5 Ways to Get to Know You

Knowing who you are is key.  Here are five tools I have used to slow down and reflect on who I am and where I am going.  Check them out!

1. Take a Personality Test  Try a personality test like the Myers Briggs test.  Answer all the questions honestly and make sure that you don’t always take the results of a personality test at face value.  According to the Myers Briggs test, I am a textbook INFP (Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving) personality type.  This does not mean I am only or always this type. There are layers to everyone.  One side of you may come more naturally, but that does not mean that you cannot develop other sides of yourself. Try to use personality tests to really reflect and see if what they say is true or not.

2. Meditation and Reflection  One of the best ways to get to know yourself is meditation and reflection. Clearing your mind of everything going on in your life and simply being in silence, with relaxing music, and being in a comfortable space can really help.

3.  Ask  Yourself  Questions  The right question can make all the difference.  Ask yourself some deep and meaningful questions and you will begin to uncover  your core values, your morals, and many other aspects of what makes you tick.  If you give honest and true answers you will find something.   It may not come to you right away, but it will.  It took me years to figure it out, so hang in there and keep practicing.

4.  Try New Things  Always try something new.  Staying in your comfort zone is certainly safe, but it can make you feel like you are in a rut.  Challenge yourself,  you might find something you didn’t know you liked! It can be as simple as trying a new food, checking out a new exercise class or working to see something from a different perspective.  You might love your new thing or you might decide it is not for you, either way you will know a little more about yourself.

5.  Keep a  Journal  Putting things in writing is a great way to get to know who you are. The act of writing works to help you articulate and visualize your ideas.   It can clarify what is going on in your life.

Try one or two of these tools.  See which work for you.   Challenge yourself to better understand what makes you tick.  You will learn how to better handle tough situations and identify what you need to get through them. You will become more self aware and better able to identify your thoughts and feelings. It is not easy but I promise that the more time you dedicate to learning about you the more you will see why you matter.