitude is the outcome of how we feel or think in response to what is going on around us. Thinking or feeling positive, believing anything is possible, is what allows us to achieve. Our attitude is contagious to others. So you need to be aware of your thoughts because they become your words. Be aware of your words because they will become your actions. Your actions are the world’s view of who you are.

Leverage Your Strengths

Your natural strengths are the areas in which you excel and can add the most value to others. If we remain self-aware regarding our strongest attributes and focus on giving of ourselves, sharing our gifts with those on our teams, we’ll not only become the best we can be, but others will become the best they can be.

That’s our job as leaders: to help other people become their absolute best.

Compete with Yourself and Nobody Else

“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.”
—Unknown

There’s only one person you should compete with every single day: yourself. The best leaders and the most successful people in the world stay on a continuous, ever-evolving journey of self-mastery. Focus less on what you accomplish and more on who you are becoming. Inevitable success, happiness, and a fulfilling life can be found along the path of self-improvement.