A Successful Career Begins with Knowing Yourself
Knowing Yourself is the Beginning of Every Successful Career
Whether it’s your awareness of how you react to certain situations, how you work through obstacles, how you respond to conflict or what your interests and preferences are – cultivating a deep knowledge of yourself is beneficial in every area of your life. This also holds true when you begin the exciting and sometimes overwhelming process of choosing a course of study.
So many choices…
When it comes to choosing a course of study, there are so many additional choices that come into play, other than the actual subject or area of expertise that you’re thinking of pursuing. You can choose between studying at a university or a college; abroad or in your home country; full-time, part-time or online and the list goes on and on. So how are you supposed to choose between all of these wonderful options that lie at your fingertips? The answers are within you.
…so many answers
Finding a course of study that’s a good fit depends on how you operate. We are all beautifully different and you have your own unique combination of personality, working and learning styles, concentration abilities, blocks, interests, potential, coping patterns and personal preferences. So the first step to choosing a course of study is for you to become intimately familiar with all of these different qualities.
…so many benefits
Knowing yourself well also means:
- Approaching blocks and difficulties constructively
- Avoiding decisions that lead to dead-ends
- Cultivating mindfulness around time, money and your precious energy and motivation, and saving these for the things that are truly important for you
- Anticipating conflicts and unhelpful decisions and circumnavigating these
- Cultivating healthy relationships towards your fellow human beings
- Crafting your life mindfully
- Making well-founded decisions that correspond to your needs
How to…?
Knowing yourself well is not as easy as it sounds and is a lifelong process. A first step can be a professional assessment of your abilities, interests, strengths and weaknesses. Another step you can try out is to take some time to answer the following questions:
- Which activities light you up with joy?
- What are the things that you always enjoy doing, even when you feel tired and stressed-out?
- Are there things that you’re particularly proud of?
- What contribution do you want to make to people and the planet?
- If you had one wish, what would it be?
- Which three values are the most important to you?
- How do you think you come across to others?
- How do you want to come across to others?
- Which self-doubts sometimes hold you back?
- Which experience with failure has taught you the most up until this point?
- What role does money play in your life?
- What is your personal definition of the meaning of life?
Feel free to leave any questions and comments below! I look forward to hearing from you.
Milena