Improving self esteem is best done by choosing a "Persistent Achiever" mindset - every time.

The ways of improving self esteem described on this page begin with a persistent achiever mindset. This is a key in how to build high self esteem and in developing self esteem that is self-sustaining. In addition, you may choose to use some self hypnosis techniques.

What does "Persistent Achiever" mean in terms of improving self esteem?

Well, its a term I use to describe a mindset and behaviour pattern that are essential to improve self esteem.

Persistent - never give up. Keep going, especially when faced with obstacles (improving self esteem will need such determination and self discipline).

Achiever - deliver results. It's not enough to talk about achieving or to just dream of success. Do it, take action, be in control (e.g. commit to doing the self esteem building activities continuously).

Why bother?

Take a look around. Thoreau said, "MOST men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them".

It's impossible to know how much un-realised potential there is, of course.

So, it has to get personal - is YOUR song still inside YOU?

40,000+ searches in Google for self improvement per month indicate to me that we are wasting an awful lot of talent.

Apart from these bigger picture benefits though, there is one other major reason for bothering in my experience.

And that is that being a persistent achiever is a great way for improving self esteem.

That's been my experience.

Think about it this way. Let's say that you become aware of some low self esteem signs or someone else points them out to you.

What to do?

Well, whilst paying attention to developing self esteem directly may be a smart thing to do (e.g. for you), sometimes for some people (like me), it doesn't work as well as you might expect.

Why is that?

For me, focusing on improving self esteem seemed to put negative messages into my conscious and unconscious minds (e.g. I have low esteem; I can't do that because of my low esteem).

I think these then became a self fulfilling prophecy.

That is, I told my unconscious mind that I had low self esteem and, in a way, programmed it to achieve perceived low self esteem.

I found an alternative that worked a lot better for me.

Choose to persevere with positive action that gets results.

This meant that I was constantly achieving things, not giving up easily (or at all), and delivering results (some good, some not so good).

In practice, I found myself saying to myself, "well done. That's great", very often and mentally celebrating success a lot (rather than telling myself I had low self esteem a lot).

I believe that this became a habit and led me to expect to succeed.

That is, just as having low esteem in focus may cause it to become a self-fulfilling prophecy, so, I found, that having success in focus became self-fulfilling too.

This approach is also supported by my values and beliefs, and by practical skills such as time management and working through the change curve.

(click here if you wish to know more about, "Who am I?", and some background information).


Ok, so how do you do improving self esteem by being a persistent achiever?

I think that will probably be different for different people, depending on many variables, including how they think.

The essence of improving self esteem for me is to get into the habit of thinking with APIC

That is, in any situation:

* Analyse what's going on, what you want to achieve etc.

* Plan how to achieve; set goals; create targets; make explicit what SHOULD happen

* Implement - just do it in line with your planning, modifying your behaviour as circumstances require; be clear what's ACTUALLY happening

* Control - check your results against your plan.

That is, compare actual and should for feedback about success, shortfalls, learning etc.

This has become such a habit that I apply this approach, most of the time, to everything I do.

In practice, this means thinking about the micro and the macro simultaneously - which is whole brain thinking, of course, and matches my PROFILE

So, in macro terms, I have my five key goals (expressed in SMART terms), and I monitor my progress using APIC.

Often, though, I find myself setting myself short-term targets that will move me towards my macro goals and help me in improving self esteem.

For example, I have a macro goal to have this website up and running by the end of this year.

I have set myself a short term target, though, which is to have this page finished by lunchtime today (despite any interruptions or distractions).

And when I have, I will have a great sense of achievement.

So, I will say to myself, "well done" (both at lunchtime today and at the end of the year)

In addition, I am now in the habit of setting myself micro targets in any situation.

For example, I may be driving to Glasgow - a 300 mile, 4 hours trip - and, to make it tolerable, I often say to myself, "I'll get to junction 30 on the M6 by 5.30am".

Also, we have a cat, Sally, who is nearing 17 and has some medical problems.

It would be understandable to be negatively affected by having to give her medication every day; feed her frequently through the night; and deal with her periodic vomiting.

For me, and as one of my ways to improve self esteem, it has to be turned into an achievement, so I think about it as a victory to have helped Sally enjoy another sick-free day and I say, "well done".

I find that having many small targets (goals) that I achieve is great for improving self esteem and is very motivating - these "little victories" really add up.

Get the idea?

A key point about improving self esteem to finish with:

this is NOT about setting easy targets that you can achieve without really trying or stretching.

I ask myself what should happen here? - I should get to junction 30 by 5.35am.

The short term target I then set is a stretch on that - in this example, 5.30am, 5 minutes earlier.

When I achieve it, the, "well done", is genuinely deserved.

Choosing achievement and perseverance is great - try it; learn; persevere until it becomes a habit.

Click here for some inspiring perseverance quotes to stimulate your thinking in improving self esteem.

Choose to be a habitual Persistent Achiever and boost your self esteem, accelerate your self improvement and be in control - you'll enjoy it.
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