Socrates
There are many wiser than me that have offered knowing yourself as a valuable pursuit that brings great rewards.
Here are a few of my favourite quotes on why to do this:
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“I can teach anybody how to get what they want out of life. The problem is that I can’t find anybody who can tell me what they want.” – Mark Twain
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"If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles." Sun Tzu
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“It’s a helluva start, being able to recognize what makes you happy.” – Lucille Ball
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“The searching-out and thorough investigation of truth ought to be the primary study of man.” – Cicero
This is how I invest in knowing myself - I hope it inspires you to create your own practice
- I spend time understanding my motivations, values in action or inaction, and my triggers. I leverage my coach to deconstruct situations that were particularly difficult or rewarding, where I’m overwhelmed by emotion and don’t feel I can think rationally - I check in to get crystal clear on what is going on, how am I feeling, what was the trigger(s) and how will I be at choice in action going forward.
- I challenge myself in areas I want to understand more about myself by reading, going to lectures, sharing honestly with leanred or experienced friends.
- I keep a daily journal - particularly around areas in my life I want to change or improve like being on time and creating sufficient time in my day for reflection. I’ve long run my calendar to ‘maximize time and service’ i.e. every available minute is in meetings, working on a project, etc. This is not only un-sustainable for me, it doesn’t leave me any room for the unexpected and more importantly an opportunity to reflect on what may have just happened or prepare for what or who I may be seeing next. This is not fair to me nor to the people I work with.
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