Eight Self Awareness Practices for Greater Fulfillment and Success
Do you think you're self aware?
You probably said yes, right? Most people do.
Yet - despite more than 95% of people claiming self awareness - only 10-15% of people are actually self aware. Tasha Eurich, an organizational psychologist and author on the subject, puts it bluntly. She says “this means that - on a good day - about 80% of people are lying about themselves, to themselves.”
A Cornell University research study took a closer look at self-awareness, finding it to be a key indicator of success among more than 70 executives and large public and private companies.
So what is self awareness?
Self awareness is… our ability to perceive and understand the things that make us who we are as individuals including our personality, actions, values, beliefs, emotions and thoughts. It means we can objectively evaluate ourselves, manage our emotions, align our behavior with your values, and understand correctly how others perceive us.
When we’re self aware, ultimately we’re more confident, creative, better at decision making, build stronger relationships, communicate more effectively, and find ourselves doing work that’s more fulfilling. Self awareness is a key skill in business success - but developing the skill is overlooked by so many.
Here are eight self awareness practices that you can start today to improve your self awareness.
Take Time for Self Reflection: Take time to evaluate your own thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions. When you’re in a cycle of self-evaluation, you’ll garner valuable insights into your own behaviors and what makes you think and do the things you do.
Listen to Feedback: Feedback - constructive or not - can be hard to hear, especially when we’re not prepared for it. But both positive and negative constructive criticism can offer valuable perspectives and help you understand how you’re perceived by others.
Feel Those Emotions: Take time to name your emotions as you feel them, and listen to your body’s reaction to each emotion as it comes up. You’ll start to notice patterns of emotional responses and triggers and recognize how they influence your behavior and actions. If you’re working on improving your emotional intelligence (EQ), consider keeping a journal with you for a few days. Track each emotion as you feel it. If you can’t name it, look it up. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown is a great resource for emotional identification.
Adopt a Practice of Mindfulness: Stop living life on autopilot! Take time to quiet the mind and live in the present moment. Taking time to quiet the mind opens doors into creativity, better problem-solving, and yes - you guessed it, better self awareness!
Stop Comparing Yourself to Others: Constantly comparing yourself to others can lead to a distorted self-perception. Your journey is unique, and measuring your self-worth against others leads to self-deprecation and a lack of self awareness.
Set Better Boundaries: Avoid overcommitment and burnout by setting and maintaining personal boundaries. Understanding your limits, and knowing how to communicate those limits to others, is an important part of truly understanding the self.
Know Your Values - and Live Within Them: What are the core values that drive all of your thoughts and behaviors? Recognize them, and align your actions with your values. When you act in a way that contradicts your core values, you’re likely to experience internal conflict and self confusion.
Ask What Instead of Why: A key finding in Tasha Eurich’s research is that asking ourselves why we did something leads to explanations and excuses created by the mind and focuses our attention on unproductive patterns of the past. Alternately, asking what questions helps us stay objective, future-focused, and empowered to act.
With greater self awareness we find greater fulfillment in life. Follow these eight steps, and you’re likely to see enhanced self-expression, resilience in the face of challenges, clarity of your goals and values, and increased self-acceptance.
What’s one thing you can do today to improve your self awareness?
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