6 Ways Self-Awareness Makes Us Better People

In the endless hustle of life, not many of us take the time to self-reflect and really think about who we are, our strengths, and weaknesses, our habits, our personalities, and our values.

Even when we receive feedback, we’re not at all times open and receptive to it (because let’s face it, honest feedback is not at all always flattering.) That is why many of us are not really fully self-aware or are refusing to be.

This is unfortunate, as self-awareness is extremely essential to personal growth and development.

Here are 6 ways self-awareness makes us better people:

Skill Development

If you want to improve, first you need to identify the gap between the current situation and the desired situation you have in mind. Being self-aware helps you decide what you should do to improve and upskill on your personal areas of weakness.

Encourages Intentional Collaboration

Self-awareness helps you take advantage of your strengths, and cope with your weaknesses. This helps you become intentionally collaborative with others as you partner with them in tasks where your strengths and weaknesses complement that of each other.

Develops Intuitive Decision-Making Skills

People who are self-aware are more effective intuitive decision makers. In tricky situations, intuitive decision makers are able to process large amounts of sometimes random information and choose a course of action based on a “sense” or “gut feeling” of what is best. If you are a girlboss, this is an especially important skill to develop as change and uncertainty are constants in a very competitive environment.

Helps Stress Coping Mechanisms

Jobs that are not compatible with your personality, strengths and weaknesses can be stressful. While this is not to say that you should never take jobs outside your comfort zone, you will operate with the understanding that you will need to put in the extra effort to develop the skills needed for the job. You also have the free choice to take on roles that are less stressful for you and helps you maintain a healthy mind.

Motivation

Self-awareness increases your motivation to perform better as you grasp a better understanding of the “why” you do what you do.

Leadership

When we understand the many facets of ourselves such as what gets us excited, what makes us tick, why we behave the way we do – we also gain an insight into the same facets in other people. A better understanding of yourself helps you understand others better; a key skill every great leader should possess and exercise well.

Read the full article by Wright State University on the importance of self-awareness here.