Enhance Your Self-Awareness

Gain deeper insights into your thoughts and behaviors through practical exercises that promote personal development and emotional well-being.

One of my favorite phrases is, “Awareness is the first step.” I joke about this phrase a lot with my husband when he leaves his coffee cup in some random place in our house.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my behavior patterns and how we carry these behaviors into work and life. I am getting better at recognizing when bad habits hinder productivity or when I don’t want to have a difficult conversation with a client.

Becoming more aware has helped me in life and work, so this week’s newsletter is about some strategies I’ve used to understand better behavior patterns and improve.

What gets in the way of being more self-aware?

Despite many benefits, many people struggle with developing self-awareness.

Here are five common reasons that hold people back:

1. It's uncomfortable: Many individuals use defense mechanisms like denial to protect themselves from uncomfortable or painful truths. Admitting flaws or mistakes can be daunting.

2. Lack of Feedback: Without constructive feedback, gaining insight into one’s behavior and how it affects others can be challenging. People might not realize there are areas they need to work on. This is a big one!

3. Busy Lifestyle: In today’s technology-driven, always-on culture, people often don't take the time to reflect on their actions or emotions. Constant action can prevent the introspection needed for self-awareness. In other words, we avoid thinking about what we could change.

4. Fear of Self-Examination: Delving into one’s psyche can be intimidating. Some individuals fear what they might discover about themselves, such as unresolved issues or negative traits, leading them to avoid self-reflection.

5. Cultural or Social Factors: In some cultures or environments, self-exploration and expressing vulnerability may not be encouraged, making it difficult for individuals to develop self-awareness.

Self-awareness can also improve relationships and promote greater self-confidence.

Getting Started

I recently started listening to a great book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear. If you haven’t read it, it discusses self-awareness as a key to understanding habits. He encourages people to examine their daily habits to change or become more aware.

The downloadable, printable habits scorecard can be viewed here: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits/scorecard​

Other strategies for building self-awareness are:

1. Journaling

Journaling facilitates a private, reflective space for exploring personal thoughts and emotions, leading to deeper self-understanding and emotional processing.

Here are some best practices to get started:

1. Set a Time: Dedicate a few minutes daily to journal writing. Defining when, where, and how long will help this habit stick!

2. Reflect on Your Day: Ask yourself:

1. What did I learn today?
2. Did I encounter any challenges, and how did I handle them?
3. What could I have done better?
4. When I am worried about X, what can I do about it?
5. What am I grateful for today?

3. Connect Your Emotions: Identify your feelings for specific events and recognize any patterns.

2. Meditation and Mindfulness

I have a more detailed blog post about mindfulness and calming the chatter.

You can view it here: https://www.brilliantworkplaces.com/post/how-to-calm-the-mind-chatter​

3. Ask for feedback

This can be intimidating, but one of the most valuable things you can do for self-awareness. The hard part is finding those who will give appropriate feedback, as most people don’t want to hurt other’s feelings. Here are some things to look for:

1. Identify Trusted Individuals: Choose people who know you well and whose opinions you trust.

2. Ask for specifics for feedback. Start with:

“I was wondering if you would give me feedback on how I handled X?

• What do you think was done well?
• What do you think could have been improved?
• What else should I think about?

OR

1. What should I be doing? What should I start doing?
2. What is not working? What should I stop doing?
3. What is working? What should I keep doing?

3. Reflect on the Feedback: Try not to get defensive! Think about the feedback, looking for patterns or recurring themes.

Implementing these exercises regularly can significantly enhance your self-awareness. Each exercise helps you understand yourself better and aids in managing your relationships more effectively.

Go out and #bebrilliant!

To summarize (TL;DR)

1. Self-awareness starts with reflection.
2. Journaling and Meditation can be effective techniques for understanding feelings around events.
3. Ask for feedback on performance or behaviors from trusted individuals to improve.

I hope this advice helps you improve your relationships, self-confidence, and understanding.

If you’re feeling like your team could use more exercises or a workshop on self-awareness in the workplace, consider setting up a time with me: Book a meeting​

Do you already have a good understanding of yourself? You can find more helpful articles here: Check out the resources.

See you next week!

Hi! I'm Suzanne I founded Brilliant Workplaces, a consulting agency that helps businesses with systems for Marketing, Customer, and Employee Experience.​ The #bebrilliant newsletter was created for those who want best practices and systems to build your brand, establish an authority position, and achieve personal and professional growth. Do you know someone who would love this newsletter? Please forward it and have them sign up here. ​​​