Self-Awareness is such an abstract idea that it’s hard to really grasp the meaning of the word. The idea of practicing self-awareness intends to bring to light observations of oneself through introspection and reflection.
These can be simple observations from; how you breathe, to how you dress, to how you look, to how you act, and to how you’re perceived. It can also be more complex things like; your deepest desires, your unfinished goals, your real motives and weird enough, who you’re talking to when you’re talking to yourself. That surely is a conundrum worth trying to understand better.
My intention here is to create a roadmap for your self-awareness related to any characteristic about yourself currently and in the future. It can be used for any of these simple or complex observations you may need to unearth about yourself. I see it as a useful tool for self-improvement. It is the act of paying attention.
Part 1 – You are Here!
Part 2 – Where To First?
Part 3 – But Why?
Part 4 – Ready or Not!
Part 5 – Are We There Yet?
Are We There Yet?
In our last few blog posts, we outlined the Self-awareness roadmap and expanded the ideas of Where we are, Where we want to go, Why, and finally How. Being Self-Aware or paying attention isn’t something you should ever neglect. It is something that needs to be practiced regularly and with routine. It is a skill that takes time to harness its power.
Here is the outline of the Self-Awareness Roadmap for reference.
First, Who or where are you? (You are Here)
- Clarify your position in Reality,
- Accept Responsibility for that position.
- Resolve to improve your position in life.
- Where do you want to go?
Second, Where would you like to go, who would you like to be? (Where to First)
- Ultimate Destinations
- Pay Attention to your biggest goals, dreams and wishes.
- Pay Attention to your current reality.
- Choosing a Destination.
- Can you get there in one step or is this going to be a multi-step process?
- Ultimate Destinations
Third, Why do you want to go? (But Why)
- Exploring your why
- Understanding your primary why?
- Making decisions with your why in mind.
- Is your Why congruent with your Who, What, Where and How?
- Exploring your why
Fourth, How are you going to get there? (Ready or Not)
- What’s your travel potential?
- What luggage must go with you?
- What do you need to prepare for your trip?
- What obstacle must you account for?
- What does the environment look like?
- What checkpoints will signal that you’re on the right track?
- What’s your travel potential?
Fifth, what’s next? (Are we there yet).
- Level up your Self-Awareness with reflection.
- Build on top of your current successes.
- Practicing Self-Awareness never ends.
Practice Self-Awareness with Reflection
Do you celebrate when you achieve your goal?
Probably not.
Often, we barely acknowledge our victories in life. It seems that by the time we are reaching the finish line, we have already set our eyes on another prize.
I’m not sure if this is a modern trait or an American trait or just a human disease that has spread throughout time. It may be a part of never-ending neophilia. Nevertheless, it seems to be a part of our existence today.
We don’t often take the time to celebrate or appreciate our accomplishments. Expressing gratitude towards the creator and the creation is the only way to complete the process.
“Fully to enjoy is to glorify” – CS Lewis
Self-Awareness has given me a lot to ponder about past, present, and future. It has given me meaning in gratitude.
I’m grateful for all my experiences thus far, good and bad. I am conscious of my time here on Earth daily. I am striving to make decisions for my future that are more congruent with my Why. It has changed my life.
In the past few years, my wife and I have felt uneasy about the direction our lives were going. Daily we would feel so busy and stressed that all our successes along the way were being overshadowed.
The thing is, our life on paper looked good. So why were we always inundated with things to accomplish? We were able to find the answer and thus comfort in the reflection of our former goals.
When we looked back at our life together, we realized that everything we’ve ever dreamed of in our lives had come true.
When we were in college, our dreams were owning a small house with 2 nice cars in the driveway, a successful business, and possibly some kiddos to add to the mix. We also dreamed of some less practical things like a boat and possibly a place at the river to vacation.
These were the dreams of two 20 year old’s coming together as one. Looking back, we realized we had accomplished all of those goals and more in the first 5 years. We realized that we had set many new superfluous goals after that in the quest to fill a missing void.
The missing element was a failure to recognize our successes and thus a failure to find gratitude for these successes.
It’s maddening to look back and see that we’ve always succeeded in what we wanted but never took the time to really bask in the glory.
I strive to be present, while also celebrating victories, and simultaneously plan for the future. That would be my ideal, but you know what they say about multitasking…
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller
In my earliest years of being a parent I was given some advice that I’ll never forget. It was simple and yet more true than almost any other parenting advice I had received. It applies to more than just parenting.
“The days are long and the years are short. Don’t wish them away.”
Our daily presence was often clouded with to-do lists, everyday maintenance of life and dreams of what we wanted next.
This is where life happens. Recognizing our insatiable need for more eventually left us with gratefully wanting less.
We realized we had everything we dreamed of in our twenties. We realized that we had also taken much for granted. That our kids were growing older and we only have their solid presence for 15 years or so.
