Everyone has had that talk in the mirror. “Ok, you really have to get yourself together (fill in name here)!” In the fast paced world that we live in, no one stops to take a break to smell the roses anymore and we all feel the consequences.

We are constantly in autopilot from the time we wake up in the morning until the time we lay down for bed.

Whether its that 8 a.m. class or you have that dead end job that you love so much something is always seeming to take up your time that you could be using otherwise.

This list is designed to help you get back some of that time and to help you use it to become a better you.

1. Wake up an hour early

This is one that many successful people like Bill Gates, Oprah, Mark Zuckerberg and many others live by.

Waking up an hour earlier gives you that Me-Time that we all need from time to time. Some people use it to meditate while others use it to prepare themselves for the hectic day.

Whatever you do with your extra hour is up to you but one thing I know is that you’ll thank yourself for it.

2. Plan out your day and keep a to-do list

Planning out your day provides you with a roadmap for the day ahead and provides a little more structure in an otherwise crazy world.

Your to-do list is essential as well as long as you prioritize your list.

Have you ever had a day that kinda seemed like you were doing more and more and you were feeling more out of control of the day?

Have you had a day that seemed like there was nothing in the world to do?

Your action plan and to-do list will be there as a GPS to help you find your way through all the calamity and waste to help you save your most valuable resource: your time.

“Success is never getting to the bottom of your to-do list.” – Marissa Mayer

3. Plan time to analyze and evaluate your past and future actions

This should be done with the time you saved from your day plan and to-do list.

Taking out time to really get yourself together is one of the most important things you could do throughout your day.

When doing this you should self reflect and you should really be honest with yourself. Look to see what you have done to create the most pleasurable effects as well as the ones most unpleasurable effects.

This will help you spot where you are sabotaging yourself and your day.

This shouldn’t take more than 15-30 minutes, well unless you have done a lot of sabotaging.

4. Surround yourself with successful people

Remember the old saying: “Surround yourself with whom you want to become and you will become them.” Well that saying has some truth in it.

Ever wonder why successful people don’t have a lot of friends and the friends they do have are successful too?

Turns out that if you begin to hang out with people more successful than you then you will too begin to become more successful.

This isn’t magic or some scientific fact its from mere human contact and conversation.

If you and your successful friends are talking and they are telling you about their latest power moves and you don’t have any to talk about, the conversation will be short lived with you.

So have something to bring to the conversation and it will make you a better person.

5. Talk about ideas instead of people

This is another one that most successful people live by.

If you think about it all businesses, products, and inventions were created from the exchange of ideas between two or more successful people.

With that being said, if you spend most of your time talking about what the Joneses are up to or what Carl did yesterday no ideas are being exchanged and nothing is created, well except for resentment for the Joneses and Carl.

Talking about your ideas will refine and strengthen them.

This is essential on your path to becoming a better you.

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

6. Read something about a recent happening in your field of interest everyday

We have the world wide web at our fingertips and yet only a portion of us actually take advantage of it.

Whether its the bi-weekly and monthly magazines that you receive, the daily newspaper, or just surfing the web you should take time to read up on the latest happenings in your chosen field.

The world is changing at a very fast pace and once you’re behind it will be hard to get back in the know.

So impress your peers and higher ups with the knowledge you have on the recent changes in your field.

Besides it’ll make a better you.

7. Smile

Accepting stress in the world is second nature to us and its nothing to smile about.

New research provides us with the health and overall benefits of smiling and this gets interesting.

Smiling actually acts as an all natural stress reliever and it may help with your quest for a longer life.

Feeling down? Smiling will also boost your mood.

Smiling is contagious and your smile will brighten other people’s day.

Next time you’re feeling down smile because it will help in creating a better environment and a better you.

8. Volunteer

Giving some of your spare time for something better is a rewarding experience.

Whether its donating food to your local food bank or helping around your local businesses it will be much appreciated I guarantee it.

Volunteering has a two part benefit to you :

• It will provide you with something to put on your resume for college or a job and they take volunteering seriously.
• It can help you foster relationships with the business owners and people you volunteer for.
• It will provide you with a good reference for your next job or venture.

9. Find a mentor

Having a mentor is one of the best ways to become a better you.

Having someone who has already gone through what you are trying to do is a great way to get inside information.

Questions to ask a mentor would include:

• What do you think you could have done differently and why?
• What are some things you would recommend for an aspiring (fill in profession)?

Use these answers to help you through your process and use them to guide future decisions.

10. Set a goal and work towards it

Last but not least on your journey to becoming a better you, make sure to set some short and long term goals.

Nothing is more important than having goals and dreams in life but actually working towards them.

We all have fallen in to the old New Years Resolution trap and we never actually do what we say we are going to do.

Studies show that more than 50 percent of people who create a New Years Resolution will fail to complete it within 5 months.

You don’t want to become that person, so set some goals and work toward them and oh yeah by the way don’t forget to become a better you.