The problem with self-improvement is knowing when to quit.

The problem with self improvement is knowing when to quit. – David Lee Roth

What do you want to improve? Finances, relationships, household repairs, car repairs, game playing, computer skills… It’s all at your local library, bookstore, or on the internet. Get busy!

What does that mean?
For me, that’s an easy question to answer: you stop when you are done improving, growing, and learning. In short, I’ll stop trying to improve myself when I’m ready to die. Until then, every day is another opportunity to learn and improve myself.

Given the nature of the person who said the quote, and the flippant nature of many of his comments, I would presume he was attempting to be funny with this quote. And to an extent, it is. But it is also a serious subject as well.

When do you quite improving? When you think you’re done. Are you ever going to be perfect? Nope. Will you ever achieve “good enough?” Probably. Will you be satisfied at that level, or will you want more? Or perhaps you will be done with that aspect of yourself, and begin working on other parts of yourself. The answer will be different for each of us.

Why is self-improvement important?  
Are you all you can be? Are you all you want to be? I suppose if you set your sights low enough, you could answer yes to both questions. But those questions are directed inward, and are easily diminished, diluted, or ignored by those who consider their present state “good enough.”

Instead, I would ask another question, one that is directed outwards. Are you able to give or help others in a manner that you are truly proud of, or is there room for improvement? I can easily come up with excuses and reasons why I’m good enough for me. But it’s harder to come up with excuses, much less reasons, for others.

To me, there is always room to improve. Sometimes we improve ourselves for our own benefit or amusement. Other times we do it for the benefit of others. But whether it’s our bodies, our minds, our skills or our spirits, there is always something that can be improved. What do you want to improve today?

Where can I apply this in my life?
The others you help could be your family, your friends, your social groups, or the world at large. If you were acting as the treasurer of a social group, could you contribute more (or better) if you took a class (or read a book) on accounting? Self improvement would help you help others, right?

I recently lost 30 pounds and am starting on an exercise and fitness program to help keep me in shape and healthy. Since my teenage boy took up Track & Cross Country running, he can now out-pace and out-distance me. That’s a first for me, and it isn’t sitting very well. 8)

I doubt I’ll catch up to him in either speed or endurance. But I do hope that improving my fitness level will help me stay healthier and stronger for a longer period of time. That is both for my sake and for the sake of my family. I know that at some point, I’ll be “good enough” at running, but I am certain that I’ll never be “good enough” to quit improving myself.

Take a moment and think about your life. From your viewpoint, what parts of your life are perfect, and what could use some improvement? With respect to your outside-yourself life, what parts of what you do for others is perfect? After you have that list put together, consider everything else in your life that could stand to be improved in some way shape or form.

OK, that was a little silly. You probably have some “good enough” aspects in your life, and your outside-yourself life. But I can’t imagine anyone could actually believe they were able to put down that they were perfect at anything, unless you were being a little silly?

So, what of the long list of things at which you could improve yourself is at the top of your list? Is it internal aspect, or something for how you work with others? What is the goal, and how will you know when you have achieved it? You might want to grab some paper and start making notes.

What steps are there between where you presently are and the end of the goal? Big steps, so that you get from here to there in a couple of steps. Each of those steps will have lots of sub steps, but get the high level view of where you’re going on paper.

For learning to play chess, it might be “get a chess board, find a chess club (real-world or online), find some chess software, get a book or two, practice, practice, practice!” Ok, that might have been a little simplistic, but you get the basic idea, right?

Take the first thing you will do, and break it down into smaller chunks, eventually into things you can do in a single step. For getting a chess board, you might want to look online for a couple different boards you like and can afford, then head down to a local game shop and see what they have (I prefer to support local stores when I can).

The last thing to do is to take the first step. It’s not real until you act, so get busy. Do the first thing, and build some momentum. It doesn’t have to be big, but it does have to happen. Tomorrow is not soon enough. Unless you’re ready to quit.

From: Twitter, @Aballatore
confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/davidleero382671.html
Photo by Casey Serin

Happy Birthday to David Lee Roth, aka Diamond Dave, born 10 October, 1954.