You are perfect just the way you are! Now that I am a Nana to some pretty spectacular grand-daughters, this is a sentiment that I express on a regular basis. And I absolutely mean it. Those girls are perfection and I will never believe otherwise. Just ask them! You may get a bit of an eye roll from the teenager but no argument that their Nana is their number one fan! Biased? You bet.

For the most part though, we all know that perfection is in reality a myth. Even if seemingly achieved for a moment, it is illusive, interpretive and does not serve us as an ideal.

It’s certainly not true for me. I am constantly looking (and finding!) ways to improve myself. My focus and lens then remains with possibilities. I want to know that I am continuously moving into my growing potential. One of my favorite quotes speaks to this and comes from Emily Dickinson: “Dwell in possibility.” This is a truly fantastic way to live; to see the world and ourselves.

Did you know that September is self-improvement month? A perfect time for us to pause and create a plan for that pursuit of possibilities. With that said, where do we begin? Allow me to offer a thought to help. Don’t make a list. Don’t start there. That simply does not work. We can quickly become overwhelmed and start thinking in probabilities instead of possibilities.

Instead choose one area of your life where you want to see growth and change. It can be a personal discipline, a relationship, a skill. But choose one and begin there. Just focus there. Then choose one immediate action you can take and one continuous habit you can develop over time. One target, two action plans. Begin there.

That’s the “secret sauce” if there is any. Skip the analysis on this one and go right with your instinct and pick one. Because the good news is that you’ll be able to pick another one. And quickly! So don’t worry about whether or not it’s the “right” choice. Just make “a” choice and get started.

Continuous self-improvement is our fuel in any month. That is because the only motivation in life that works every time is this: Progress. So let’s create some progress. And with that, we are creating our own internal fire and motivation for more. And we are well on our way to realizing those possibilities!

Live (improve) today like you want tomorrow to be. Live (improve) well!