Understanding yourself and your needs is a hard task. But you can ease this thanks to these 13 simple but helpful ways.
Keeping a Diary Daily
Why not call your journal “Learning to Understand Yourself”? Because that’s what you’ll do every time you sit down to write in that journal.
Whether you spend five minutes, half an hour, or more on your daily journal entry, you will provide a platform for all the clutter of thoughts and ideas in your head.
And by giving those thoughts a place to play, you become more aware of them. By writing them down, you command your brain to pay attention to them, and it does so.
It takes those thoughts more seriously. And you may find yourself acknowledging things that you’ve only half-heartedly paid attention to up to this point.
Starting a Daily Meditation Routine
Spending about 10 minutes a day – 5 at the beginning of the day and 5 at the end – in meditation will help both “ground yourself” and understand yourself more clearly by listening to your inner voice.
Meditation takes a person beyond the mundane and self-centered realm of their routines and thinking habits.
It strengthens the connection to the heart – and therefore to the soul and everything connected to it.
Allow this practice to deepen your connection to your hidden self, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it before.
Completing a Wish List
If you have a wish list, ask yourself what you could add to it that excites you, just a little bit. Do something that makes you feel out of place. Test how online casino Najia works and try to hit a jackpot there. Do a public performance. Or try karaoke or stand-up comedy.
Show up to understand yourself and your true desires, and do something awful, even if someone threatens to videotape the whole thing. Especially if someone threatens to record it!
Acquiring a New Creative Skill
Maybe you’ve always wondered why your mom loves knitting so much. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to program so you could design and build your own mobile apps.
Whatever creative project makes you feel more awake than you did five seconds ago, why not set aside some time once a week and get to know it?
If you’re wondering how to figure yourself out, think about what you want to do for your first big project, and start by learning what you need to learn to get closer to that goal.
And then go ahead and create something you’ll be proud of.
Taking on a New Challenge
This is related to the wish list, but is more spontaneous in nature. Someone offers you a speech, and instead of popping out the back door, you cough and walk up to the podium – terrified, yet determined to accept the challenge.
Or your boss asked someone to come up and take on a project that will probably improve your skills in every way possible. And the only thing holding you back is the fear of failure.
It’s safer to stay in your comfort zone. But it will be extremely difficult for you to understand yourself as a person there.
Having More Meaningful Conversations
Make time for more frequent and meaningful conversations with the people in your life. They help you understand yourself and other people.
Pay attention to their body language and signs of emotional or psychological state and offer yourself as support.
And listen to understand – not to win an argument or to present yourself as the solver of all problems. Use it as an opportunity to understand the other person better.
Chances are you’ll come away with a deeper understanding of yourself after the conversation, too.
Taking an Intelligence Type Test
If you’ve never taken an intelligence type test, take one.
It won’t take long and will help you understand yourself, revealing things about you that you may have noticed but haven’t really thought about.
Perhaps you need clues about what kind of work will help you feel the most alive and the most fulfilled. These clues are just one of the benefits of knowing your personality traits.
Playing Conversation Games
The next time you meet up with friends or make a date with your significant other, try playing a conversation game.
They involve questions that you have to answer honestly, quickly, and the first time. You may be surprised that you will answer them yourself.
And if it leads to a lively conversation, use it as an opportunity to understand more of yourself and the other participants. Again, the goal of games is to grow in understanding yourself, not to win.
Talking to a Professional
Sometimes it’s helpful to talk to someone whose job it is to understand you to help you make better choices.
Whether that person is a counselor, advocate, supervisor, doctor, educator, psychologist or spiritual advisor, take the time to talk to them on a regular basis.
If this person says unpleasant things about you, stay calm and look for signs in your life that contradict their assessment.
Offer these signs to help the person understand what you are thinking and get a better idea of what he or she has noticed about you.
Real professionals don’t think they have it all figured out about you; they keep digging. And their insights will help you make understanding yourself deeper on a more spiritual level.
Answering Other People’s Questions
Sometimes helping others with their questions helps you understand yourself and your own beliefs better. There are many forum sites devoted to various issues. Perhaps you are knowledgeable in some area and could help someone with their question.
Whatever people write in their question, answer politely and remember that their reactions have more to do with their own experiences and relationships than with you.
Write each response as a personal and heartfelt message to the person who asked the question.
Be honest, clear, focused, and helpful.
Allowing Yourself to Be Vulnerable
At the risk of being the hero in a cautionary tale, don’t be afraid to show people who you are anymore.
Not everyone will like you, and sooner or later you’ll have to accept that.
But while some people may judge you for revealing yourself, some will feel less alone in the world, and will feel a kindred spirit in you. And if those who judge you seem to be the loudest, consider why they might react so strongly. It’s not about you.
Either way, it will help you understand yourself and overcome your fear of making a fool of yourself.
Learn to note each of your colossal embarrassments (as long as no one is hurt by it).
Describing Your Mission
Ask yourself: “What is the most important thing I want to accomplish in my life?” and write down the answer. Or write down your own characteristics. This will help you answer the question of how to understand yourself. To do this, pretend to be your own person and remember yourself as you are.
Imagine exactly what you want the people closest to you to remember by spending time with you. Ask yourself what makes you wake up in the morning and what keeps you up at night. And take the time to answer these questions honestly.
Creating a Goal Board
Creating a goal board is a fun project, whether you’re using a magazine clipping board, creating your own slideshow, or a YouTube video.
If it’s an online application, you can even share it with those who appreciate it and encourage them to create their own board and share it with you.
No matter how your goals are described, in order to understand yourself, it’s vital to take the time to visualize the life story you’re creating.
And for visualization to be effective, you need to engage your emotions. Imagine yourself living your life, living the perfect day from beginning to end.
And throughout the visualization, ask yourself how you feel. Be honest and change your vision if necessary.
