Maslow's Hierarchy of needs shows us what parts of our lives we have under control, and which we do not. If your goal is to improve yourself, you can find a lot of insight in a simple picture of a pyramid.
Lets go through the goals you can have here to help you progress up the ladder.
First off the physiological tier:
The first possible goal one can have is to be alive. If you are currently alive and reading this, you have accomplished it already. If you are in danger, you would not be reading this here and now.
That being said, to stay alive you need air, water, shelter, food, and rest, in that order. Listen to your body and you will know which you need. Move your body around to get closer to these things, and you will accomplish those goals.
Next the safety tier:
The second goal you can have is to keep these things consistently without having to fight for your survival all the time, in other words, security. Again if you do not have this goal accomplished you most likely are not yet reading this book.
That being said, to have security you must have a constant source of the above needs. Air comes free if you are outside. Water is usually free depending on where you are, but make sure it is a safe source. Shelter must be created or found or bought. Your individual context will vary greatly here. Food must also be created, found, or bought in the same way. Rest comes easily after having found shelter and accomplished your other goals.
What may not have been obvious is that the second goals (securing your physical needs permanently) almost always require other people in order to accomplish. Interpersonal communication is required for your life to improve beyond basic survival, especially when you need food or shelter in a civilized society. Help others with their needs and they will help you. Do your job and get paid. It is very simple.
This brings us nicely to the love/belonging tier:
By helping others you create a atmosphere of trust between you. Both of you know that you have each others best interests in mind, and you know that the other person will always help you if they can.
That being said, resist the urge to take advantage of other people who help you. This is easily possible to do, but it will cap your growth very early on. If you take advantage of someone, they will no longer help you freely, and you will be alone again searching for survival without any security. Keep your security of safety and survival no matter what. If you find a new way to be secure and survive, then try it, but do not hurt other people to get there. You will lose all your progress in the 3rd tier.
This brings us to the place where most people live. In a society of other people, working together for the common good. Laws have most likely been placed by people to ensure your safety and access to security and survival. Following these laws gives you a lifestyle made by the community.
By following the lifestyle made by the community you have a sense of being a part of the culture. Belongingness. The culture is a part of you. Your moral code is defined by the culture. What you think is good or bad is defined by the culture. How you grew up was defined by the culture. Everything about you was defined by this culture long before you were born.
On to the next tier, esteem:
The next goal is to then take control of your life back from your culture. To become your own person, with your own goals. Following your own moral code, while still remaining in the society that guarantees your basic survival needs.
You must do what is expected of you in the society, or people will think you are trying not to be a part of their society, which may put strain on your relationships. As we discussed before, this will not help you in your goals.
What you must do is set up a routine to habitually complete your cultural requirements, while giving yourself time to work on your own projects. Depending on your context you can do both at the same time, and this is obviously more efficient.
The reason the routine is still first, is that you must take care of yourself. Your safety and security are your basic goals regardless of what your personal goals are. Do not hurt yourself trying to figure out what you want. Take your time. Relax and be part of society for a while. Once you have that part of your life figured out, you can progress.
When your routine is set up, and not before, you must seriously look at your life and your goals. Determine what is important to you. Determine what feelings and thoughts you have are set by your culture, and which are set by you.
Outwardly, you must follow society. Inwardly, you must do no such thing. You must do what is required of you for others, even a little extra at times, if you want to be a good person. You must do what is required of you for yourself, to further your own goals, if you want to be a great person.
Onto the final tier, Actualization:
If you have desires and are unsatisfied with your current ability to achieve them, things are in your way. Excuses, reasons, nature itself. Whatever it is that is between you and your goals. Most likely it is the culture or the requirements your life already has that are preventing you from moving forward.
What do you want to do as an individual person?
First of all you want a goal, don't you? You want to do something. You want to achieve something that matters to you. You want to improve your situation or self. Whatever your specific contextual goal is, you want to improve or do something.
So, having said this, it does not matter what your goals are. The path to improvement without context is meant for you to lay on top of your life and see improvements regardless of what your goals are.