Self Check-In

More often than not we go about our days on autopilot, just reacting to what the day throws at us. Even if we know what we want and where we want to go, we do not seem to be getting there. There always seem to be things getting in the way – an urgent email, a crisis cropping up, an impromptu meeting; there’s always something. We reach the end of the day and we don’t know where the time has gone. The next day is a repeat and then it’s the end of another week and the end of another month. This is the trap of the hamster wheel. This is a significant trap to recognise, because this is a hindrance to self-leadership. An essential quality of self-leadership and overcoming this rut is self-awareness.

Self-awareness has so many elements to it that brings to light how you manage your day, how you manage your path to achievement of your goals and living with purpose. Self-awareness is just as it sounds: awareness of yourself. *What are your current feelings and emotions? What are your current energy levels? What are your current actions, behaviours and habits? With all this knowledge, how are all these factors impacting on your productivity, what you expect from your life, your general happiness and overall well-being? The awareness of all of these factors determine the effectiveness of our self-leadership and interaction with others.

If you recognise and identify that you are falling short of your desired productivity, daily achievements and yourself in general, this recognition of self-awareness, in and of itself, is a significant step. When you become aware of these things you can do something about them. You learn where to focus your energies and make necessary changes. The more often we are conscious of these things, the easier it is to find patterns that must be disrupted and adjusted.

From time to time we recognise that we are not quite feeling ourselves. Perhaps we see this as the world not being kind to us. Look within and ask yourself those same questions above*. It is often a sign for us to check in on ourselves and see where changes could be made, to bring us back on track. It is our own internal checking system. How we feel we are being treated by others and the world is often a symptom of what is reflected from within ourselves. The world mirrors our own internal emotional state. Remember, we may not be able to control what happens in the world around us. What is within our control is how we respond to it. Our self-awareness can shine a light on understanding our response to our surroundings and why our circumstances are as they are. From this we can respond accordingly and make the necessary changes to bring about our desired outcomes.