Self-awareness and integrity are intertwined—and both are critical to your career success. Being self-aware allows you to objectively look at yourself in a way that makes you the best kind of leader! You understand how others view you; you are accountable; you’re empathetic. All of which allows you to lead with integrity at work and gain the respect of your clients and colleagues.
Those who are self-aware are able to identify their shortfalls and weaknesses more quickly. They’re also more confident because they are clear and secure in their abilities. Most have developed a growth mindset to close any gaps they may be aware of. Overall, these abilities and traits lead to healthier reactions to adversity and challenges. And it allows them to operate with integrity because they are so sure in their values, who they are, and what they feel is right.
So, are you self-aware? Today, we’re going to lead you on that journey to find out, as well as provide some tools to build your self-awareness intentionally!
Questions to Ask Yourself to Tell If You Are Self-Aware
To start on your journey to ultimate self-awareness, it’s important to gauge if you are actually self-aware at all. Many people think they are. But once they dig deeper, they realize the expanse of self-work they actually have to do! So, if you’re in that boat, you are not alone.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- In what environments do you thrive? Why is that?
- What feelings arise when you’re brought outside your comfort zone?
- Are you defensive, or do you own up to your mistakes?
- Can you identify your personal strengths and weaknesses? How do they show up in your daily life?
- What is your driving force, your why?
- What is your leadership style?
- What are the limiting beliefs that have held you back in the past and that are currently holding you back?
- How do you react when you get constructive criticism?
- What fulfills you, and what does ultimate fulfillment look like to you?
Realizing You’re Not Very Self-Aware? Start Here.
If working through those questions has you realizing you may not know yourself as well as you thought, work through the below practices to start building that unbreakable self-awareness that will help you level up in life and your career!
Morning Journaling & Meditation
Find prompts like these questions on the Proust Questionnaire that are designed to uncover someone’s true nature or these questions for self-reflection. Your answers may surprise you when you sit peacefully without external noise and dig deep to find the answer that feels most authentic to you. Your responses will help you operate in a way that is aligned with your most intrinsic beliefs.
Try New Things
Many of us reach adulthood and settle into a routine of waking up, going to work, coming home, eating dinner, and repeat. Some sprinkle passions into that routine, but many don’t make the time. We tend to lose ourselves in the monotony of the day-to-day. It’s important to consciously step outside your comfort zone and expose yourself to new experiences, too.
Join your company’s softball league, try a new recipe from your favorite destination, or find a local hiking meetup you wouldn’t have tried before. New experiences show us how we react to the unfamiliar, which uncovers some of your most positive qualities and some of your triggers. You can then deliberately apply what you learn about yourself to your management or working style.
Ask for Feedback
Oftentimes, those who spend the most time with us know us better than we know ourselves. It’s hard to be introspective. But when someone else is on the outside, watching the way you work through, react to, and manage specific situations, they may have better insight as to who you are and where you need to grow than you do!
This article shares 70 questions you can ask your coworkers, employees, bosses, family, and friends to become more self-aware. Be vulnerable and try it!
Want One-on-One Support on Your Journey to Self-Awareness?
If you need more help building your self-awareness, NimblyWise’s personalized training and coaching programs are here to support you in that journey. When working with an unbiased professional who specializes in guiding individuals on their path to personal and professional development, you will grow leaps and bounds in no time.
Let’s chat about how working one-on-one with a business coach can transform your future!
