Examples of Self-Awareness

Self-Aware Leadership and Creating a Strategic Plan - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Aware Leadership and Creating a Strategic Plan

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Self-aware leaders are well-equipped to create a strategic plan because they don’t allow their own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors to get in the way of creating a path forward that helps their organization thrive.

When I consult with leaders and organizations they tell me about the gigantic strategic plans that sit on their bookshelves. While those plans include reams of valuable information and input, they collect dust because they are too complex for anyone to use as a reference.

I’m a strong advocate of being self-aware enough to get out of the way and keep things simple in order to live a happier life, so I thought I’d share my basic approach to strategic planning. Strategic planning doesn’t have to be a chore. If you think about it, a strategic plan is really just a document that describes what you want to do and how you’ll do it.

Use the following ideas to create a concise document that guides your organization and that people aren’t afraid to reference.

  1. What’s your mission? Write a one sentence mission statement. Keep it simple and speak from the heart. Think in terms of what it is you really want your company to stand for. Stay away from jargon and business speak and focus on a meaningful, basic idea of what your organization does.
  2. What are the things you do well? Make a brief list of the things your organization does well so that you know what you have to work with moving forward.
  3. What would you like to strengthen? Create a brief list of the areas where you need a little help.
  4. Where would you like to go? Write down three to five things you’d like your organization to accomplish. These should be deeply meaningful to your organization and reflect your mission.
  5. Who will do what and by when? Decide who will take on each part of where you want to go. This step is much more successful if people assign themselves the tasks. Create a date for completion of each task.

When you work on these five steps you will end up with a living, breathing document that is intentionally concise and open to re-interpretation and change. The whole idea of strategic planning is to give you a framework or foundation you can build on. You can always add more detail or specific tasks but you can’t do it if you don’t build a firm footing first.

Try these steps with a key group of individuals and you’ll be on your way to creating an easy strategic plan that encourages dynamic movement instead of confusion and heartburn. What will you do to develop self-awareness and create a usable strategic plan?

Cheers,

Guy

Why Self-Awareness Matters - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Why Self-Awareness Matters

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You’ve probably met people, even very successful ones, who behave like they’re clueless or unbalanced in some part of their lives. Perhaps they don’t deal with others very positively, can’t get past some childhood trauma or have ideas about the world that aren’t grounded in reality. What they’re often missing is self-awareness, the ability to understand how their thoughts, emotions and behaviors affect them and others.

People avoid looking at themselves because they’re afraid of what they might find. It takes courage to admit that they’re not perfect, that they’ve made mistakes, that they’ve been wrong in the past or that there are areas that need improvement in their lives. Those who do decide to take a candid look at themselves soon discover that they can live deeply satisfying, meaningful, healthy and balanced lives.

Self-awareness matters because you’re worth it. You deserve to live a fully conscious life that reflects the real you rather than doing all the other garbage that makes you (and the people around you) unhappy. When you understand who you are and why you think and behave the way you do, you get to live an authentic life being yourself rather than trying to be someone you’re not or relying on outside sources for your happiness.

Increasing your self-awareness gives you the opportunity to live the life you were meant to live without restrictions. It’s a journey that begins with your willingness to look at yourself honestly and become the most healthy, balanced you possible. How will you start building your self-awareness?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness and Your Worldview - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness and Your Worldview

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Your level of self-awareness deeply affects your worldview. If you believe that the world is an unforgiving place where people can’t be trusted or want to harm you then you’ll live your life in a particular way. If, on the other hand, you see the world as a place where people can be trusted and are generally well-meaning you’ll behave in other ways. Your worldview colors everything you do in life and will lead you down a certain path which can be beneficial or full of hindrances.

In order to increase your self-awareness and enjoy life, take some time to ask yourself where your assumptions about the world come from. Identify the beliefs you hold that keep you from living happily and take action to shift them in a more positive direction. For example: If you believe that you can’t talk with someone, consciously decide that you’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and communicate with them in a way that invites them to connect with you. It takes deliberate effort and courage to shift your worldview but it can help you live much more meaningfully. What will you do to create a positive worldview?

