SELF KNOWLEDGE

Know Yourself

In Ancient Greece, the philosopher Socrates famously declared that the unexamined life was not worth living. Asked to sum up what  all philosophical commandments could be reduced to, he replied: ‘Know yourself.’

Knowing yourself has extraordinary prestige in our culture. It has been framed as quite literally the meaning of life.

This sounds, when one hears it, highly plausible, yet so plausible it’s worth pausing to ask a few more questions. Just why is self-knowledge such a prestigious good? What are the dangers that come with a lack of self-knowledge? And what do we in fact need to know about ourselves? How do we come to learn such things? And why is self-knowledge difficult to attain?

1. What is the purpose of my life

What are you trying to achieve with your life. Fast forward to the end of your life and ask yourself what you would like to be remembered for when it’s all done. What difference would you like to have made? What contribution would you like to have made to your family, friends, community etc.? Once you know your purpose, your purpose should then shape your goals and everyday actions, allowing you to create the life you want to live.

Have you heard of Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren? Maybe you should just go read that.

2. What are my values?

Values are personal qualities and characteristics. They are like rules for life which guide your decision making in the most crucial moments. Sadly, values are often forgotten but when you live in contradiction to your values, you will struggle to be happy. For example, if you value honesty, how would you feel about stealing money from somebody else in order to buy something you want?

In all likelihood, you would be completely opposed to the idea. That is values in action. There are many more potential values which guide you; though they are not all as obvious as that. It is important that you have clarity about your values so that you can make the right choices when it matters most.

3. What really makes me tick?

You can be just about anything you want to be in life but many of your greatest achievements, will require large quantities of effort, commitment and dedication. Always remember that self-improvement is not just about the physical or philosophical change you have to undergo, but it’s something that you must really want because if you don’t really want something; you are likely to give up before you achieve your objective.

Therefore, before you set your goals, it is important that you know what makes you tick before you start setting goals which you are not truly motivated to achieve.

4. What do I really want from life?

Life is not all about giving either. You must be able to derive some enjoyment from life and a great deal of this enjoyment will come from the achievement of your goals. We have already covered some of the things you must consider before you set goals, now you must identify the things you would like to be, do and have. When doing so, it is important that you consider all of the important areas of your life so that you can design a well balanced, successful and, stress-free life.

Have trouble setting or achieving goals? Check out books on Goal Setting by Brian Tracy.

5. Am I prepared to change?

Achieving goals and objectives requires a great deal of personal growth and change. However, the element of change is often forgotten. Resistance to change can be one of the biggest factors in failing to achieve your goals. It is a form of self sabotage. Before you set off on your new adventure, it is important to ask yourself ‘Am I prepared to make the necessary changes?’ It is one of the most important but least used personal development questions.

6. What do I like about my life?

There is no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. When you make changes to your life, it is imperative that you only change that which needs to change. To ensure this, regularly take the time to identify and be grateful for the positives in your life. Then, when making plans for self improvement; plan to maintain or increase the things that you like.

7. Have I done enough for myself?

This is another often forgotten, personal development question. This is one that, when you answer honestly, can have a dramatic effect. Sometimes when you fail to achieve a goal; you will have set the right goal and, you will have set the right plan. The problem will be that you have not done everything you could to make it happen.

Often, when we fail to get what we want, we look for someone to blame. Sadly, this often leads us to point the finger at others, rather than accept that we are the source of the problem.

Before you go rushing into new goals and objectives, there are some very important personal development questions that you need to ask yourself. These personal development questions will better enable you to determine where you are in life along with, where you would like to be and what you need to do to get there. The more you understand your life, the greater your chance of success. Ask yourself these personal development questions regularly and you will make better, more effective decision about your life and the actions you need to take.