We don't always know ourselves well enough. In fact, most people don't know themselves very well at all. And even if we do try to know ourselves well enough to be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses, we don't necessarily like what we see. But being honest with yourself is necessary. We can't become the person we want to be until we know who we are. In this post, I'll share some tips for how to improve your self-awareness.
STEP 1: Start by Taking Inventory
When you think about your strengths, you usually don't notice much about your flaws. We tend to overlook or underestimate things we excel at. So instead of focusing on your weaknesses, start with your strengths.
Go through the following list of topics and write down which ones you feel good about and which ones you feel bad about:
• Your goals
• Your values
• Your priorities
• Your personality
• Your abilities
The process of self-awareness isn't easy. But once you start taking inventory of your strengths and weaknesses, you'll find that over time you'll become more comfortable being honest about your own qualities and your failings.
STEP 2: Get Feedback
No matter how hard we try to be honest with ourselves, there will always be a part of us that we don't like. You can't escape from your own flaws. But that doesn't mean you can't become more comfortable with them.
So the next step in becoming more self-aware is to get feedback. There are plenty of ways to do this. You could go to therapy or talk to a close friend or family member. A mentor or coach is another good option.
One of the best ways to get feedback is to participate in a coaching program. It'll allow you to practice being open and honest with yourself while receiving feedback from an expert.
I need a coach.