A Look in the Mirror

What’s holding you back from accomplishing the goal that’s been roaming through your mind for so long? When you think of the hardships in your life, what was the biggest challenge that has the most power over you? What excuses are your inner-critics making up in your head to stop you from truly reaching your own potential? What if you are your own worst enemy?

Look in the mirror and ask yourself: How many times have you convinced yourself that it’s better not to try because the chances of succeeding are too low?

That limiting belief has probably interfered with your career development and personal growth more often than you recognize it. According to University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth, a growth mindset is the most efficient tool for achieving goals, gaining new skills, and developing positive changes. It’s no surprise that self-awareness typically comes to the top of the requirements for being a successful employee and leader. Yet, only 15 percent of people are self-aware.

How to Develop Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is the capacity to perceive and understand your inner and external world. It allows you to assess the signals your body and mind send, making you more confident and adaptable.

Consequently, this ability reinforces your resilience and empathy, which is crucial for working in a team efficiently. Here’s how to build self-awareness:

1. Prioritize Self-Observation

The inability to perceive things objectively often results in quitting a goal because you believe you don’t have what it takes to succeed. By practicing emotional and mental fitness you can observe your reactions and your situation without judgment, abandoning the belief that something is unreachable.

Step into the role of an observer and evaluate your feelings, thoughts, and circumstances neutrally. As a result, you’ll understand your potential better and how achievable your objectives are.

2. Practice Self-Discovery

By observing yourself in different situations, throughout time you can assess what’s redundant in your life, and what bad habits and limiting beliefs slow down your progress. Not only exploring your inner truth, but also the misconceptions you hold that cloud it and convince you that you’re not good enough, could be another way to promote self-discovery.

Finding opportunities to learn about yourself with every success and failure is important in our life’s journey. Some ways you can practice self-discovery are through meditation, journaling, and self-affirmations.

3. Identify your Values by discovering your Why

Before you can identify your core values, it's important to understand what they are.

Your core values are the things that you believe are most important in life. They guide the way you live and make decisions. When you know your core values, you can live with purpose and direction, and even create a personal definition of success.

Identifying your core values is also the first step to improving your self-leadership skills. It's essential to know what you stand for, so that you can make choices that align with your beliefs.

So how do you go about identifying your core values?

Start by thinking about the things that are most important to you. What do you care about deeply? What does your ideal life look like?

Once you have a good sense of what matters most to you, start narrowing down your list until you have a few core values that feel true for you.

Now dig deeper by asking yourself why those things are important. Keep asking yourself "why" until you get to the root of your values.

Often, people label their desires and dreams as impossible. It is only when you get in alignment to your core values that you can move forward confidently knowing that you're staying true to yourself, and you will be one step closer to finding your purpose in life.

Make a shift in your life and start reinforcing your self-awareness today. Click here and find out how you can invest in yourself and discover how In The Worx can help you get the reflection in the mirror you want to see.

With life being always In The Worx, we support overwhelmed HR Professionals and business owners become intentional and present leaders, find focus through self-leadership, and successfully improve their employees’ experience and day-to-day work.