# What do you do - or try to do - most every day toward self improvement? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2020, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708 "2020-10-11T11:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/1 "2020-10-11T11:15:30Z")
There are not enough hours in the day. Or maybe there is too much television and internet in my day. Anyway, I’ve been pretty good on two fronts: I walk at least a mile most days, and I play the piano for a half hour every day without fail. I also fast from 8 pm to 12 noon and maintain my carb intake to \<20 grams/day. Whatta ya got? mmm ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/2 "2020-10-11T11:21:59Z")
Do something that brings me peace or makes me happy. I need small moments of those in my day to counteract the insanity that is the outer world these days. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/3 "2020-10-11T13:22:59Z")
A couple of years ago, I started making a real effort to eat better and cut out snacky stuff. It’s worked - I’ve dropped over 90# and my knees no longer bother me - go figure! Up until a few weeks ago, I was walking 2-3 miles at least 4 or 5 times a week, but a combination of weather and having work done around the house (painters and new flooring) messed up that routine. Now that they’re done, I intend to walk again. I’d like to get a treadmill so I can walk in the basement regardless of weather or schedule - we’ll see what Craigslist serves up. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/4 "2020-10-11T18:30:14Z")
I read history books on my smartphone during work-breaks and lunch, every workday. Good old-fashioned history, from Babylon to Guadalcanal, from Caesar to Martin Luther. Educational and entertaining both! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/5 "2020-10-11T20:11:30Z")
Eat properly and maintain high productivity at work (despite y’all trying to undermine me all the time on that second thing). 🧐 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/6 "2020-10-11T20:52:50Z")
I’m losing weight. I’m learning to play the cello. I’m learning Italian. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/7 "2020-10-11T23:07:58Z")
Play music. Upright bass and clawhammer banjo. That and walk the dog. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/8 "2020-10-11T23:09:28Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I’d like to get a treadmill so I can walk in the basement Can I offer you some advice about this before you buy a treadmill? ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2020, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/9 "2020-10-11T23:19:29Z")
ETA my self improvement is a daily inner monologue mantra, “Vaderling is growing up and in a few short years will be on his own, it’s ok to give him a little leeway to fall down and mess up right now while you can still protect him from the worst of the consequences or help him learn and recover from them” ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/10 "2020-10-12T08:23:35Z")
I don’t mean to derail this thread, but how do you manage to keep your carbs so low? What do you mainly eat? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/11 "2020-10-12T09:45:46Z")
Lunch is always salad (or skipped). Dinner is whatever I made on the weekend,5 days worth - low carb soup this week. Often seasoned beef for “taco” salad, brats and onions/peppers, chicken/beef/pork. Sometimes an omelette. Egg salad. Heartier salad (ham, cheese, egg), or some other low carb recipe I find online using air fryer, Instant Pot, or slow cooker. Stuffed peppers with cauliflower “rice” was memorably tasty. Snacks - which I try to limit, are usually cheese sticks, beef sticks, or cream cheese ham or salami rolls. Started 1/1/2020. ETA: I forgot weekends. Usually chicken wings w/blue cheese dressing or chef or cobb salad. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/12 "2020-10-12T11:58:43Z")
I give you a lot of credit! 🙂 I’d never have the discipline to stick with that. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/13 "2020-10-12T15:18:15Z")
I walk 4-6 miles/day. Sometimes even more. I no longer eat between meals. I’ve cut way back on sweet treats like candy, cookies, etc. I allow myself one sweet treat after each meal. I brush AND floss after dinner every day. That really helps with not snacking during the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Theodore-Striker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Theodore-Striker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theodore-Striker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-or-try-to-do-most-every-day-toward-self-improvement/922708/14 "2020-10-12T18:34:55Z")
I try to read about something I don’t necessarily know well, or find a deeper knowledge about something I do, even if it is trivial knowledge. The articles on Longreads are great for this. I try to make sure I say thank you to someone every day, I think it helps us both feel better. I try to take myself less seriously and less self-critically. I used to make mile long “to-do” lists, and get mad at myself and everyone else for not getting them done. Most things just aren’t worth that.