We realized that there was more we could do in the world for the world, but our growing list of commitments to bigger houses, more toys, and more stress were our biggest obstacles.
Self-Awareness and Self-reflection can be eye-opening if you take the time to practice it routinely.
Take a moment and look back on your own life and before you create new goals, make sure you celebrate these moments that you once dreamed about. Don’t just do it once, make it a habit. Make it a practice. Make it part of your routine in life.
After all, it is our routines that build dreams!.
Celebrating these victories will close the circle in this process through glorification and ownership. Gratitude can be done in silence and I encourage this through having a gratitude journal like the one I talk about in Owning your Reality. Just make sure that once in a while you celebrate a victory loud and proud for everyone to hear.
Building on top success
You are amazing, but you could be better.
Seriously, this sucks to hear but it’s the truth. There is more work for you to do. More responsibility for you to take. More improvements can be made. You aren’t done yet and there is so much to do.
We are to keep standing on the shoulders of giants and push as they pushed in their lifetime.
The idea that you are good enough the way you are is a cancer spreading throughout our times. It, along with many other things I have compiled in these blog posts, is just another reason why I see us becoming a weaker species as we evolve.
Don’t build on false success or steal someone else’s success to build upon.
The participation trophies given to all condemn the laziest of players to a feeling of contentment through positive reinforcement and alienates the most diligent players. This leaves them with feelings of resentment towards their team due to the inequality of work put in without special recognition.
Celebrations are special and should be inclusive to those who shine forth.
A different but similar pathology seen with success can be complacency.
You should take the time to celebrate your victories as I claim above here, but you shouldn’t become complacent in them. These victories can amount to more than just the glory days that you carry with you for all to see.
Build on top of your current success. Your role in the world is unknown and shouldn’t end with fading glory.
Take the progress that you’ve made in life and build on that continually. Don’t peak in high school and give up on the practice of bettering yourself. Don’t fasten yourself to the victories of others and fail to let your individual light shine.
Our human potential is great and shouldn’t be wasted on staying in the same place forever. There is only one ultimate destination in your life on Earth and that is death. Don’t let it come early by abandoning the role you were created for.
Do it and do it well and do it over and over again. Just make sure that it’s congruent with your Why. When it’s not, stop, reevaluate your reality, practice self-awareness, and push for a more congruent plan for your life.
When talent, congruence, and practice all align, passion shines forth and transcendence is made for all of us to celebrate.
B.J. Palmer said, “you never know how far-reaching something you think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow”.
“You never know how far-reaching something you think, say or do today will affect the lives of millions tomorrow”. – BJ Palmer
The Practice Never Ends…
Are we there yet?
No, we haven’t created a complete and utter utopian existence yet. I’m not sure that we ever will and until we have that, we all must strive to make the world a better place. It won’t be created here on Earth by any government, religious leader, or political ideology.
The closest we can ever get to a utopian existence is through the responsibility of one’s own well-being.
Through the practice of self-awareness, self-love, self-respect, self-reflection, and self-responsibility we can each individually elevate the world.
Luke writes “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Self-awareness of your Chemical, Physical, and Emotional states of well-being are the start of creating a better world.
Hurt will perpetuate hurt, hate will perpetuate hate, pain perpetuates pain. The only stop to this cycle is you individually.
Self-Awareness in life is an Innate Essential. It should be used routinely and harnessed through daily practice. It’s not something that happens by chance. It’s something that you must choose to own and resolve to improve.
One Adjustment Action Steps
Know where “You Are Here” is exactly. Review the blog post on Removing Distractions, Taking Responsibility and Resolving to see it through. Not just a fad but a lifestyle of change and infinite potential.
Where do you want to go or who do you want to be in life? Start with the end in mind. In the blog post Write Your Reality I have some tools to help you tease this out. It doesn’t need to be a final draft, just a rough draft for your life’s destinations. Take the OATH and commit to improving your life.
Your Why is crucial to your life. Understand it better than anyone. There are many great books on finding your why by authors such as Simon Sinek and Seth Godin to name a few.
How has an infinite amount of possibilities. No two are the same. I’ve written a few blog posts explaining how Routines build Dreams, how having a Grit Mindset pushes you through barriers and how to build immunity to weakness.
Practice Paying Attention to everything in your life. Pay Attention in a prioritized manner from the top down.
Journal daily. It doesn’t need to be extensive or formal. Just write down your thoughts daily before they’re gone. Document it or it didn’t happen!
Self-Awareness can be construed in many different ways. I don’t think my take on it is perfect, but it is useful.
Self-Awareness just like all the Innate Essentials is one way to improve upon yourself individually. It doesn’t need to be complicated or over-analyzed. It needs to be practiced with significant effort to improve the skill.
If you don’t know where to start, you can begin by asking yourself what you could do to make your world better and follow that thread.
Don’t forget to keep asking “but Why?” as you dig deeper into this Innate Essential.
Nick the DC
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