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Awareness Improves Your Dating Life - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Awareness Improves Your Dating Life

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People who lack self-awareness tend to have a lot of dating problems because they don’t know who they are or what they really want. My lovely clients tell me all kinds of stories about the bad boys and girls they date or the fact that they can’t find Mr. or Ms. Right. What I’ve found out over the years is that people date haphazardly. They have some vague notion of what they want but they are missing a few key elements that will help them date at a deeper, more rewarding level. Next time you are feeling troubled by your dating life think of the following ideas.

1. Am I happy with myself or am I looking for someone to fill that void?
2. Am I doing what I want with my life?
3. Do I date negative people because, deep down, I don’t like myself?
4. Do I know how to meet positive, supportive people to date?
5. Am I meeting people that make me feel good about myself?
6. Do I have the communication and interpersonal skills to date well?
7. Why do I date?

As you think of answers to these questions you will begin to understand yourself more and identify the patterns that have led you to relationship problems. If you keep repeating the same behaviors you will likely get the same results. It’s only when we begin to understand ourselves and treat ourselves well that we can begin letting great people into our lives.

Cheers,

Guy

10 Behaviors of Someone with Strong Self-Awareness - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

10 Behaviors of Someone with Strong Self-Awareness

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Here are ten behaviors of someone with strong self-awareness:

  • They do things consciously rather than just reacting to stuff.
  • They are in touch with their emotions and are comfortable feeling them.
  • They are comfortable with other people’s emotions.
  • They treat other people with kindness, empathy, and compassion.
  • They actively work on healing their past hurts.
  • They understand that there are other people in the world besides them.
  • They get along with others and enjoy positive relationships.
  • They know who they really are deep inside and live life accordingly.
  • They’re flexible and open to change.
  • They’re always growing.

People who possess self-awareness are able to expertly manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors so they can live happy, fulfilling lives. If you are self-aware, you know yourself deeply and live based on the real you. This authentic existence allows you to move past all the petty stuff and focus on enjoying your time on this planet and encouraging others to do the same.

Cheers,

Guy

Self-Aware People Are Good Listeners - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

Self-Aware People Are Good Listeners

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Most of us say that we’re good listeners, but self-aware people really are because they know how to get out of the way and simply listen to others without overreacting or getting defensive. Here are some examples of what good listeners do so you can see how you’re doing:

1. Don’t talk.
2. Nod and prompt the other person to say more.
3. Ask open ended questions that don’t have yes or no answers.
4. Lean forward and look interested.
5. Don’t talk.

How many of these do you do? Really listening means practicing self-awareness and listening for meaning. We all understand words but do we really understand what the other person is feeling. Pay attention to what the other person looks like when they talk. Do they look upset, do they look confused? Ask questions that help the other person talk more.

If you try some of these you might find you learn a lot about the other person. I also encourage people I coach to try conversations where they don’t talk at all and just nod. It’s amazing what we can learn when we don’t talk.

What will you do to develop self-awareness and listen more?

Cheers,

Guy

15 Examples of the Importance of Self-Awareness - On Developing Self-Awareness and Being Self-Aware

15 Examples of the Importance of Self-Awareness

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Here are fifteen examples of the importance of self-awareness:

  1. You get to live life as the real you.
  2. You learn more about who you really are deep down inside.
  3. You avoid the pain and discomfort that comes from living a life that isn’t really yours.
  4. You can work on healing your hurts instead of ignoring or trying to suppress them.
  5. You become a healthier person.
  6. You are nicer to yourself and others and you contribute to making the world a better place.
  7. New opportunities present themselves because you’re living as the authentic you.
  8. People like you for who you are, not whom you pretend to be.
  9. You build healthier relationships.
  10. You get along with others.
  11. Life flows more smoothly because you’re not constantly fighting with yourself and others.
  12. You get to be more fulfilled and happier.
  13. You’re able to feel your emotions and deal with them positively.
  14. You take action instead of reacting to everything.
  15. Your thinking matches your actions.

There are many benefits to developing self-awareness but the biggest one is being at peace with yourself and the world around you. Imagine living your life happily and peacefully instead of just trying to survive each day. What would you add to this list?

Cheers,

Guy

The Self-Awareness Guy