It’s so easy to feel overwhelmed by what’s happening in the world and your life, by all the people you encounter, and by all the stuff happening around you.
You can really lose yourself sometimes.
But a strong self-awareness keeps you grounded with a healthy perspective. It keeps you in the right mindset to succeed and to maintain happiness. In fact, some experts say it’s one of the most important characteristics we can develop.
Sounds great, you might say. But what’s this all-important “self-awareness” – and how do you get it?
- Simply put, self-awareness means have a good understanding of your emotions, values, patterns of behavior, and how others see you.
- It means you appreciate what you bring to the table, and what others see when you get there.
- And it allows you to understand what you want and then match your actions to your desires in healthy, productive ways.
Being self-aware lets you focus on what really matters, despite the hurricane of life happening around you. When you truly understand and appreciate who you are, why you do what you do, then you have clarity to see through the maelstrom to what’s important. It also lets you help other people more effectively, because you’re certain of your intentions and the effect you have (and DON’T have) on them.
True self-awareness has layers that can take a lifetime to understand. But generally speaking, here are some guidelines to get you thinking in the right direction.
- Know what you want, based on your gut and on your values.
- Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself for them.
- Seek constructive criticism from well-chosen sources who can help.
- Identify your top skills and, just as importantly, those you lack.
- Reflect daily on what you’ve done and how you feel about it. Look for patterns in your words, thoughts, and actions.
Now, think for a moment about all of this — your healthy lifestyle goals, strengths, weaknesses, and patterns of behavior…
What do you see? Please hit reply and let me know!
