Do you avoid self-improvement?  Do you think… "I’ll get to that when I have some time?" Do you think… "I don’t need self-improvement?"

Consider this. According to Wikipedia, the self-improvement market is worth over $9 billion. Yes, BILLION! I think what that says is that plenty of people are focused on self-improvement. Some of them are most likely your colleagues and competitors. 

So, be honest with yourself… Why do you avoid self-improvement? Here are 4 reasons from the blog Pick The Brain, that will probably resonate with a few lawyers.

"1. You have too much pride. One of the most common things that hinders our self-improvement is that we have too much pride and arrogance. This is because the word “self-improvement” often implies that there are areas of our life where we aren’t fully satisfied or happy with (or, at the very least, where we think we can do better). So, to some extent, “self improvement” means that we have to admit that we can do better than our current situation – even if this temporarily hurts our egos. You can overcome this by recognizing that no one is perfect, and everyone can improve themselves in different ways.

2. You think there will always be tomorrow. Another problem we face when pursuing self-improvement is that we have a false belief that there will always be tomorrow. So instead of working to make changes today, we procrastinate and hold off on our goals and dreams. Unfortunately, if we keep following this pattern, then one day we may wake up and realize our whole life has passed us by, but we never got a chance to do the things that we really wanted to do. The lesson here is not to wait, but to act now. Don’t let time just pass you by.

3. You believe you need to change everything overnight. One of the main things I warn people about in The Science of Self Improvement is the “myth of overnight success.” We either expect big and immediate changes in our life – or nothing at all. So when things don’t magically get better in a short period of time, we quickly lose our commitment and dedication toward making gradual positive changes. This is a common trap to fall into, because self-improvement is often small and incremental. We need to work at it for long periods of time before we can look back and see how big of a difference we’ve made. Instead of searching for magical solutions to your life, focus on small and gradual change. Try to make a bit of progress each and everyday, but realize it’s a long-term commitment.

4. You say you are “too busy." Last but not least, one of the most common excuses we have is that we are “too busy.” You want to go to the gym and exercise again, but you just can’t find the time, because you’re too busy running around at work, at home, at school, or doing other errands. Sure, life can be busy (there’s no denying that), but when you find yourself “too busy” that’s really a sign that you need to reevaluate your priorities. “Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.

There will always be excuses. The question is whether you choose to continue to listen to them. I can tell you, I have listened to many of the excuses in my head… but when I ignored them and went forward anyway, and accomplished the task… I could have kicked myself for not embracing that self-improvement sooner. It was never as hard as my procrastination-self thought it would be. So, what are YOU waiting for?