Self-awareness can be the difference between success and satisfaction versus failure and frustration. Here I'll give you insight on how to practice self awareness in your life and career.
Ever feel like you’re not sure where to go or what to do next?
I know the feeling.
My college and immediate post undergrad years were spent immersed in uncertainty. It wasn’t until I realized that in order to know what I wanted to do and how I wanted to live, I first had to know myself.
Self-awareness is a highly overlooked topic in our society. We ask students at a young age (just think for a second how young 18 actually is!) to make a career choice. We ask them “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?” For some of us, the aspiration to be a lawyer or a doctor has been a burning desire since elementary school, while the some of us just aren’t sure. As a result we end up trying a lot of different paths, throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks.
Truly successful people are not jacks-of-all-trades. Instead, they practice mastery above overload and hone their skills to be the best in their fields. In order to do this, they have to know themselves. Practicing self-awareness helps us do the same. Knowing yourself allows you to discover what you’ll enjoy based on what social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk calls “your DNA." Self-awareness helps you set goals and then be intentional in accomplishing them.
Many people think that self-awareness comes after trial and error. To some extent it does; however, when starting your career, you have to know yourself to be able to market yourself… and you have to market yourself in order to get a job.
Cover letters are easier to write when you know what you have to offer. Interviews become conversations when you’re confident in your abilities. Self-awareness can be the difference between success and satisfaction versus failure and frustration. But, it’s not an easy process. It takes reflection, discovery, assessment and sometimes coming to terms with things about ourselves that we’d rather not. But, hey, we need to keep a growth-mindset, right? Below are some questions that I asked myself when I took a deep-dive into self-awareness. The answers to these questions have helped me narrow my focus onto things that matter most to my life and career goals.
What do I enjoy doing without being asked?
What is most important to me?
What are my natural talents and strengths?
What strengths and skills have I had to develop?
What have be my greatest successes/accomplishments thus far?
Which skills and strengths have helped me achieve those accomplishments?
What experiences have I gone through or training have I had to develop these skills?
What have others told me I’m good at?
What am I not good at?
What really frustrates me?
What are my interests?
What and who makes me smile?
Who inspires me the most?
Are there any events or experiences that have been common threads throughout my life? How have they shaped who I am today?
What are my top 3 core values?
If I had to do a 10 minute Ted Talk, what would it be about?
What’s one thing that makes me special and unique?