In one of my earlier posts, I explained that my focus for this year is personal growth and exploring how I can be a better version of myself. One of the key elements that I believe is essential to this journey is self awareness, as I tune into my thoughts and feelings and explore the why behind my actions.
Self-awareness is fundamentally about recognising the elements that form our unique selves, including our personality traits, convictions, emotions, thought processes, and actions. While we are not innately equipped with complete self-awareness, it is the first aspect of our self-concept that begins to develop.
As we mature, our understanding of ourselves deepens, enabling us to examine our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This introspection plays a significant role in shaping our perception of our distinct identities. It’s also important because there is a great belief that our thoughts influences our actions. We have to know what we’re thinking to address our behaviours and on the other hand, to understand our behaviours, we need to analyse our thoughts.
So hear are some strategies that I have learnt, that help to facilitate being more self aware:
1. Journaling: This is a powerful practice that involves cognitive reflection. By recording our thoughts and emotions, we gain insight into how our thoughts impact our feelings and behaviors. Through journaling, I’ve been able to identify my triggers, recognize what overwhelms me, and understand sources of stress and anxiety. This process serves a dual purpose: it helps me develop better emotional management skills while also revealing effective stress-relief strategies.
2. Goal Setting: Self-awareness empowers us to make choices that resonate with our values and aspirations. By identifying my core values and aspirations, I’ve been able to establish clear goals. This clarity allows me to focus on what I’m working toward and stay aligned with my purpose.
3. Learning New Skills: Involving myself in new activities has revealed my strengths and weaknesses, and also revealed to me how I handle challenges. I have recently decided to train for a 10k, and this is something I never thought I could do. A decade ago, completing a 5k was my proudest achievement. However, as I began my training, I realised I had significantly underestimated myself. Regularly running 5ks on weekends, albeit at a slow pace, revealed my potential. Recognizing areas for improvement, I’ve found it beneficial to create action plans for addressing challenges, enhancing my problem-solving abilities along the way.
Self-awareness has compelled me to confront my values, delve into my thoughts and emotions, and utilize this understanding to assess my actions and behavior. It also empowers me to clarify what I truly desire my actions to be.
I also see the concept of self-awareness within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a psychological theory that explains what motivates human behavior. Maslow proposed the concept of self-actualization within his hierarchy of needs. It is the realisation of our true potential and the journey toward becoming the best version of yourself. It involves constant self-improvement and striving for personal growth.
Our self-concept will always be developing and growing as we learn more about ourselves and in upskilling ourselves, our concept of self grows and develops. I would argue that we would never become fully self aware as our thoughts and beliefs will continually be evolving, particularly if we are committed to this journey of developing ourselves. Similar to how some would argue we will never achieve self-actualization due to our continuous growth. Arthur Ashe reminds us that "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." We should enjoy this journey of self discovery.
In essence, self-awareness is about tuning in to your inner world, which in turn helps you navigate the outer world with more confidence and clarity.
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