By JOHNNY CARCIOPPOLO / Community Columnist

We are in the final week of our Self-Improvement Tips and will wind it up with tips 21-30. Everyone wants to be the best they can be. By following these tips, you are well on your way to a more balanced, focused, energized life. When you feel balanced, you’ll feel better about yourself and everything else around you.

21. Shut down and unplug. Take time off from technology and unplug from your social devices. If you want to be a better you, you need connections – real life connections. You need to see faces and hear voices and so do other people. Take the initiative and plan a real-life coffee date.
22. Pick and choose your time. Only you can schedule your time productively. If you choose to scroll on Facebook or to stay up late and oversleep in the morning, the results will be an unfocused and unproductive life. Choose and schedule your time carefully and reap the positive benefits.
23. Set attainable goals. If you set your sights too high, you are more likely to fail. It’s OK to have one big goal, but break it into smaller attainable goals to work toward. Completing these smaller goals will keep you motivated no matter how long it takes you to reach the final big goal.
24. Grab an accountability partner. When you set a new goal, it’s important to let people know about it. It’s also important to obtain an accountability partner. When you know you have to answer to your accountability partner and that others are watching your progress, you will work that much harder so you don’t disappoint anyone, including yourself.
25. Learn the power of no. Learn how to say no; while difficult at first, it gets easier with time. Saying no frees you up to do what is necessary for a healthy, productive life.
26. Incorporate health routines. Never forget the importance of health routines. Keeping fit is your responsibility and it doesn’t have to be 60 hours of cardio or 100 pounds of weightlifting. A simple power walk will suffice, but do it daily and stick to it.
27. Pay attention to what you eat. You only have one body. How you feed it is up to you. A happy body needs the proper nutrients for brain power and health. Avoid foods that only drag the body down. When you eat right, you feel great.
28. Pay attention to how you eat. It’s just as important to pay attention to how you eat as it is to what you eat. Take your time, slow down and eat sitting down. Try not to talk while eating. Take a few minutes to digest after eating. While it is the practice of today’s society to “do lunch,” it’s important to breathe right and eat right for proper digestion.
29. Take a time out. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths a few times a day, even if you have to go out to your car or take a bathroom break. A few minutes of deep breathing and relaxation can reset your mindset for the rest of the day.
30. Get the proper rest. Lack of sleep can make you feel bad and have negative thoughts. If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, consider taking a power nap during the day. Even 15 minutes can reset your mood, creativity and your focus. Set your alarm for 15 minutes and watch how much more energized you will feel afterward.