The idea of self-help has been around for centuries.
"Know Thyself," said Socrates, dating back to the times of Ancient Greece, referring to the fact that our lives are a journey with the mission of getting to know ourselves. Once we grasp the good and the bad, we can actively work on becoming whoever we want to be.
It starts with understanding.
This journey of working on yourself is a bit of a rage these days. There are endless concepts to get involved in, from essentialism and minimalism to protein shakes and atomic habits, and it can be a real challenge to know where to begin.
If you've found yourself lost, constantly jumping from idea to idea of how to better your life, this guide is here to make things a little simpler.
Because this journey of working on yourself doesn't have to be confusing. It's hard and takes a lot of effort, sure, but the fundamentals aren't so out there.
Let's get into it.
Why you need to work on yourself continually
Two reasons.
First, if you want to live the life you want to live, achieve your goals, and live to a standard you're content with, you need to work to get there.
Sometimes, you'll win at what you aim for, and sometimes, you'll lose. However, progress comes from understanding why you win and lose. You're unique in terms of your perspective, your history and experiences, and who you are, so there's no textbook that will teach you what you need to know.
You need to take time to "know thyself" and through the process of understanding yourself and what makes you, you, you'll have the information you need to build whatever life you want.
Secondly, we live in a world our minds aren't evolved for. We surround ourselves with social media, global cuisines, smartphones, VR, dating apps, and AI, but our brains still operate as though we're living in caves and gathering berries for survival.
Consider why we binge on food.
In the wild, our ancestors never knew when to get their next meal, so they'd hunt and gather what they could, stocking up to survive.
Today, we know where our food comes from—our fridges are full, and supermarkets and delivery services are readily available. Yet our instinctive minds still operate on old hardware, telling us to eat what we can when we can.
That's why high-calorie foods look and taste so appealing.
But we don't need to overindulge.
Instead, we need to work toward personal growth, identifying what we truly need, optimizing elements of our lives, and ensuring we're equipped for this ever-changing modern world.
In this light, bettering yourself can be a way to balance both the journey inwards into you, and to surviving the external pressures and influences of the outside world and life itself.
Common obstacles in self-improvement
With all this in mind, the question now becomes simple.
What's stopping you from building the life you want to live?
There's a lot of potential symptoms here that most people try to focus on. Lack of motivation, not finding enough time, not having the right guidance, perhaps fear of the unknown.
But the truth is, you're a collection of your past experiences, and how you are today relates to everything you've experienced up until now.
For example, let's say you spend way too much time on social media. More than you'd like anyway, and it's stopping you from working on your passion projects, applying for those new jobs, and essentially getting on with your life.
Why is this?
Well, addictive apps and laziness may play a role, but there's a deeper, underlying problem.
In most cases, any form of excessive activity is a form of addiction, and this stems from an underlying problem that you're trying to soothe and have found whatever it is you're "addicted" to to be the cure.
Maybe you have a lot of difficult feelings you're dealing with. Maybe you're full of shame or guilt about where you are in your life right now. Maybe your relationship is really difficult, or you're really lonely.
These are really challenging concepts to deal with, so instead, you don't process them, but you use social media excessively.
That's why when you have a shower or go to sleep, your mind starts flooding with all these thoughts, feelings, and emotions. You've finally given yourself a break to feel, so they all come flooding out at once.
Uncomfortably so.
The main challenge to overcome on this journey is figuring out what's going on behind the scenes, figuring out why it's there, and then processing everything that comes with it.
How you go about this is up to you.
You may like to try psychotherapy if you're dealing with behaviors you've been trying to "fix" for years. Using a mentor or coach may be another approach. You can even do it yourself, but it's quite tricky because you're blind to a lot of things about who you are.
It's the human condition.
Regardless of your approach, what you're trying to do is to look at your behaviours and patterns, and try to figure out the meaning behind them. Really observe what you do and ask why you do it.
There's always a reason deep within. You'll need to train yourself to listen to it.
Maybe you want a promotion or to switch to a more fulfilling career, but you're not taking the steps you want to take to get there.
What's going on there?
Are you fearful of failure? Rejection? Don't believe in yourself? Don't have the skills?
Ask whether it's really a switch you want to make. Are you doing it for you, or did your parents say it was a good idea when you were younger? Perhaps a partner is pressuring you into it?
Maybe you had a lot of failed attempts at something earlier in your life, and you never processed the guilt and shame that came with it.
Once you've found what's going on, the feelings or beliefs you hold towards the problem, you then need to figure out whether the belief or behavior still serves you today. Maybe at the time being that way is what you needed.
Now, years later, a new approach is needed, and it's time to let that belief go.
Tell yourself this honestly and openly, and then you start developing a new way of being.
The role of mentorship in personal growth
Ever heard the saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know?"
Guidance and mentorship are vital cornerstones of self-enhancement. Again, it's very difficult for you to see what's going on beneath the surface of you because you are you. You are nuanced in a way that just seems like nothing, but someone else may be able to see so clearly.
MentorCruise understands the impact that mentorship can make on personal development. We've created a space where individuals can connect with experienced mentors across various subjects and industries.
The result?
Accelerated personal growth coupled with measurable outcomes.
Consider this inspiring testimonial from one of our mentees:
"I decided to try MentorCruise to push my career growth. With my mentor's guidance, I have become more decisive and focused and feel confident in my journey like never before." - Sarah P.
Conclusion
Working on yourself isn't about following trendy self-help formulas—it's about honest self-reflection and understanding the "why" behind your behaviors.
Despite what the trends may say.
What's more, progress isn't linear, and that's why having a guide can be transformative. A mentor provides the perspective and accountability that makes the difference between spinning your wheels and making genuine progress.
At MentorCruise, we connect you with experienced professionals who can help illuminate your blind spots and navigate this journey more effectively.
Whatever your approach, start small. Pick one area where you feel stuck and approach it with curiosity rather than judgment.
Your dream life isn't built overnight, but with each honest step toward understanding yourself better, you're creating something authentic and meaningful. That's what truly matters—and sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply begin.