Are you on a Self-discovery journey?

My self-discovery Journey started a few years ago. I wanted to know myself better and work towards things that were important to me. Realizing that I am fully responsible for my destiny, not my family or my background helped me take action. I use the term journey because it is continuous; I don’t see this journey ending anytime soon. As I discover more about myself, I uncover other parts of me that I want to explore more of and develop.

In this blog post, we will explore the definition of self-discovery, some tools to help you as well as questions you can ask yourself to start on your journey.

What is self-discovery?

• becoming aware of one's true potential, character, motives, etc. (Source: Collins Dictionary)
• the process of learning about yourself and your beliefs. (Source: Cambridge Dictionary)
• the act or process of gaining knowledge or understanding of your abilities, character, and feelings. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
• new knowledge and understanding that you get about your feelings and about the type of person that you are. (Macmillan Dictionary)

What tools can you use on your self-discovery journey?

Tool #1: Self-reflection
Making time to think about your experiences, your potential, and your future is crucial. There is so much you can learn from reflecting on past experiences and where you are now. Towards the end of every year, we get reminded to reflect on the past year and plan for the new year. I have found power in taking the time to reflect more often than once a year. Every Friday morning, I spend about 30 minutes reflecting on my week.

Tool #2: Journaling
Writing things down in a journal can be very therapeutic. While I reflect, I write down the highlights and the lowlights of my week. Especially if you are feeling overwhelmed, creating a list of things you are grateful for helps adjust your perspective. Another benefit of journaling is offloading your heavy thoughts. This frees up your mind for new ideas and enables you to move on.

Tool#3: Self-assessments
There are great tools out there that can help you discover the power that lies within you. I have taken some great assessments that have helped me either uncover my strengths or learn how to articulate them. The top two self-assessments that I recommend for everyone to take are Strengthsfinder 2.0 and Personality Types.

Tool #4: Learning
Interestingly as you learn new things, you discover more about your interests, your strengths, and potential. There are many skills that I did not know I had until I started learning something new or taking classes. Learning for me has not only helped me discover more of my skills; it has helped me improve them and do more of what I enjoy doing.

Tool #5: Community
Surrounding yourself with people who are also on a journey to discover themselves is very important. I value the ladies in my community a lot. Although we are all on our journeys, sharing our experiences encourages us. It's great that we don't have to be alone on the incredible quest to get to know ourselves better.

How well do you know yourself?
Some inspiration questions to ask yourself to get to know yourself better:

1. Strengths: What do I enjoy, and what am I good at doing?
2. Improvement Areas: What do I enjoy but could get better at doing?
3. Priorities: What is the most important thing in my life? Who are the most important people in my life?
4. Plan for the future: What is one thing I set out to do this year that I succeeded in doing?
5. Motivation: What motivates me to do great things? What demotivates me?

Call to Action
Have you thought about yourself lately? Make time to discover yourself.
Do you appreciate yourself? Celebrate yourself today.

Final Thoughts

• To achieve great things, we need to bring our whole selves - all of our strengths and talents.
• Make personal growth and development a priority
• Invest in yourself and reap the benefits.

Great Resources

• Begin Your Journey Of Self Discovery
• How Self-Reflection Can Help Leaders Stay Motivated
• 20 Questions That Can Help You Reach Your 2019 Goals
• 6 Steps to Discover Your True Self
• Steps to Discovering Yourself as a Woman