A man who acknowledges that he needs to improve himself, and makes conscious efforts towards it, is definitely a good man.

There is no particular point in life that gives us absolute satisfaction of being a better man; we live to always improve ourselves.

Being a better man and a better person, in general, is an endless challenge we must have to deal with for our sake and for our loved ones. So, here are five crucial hacks I’ve picked along my own journey:

Always stand by your word

Men who cheat, lie, steal, exaggerate or frequently fail to keep their word are the type of men who are less respected by others. The most respected of men are the ones who are direct; the ones who don’t exaggerate things they can’t do. As a man, going back on your word is one of the fastest ways to lose the respect of others.
Respected men have the motivation and courage to deliver what they promise. They promise what they can deliver. And of course, I’m sure you know it’s almost impossible to always keep your promises, but you can do better at keeping your promises by conscious habit tracking and goal setting – consciously observe your ability to keep your promises.
As important and as respectful as it is to keep your word, it is likewise respectful and smart, to be honest about what you can’t actually do – just be direct.

Volunteer to lead more often

The more effort you put into being a better man, the more those around you will naturally and unknowingly begin to look to you to make most of the decisions. You become the one they what to lean on, someone they can surely rely on. Your actions and words become a source of motivation to others, and maybe others you aren’t even aware of. At some point, you might become a source of stress management for your spouses, kids, friends, and even colleagues – the pillar of strength.
To lead people isn’t the same as bossing them around. You must be a habit tracker, goal tracker, and be able to engage those looking up to you in goal setting. You should strive to be a source of motivation to those you lead.
A man is naturally a leader, whether he knows it or not.

Success or Failure; take full responsibility

Complaining, whining, and self-victimization is habits common in the least respected men. They blame their boss, the nature of their work, the government, their business competitors, and almost everyone around them for things they fail to achieve in life. They lack proper stress management and self-motivation.
Meanwhile, men held in high regard and are well respected are the ones who suck it up and take full responsibility for their own failures and successes. They are goal trackers and goal getters. They have accepted that success doesn’t come through without putting in enough work. They have the motivation to really go for what they want in life.
Excuses and whining only give more strength to shortcomings and challenges. Start seeking for solutions instead.

Take control over your emotions; stress management

Stress management has a lot to do with emotional control. As a man, losing control over your emotions is one of the quickest ways to look less reliable and confident. Emotional control is a major challenge for most; for both men and women. Most times people naturally respect what they can’t find in themselves. They can’t look up to you if you always flare up at each slightest provocation.
Being a better man has a lot to do with controlling your feelings even when the emotion of a situation is so much.
We are meant to hold a higher EQ as men, but we aren’t robots. We must identify and occasionally seek things that help our stress management. Things that give us the motivation to push forward and be strong for our loved ones.

Plan for the Future

Always thinking about the future is one thing, making plans of action is another thing. Living in the moment is quite important, but failure to properly plan for the future is going to hurt more moments in the future, then, your future moments will be a combination of unfulfilled dreams.
Planning for the future requires that you become an intentional goal tracker. You should be able to involve in habit tracking and self-motivation.
On the long-run, nobody wants to be stuck with a man who is more interested in living for the moment alone, without a realizable long-term plan/goal.
You are a good man, just never stop to do better.