How well do you know yourself?

We have a remarkable ability to recognise our own thoughts, feelings and behaviours. We often move from job to job and house to house but forget that we occupy only one body and mind.

“Self-awareness is a key to self-mastery.”

- Gretchen Rubin

Self-awareness is the foundation for any kind of growth or personal development. It's like building a house! Would you build a house on a weak foundation? Obviously not - you would be in constant fear that it would be unstable or worse, collapse.

When you begin to feel this sense of lack or going through waves of feeling stagnated, it's often because your awareness isn't strong enough to foster a transformation in your life. 

It starts with you and what you're looking to achieve. Do you feel like there is an area in your life that you would like to improve? You may be wanting to enhance your health and wellness, or you're hoping to excel in your field or career. Sometimes you may be looking to retain your talent after taking maternity leave, or perhaps you're aiming to set up a new business.

Well with whatever goal, you're always expected to assess yourself before making those important decisions. We've all been asked to define our strengths and weaknesses, especially in an interview, or write a self-appraisal to evaluate our performance. I can tell you... People struggle with that.

Self-awareness goes far beyond just knowing yourself. It's also knowing how your thoughts, feelings and behaviours affect others. Knowing this can be a stepping stone in the right direction, as you come to understand where your real areas of improvement are. 

For example, when a client of mine began setting up her business, she knew that she loved learning, development and transformation. She had a passion for people and was exceptional with strategy and sales, but more so building those connections with others. 

But during our consultation, I came to realise that she was not naturally good at processing and planning. If she didn’t have that awareness, she couldn’t have addressed how to set up a successful business. Fortunately, she realised that it would be cost-effective to bring in someone who was research and process-driven to support her from day one. 

One of the successful tools that I use with my clients is the scientific psychometric tool because of how accurate the results are. After performing the test, my client gained a valuable perspective for both herself and her business. 

Often, when you take a deeper look at what may be lacking, you’re setting yourself up for success by compensating, learning and choosing to develop. It's incredibly rewarding in the long run and taking the time and effort to work on yourself may place you steps ahead in your journey.  

That’s where the purpose of a coach comes in, someone who is able to make you reflect internally and find a firm foundation. A firm foundation means a keen sense of self-awareness, and that's all that's needed to make a good start. 

My best advice to you is: invest in your self-awareness, invest in your future.