If You Have This Daily Habit, You Seriously Lack Self-Awareness
How self-aware are you? Do you even think about it? I didn’t for the longest time until I came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t living up to my full potential.
It’s eye-opening to realize that you aren’t aware of yourself. Self-awareness means you’re aware of how you act AND how others see and relate to you.
This is important, especially if you want to be seen as a leader.
But if you do any of the following, chances are you lack self-awareness too.
Avoid criticism
What happens when someone tries to give you well-meaning advice? Do you quickly turn your head the other way or pretend you’re listening when you’re not? This is the number one sign of lack of self-awareness.
It’s an avoidance tactic. You figure if they can’t see you or you don’t actively listen, then you don’t have to hear what they say. In other words, you don’t want to hear it because you’re not going to like it.
Avoid bettering yourself
Think about how you view your job. Do you think you know all there is to know already? You probably don’t.
If you don’t constantly try to improve your performance, learn more about your company or industry, or just better yourself overall, you aren’t going to forge ahead anytime soon.
Try reading books, listening to podcasts, or signing up for trainings and courses. Learning means you’re humble – you know there is always something to learn or do better, and you’re willing to do it.
Constantly staying busy
When’s the last time you stopped and listened to yourself or took some time for meditation? There’s a major value in quiet time, and if you don’t give it to yourself, you likely lack self-awareness.
It’s amazing what you can learn about yourself in just ten short minutes a day. Plus, when you quiet down and let yourself listen, you become a much better listener yourself.
As a leader, this is an incredible skill. If you constantly stay busy or are the type that can’t sit still, chances are you aren’t aware of what you or those around you need because you’re too busy flitting around.
You never admit fault
Life happens – we all make mistakes, but it’s not good if you don’t admit them. Even if you say ‘yes, that happened, but I didn’t do it,’ you are putting others in harm’s way rather than admitting your own faults.
What good does it do to avoid taking fault? All it does is make you seem like you don’t want to take accountability. If that’s the case, no one will want to work with you or take you seriously as a leader.
You don’t speak your mind
If you hold what you want to say inside, no one will know what you need, and that includes you.
Not speaking your mind is a method of self-sabotage. Instead, say what’s on your mind even if you’re nervous or worry that others will take it the wrong way.
Think about what you say before you say it, but don’t just assume others can read your mind. Keeping everything in hurts you and those around you.
Change your habits and learn self awareness
Don’t change all your habits at once, but do take some time to figure out where to start.
Pick one area you think you need the most work on and focus there. If you try to change everything at once, you’ll end up even more frustrated than before.
— Samantha Hawrylack
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This article originally appeared on Ladders.
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