Know yourself first
Whenever I start working with clients whether it’s to assist them clarify and progress towards achieving their own personal, team or business goals, I always start with getting to know them and uncover how well they know themselves. Why is this important? Over many years working with all types of people, my experience has shown the better my clients know themselves (and their teams), the better the quality, ease and depth of their and our interactions are.
Knowing yourself well has many benefits, some of which are:
Improves your ability to respond ie: be responsible for what you do or say rather than simply react. This usually results in a more productive conversation, especially in times of stress or surprise.
Helps builds better quality relationships. When our “buttons are being pushed”, rather than blame others for “making us” feel bad, sad or even glad, we can recognise and take ownership of our own feelings, that is empower ourselves rather than give our power away!
We better acknowledge when we need to ask for help or delegate to others to get something done that may not be a strength or skill of ours. Some of us need more time to plan or structure a project differently to get the job done whilst others can wing it. Either way, it’s what works best for us.
It helps avoid burnout, because when you understand what you love doing and what gives you energy vs what sucks you dry and depletes you, you are likely to make far better choices about what career or job you do, how you deal with emotions, or even who you spend your time with.
Being self-aware helps you know what you need to be “IN STRIDE” with yourself, and when you’re not, gives insight and an ability to get back on track ASAP. The longer you are out of stride with yourself, the more the likelihood of getting stressed, frustrated and then sick increases.
One of the wonderful proven tools I have used for over 20 years for myself and my clients is a tool called Instinctive Drives. Debriefing with my clients on their individualised report that comes from completing an online questionnaire, fast tracks an understanding of what they each need to be at their best.
The depth of the insights gained has had many of my clients commenting on the significant value they have gotten in better interactions with pretty much everyone, and how they’ve since set up their lives at work and at home after what they’ve learned.
Self -awareness / self knowledge is a lifelong journey and it’s never too late to start, so if you’re keen to get underway or further deepen your insights, simply reach out for a chat.
