What kind of life do you want?
Isn’t that a big question we all seek to answer? Yet, it’s not easy.
Some people graduate from college and are super clear – which is awesome, but rare. Others arrive at clarity after reading a life-changing book, going through therapy, losing someone they love, or surviving a life-threatening situation. Yet, others live their entire lives watching it unfold and being frustrated that they don’t have more, different or better…something or someone.
Will you let your life simply happen or will you envision it with intention and clarity?
Living the life you want is generally not about one thing – a great job, a cool place to live, or an exciting relationship. It’s about all aspects of life that fulfill your heart, mind, body, and yes, your bank account.
Getting there means committing to knowing thyself so that your decisions become more confident and intentional.
It’s a skill and investment of time and patience. Some call it a practice. Knowing thyself requires getting clear about your values, strengths, dreams, and goals 💪. And doing so without judgment. It’s also understanding how others see you and being open to the feedback of those you trust. I wasn’t always good at the feedback piece when I was younger because I thought if I was smart, then shouldn’t I have all the answers – to be right? Nope. I was wrong. Turns out, I just had to be more open to others. Organizational psychologist and author, Tasha Eurich points out the importance of this in her HBR article and I suspect she might have considered me an Introspector. I was too stuck in my own head. I had to learn to evolve out of that mindset to become more self-aware. I am still practicing it each day, with more room to grow because self-awareness is not an end-state but an ongoing skill to sharpen as we age and evolve.
Are you ready to do some work on your self-awareness? If so, here are a few things to check out.
TAKE OUR QUIZ!
The Equipt Women’s Self-Knowledge Quiz will help you see how well you know yourself and where you might want to deepen your focus. Take the quiz >>
Tasha Eurich’s TedTalk explains her research on self-awareness, why self-awareness is vital and reveals a simple and surprising technique for developing this skillset
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown encourages readers to embrace who they are, to accept individual flaws, to develop empathy and compassion, and to live life for YOU, not the expectations of others.
HEADSPACE
Removing noise and distractions is important for tuning into yourself. Using a go-to app like Headspace for a few minutes every day can bring you peace, clarity, and mindfulness – and the graphics will make you smile. Start with the free version and upgrade to premium if it works for you.
If you’ve gotten this far – thank you. Consider turning off your notifications or better yet, turn off your devices for just 10 minutes, and sit quietly. You’ll get a little better acquainted with YOU.
“Without self-awareness we are as babies in the cradles.” – Virginia Woolf
