Self awareness
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Ask yourself 'Why?' repeatedly and answer honestly to reach the root of an issue.
It helps you go deeper.
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If you want to track changes over time, try creating a video diary once a year.
One person found it fun to look back at past versions of themselves.
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List what you do not like about yourself and then find ways to improve in those areas.
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Pay close attention to your internal feelings just as you do to your money and savings.
Internal feelings matter just as much as financial savings.
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Stop talking about your problems and start taking action to break the cycle of looping thoughts.
Taking action stops the loop; one person found scribbling out the problem like a math formula helped stop the spin.
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Give time to yourself daily to introspect, talk to yourself, and keep a journal.
Understand that people often lie to solve problems rather than out of malice.
It is rarely malicious and happens all the time.
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Take a step back and consider alternative perspectives when you feel stuck.
Confirmation bias may blind you to the true nature of your problem.
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Give time to yourself daily to introspect, talk to yourself, and keep a journal.
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- Meditate and practice introspection to gain self-knowledge.1
Journal at the end of the day by writing down how you acted to signal to your brain that recognizing these behaviors is important.
The simple act of writing down how you acted helps your brain actively recognize the behaviors.
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Catch yourself when you slip into old negative patterns, such as micromanaging, and consciously step back to trust others.
Growth involves catching these slips rather than just focusing on what you won't do.
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When someone shows vulnerability and allows you to judge them, choose love.
This is true vulnerability and a moment of choice.
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Seek trusted people who will give you direct, honest feedback to help exit logical loops or self-deception.
Trusted people can provide necessary perspective ('a slap in the face') when reason fails.
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Recognize that parts of others that make you recoil may reflect parts of yourself that you don't like.
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Watch Phil Zimbardo's video 'Why Boys are Failing'.
It provides insights on male development.
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Practice mindfulness meditation, such as a 10-minute guided session.
Its main goal is awareness and self-awareness.
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Keep a journal and re-read it periodically to identify patterns.
Re-reading makes patterns pop out.
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To fix counter-intuitive problems, observe and make notes instead of trusting your instincts.
Trusting instincts leads to many mistakes.
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If you feel the need to brag about not needing help, recognize that this may indicate insecurity rather than strength.
Bragging often requires lying to oneself to keep a false sense of superiority.
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Settle into a work or life style that represents you well, even if it involves losing.
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Take up physical activity, be brutally honest with yourself through raw journaling, and take time out of your day for hobbies instead of scrolling through your phone.
One person attributes their improvement to these habits.
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Ask yourself why you need constant distraction to figure out what you are avoiding.
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Create a structured schedule for your day to avoid procrastination and distraction from social media or binge-watching.
Structure helps you avoid distracting yourself with ambiguities and comforting activities.
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Track moments when you get distracted and analyze the data to find patterns in habits that need changing.
This approach helped one person identify necessary habit changes.
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Keep a simple daily journal focusing on just 1-2 metrics.
Complicated spreadsheets logging hundreds of metrics are not recommended.
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Use objective yardsticks to judge your behavior and feelings.
They are insanely useful.
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After answering 'who am I?', ask yourself who is aware of that answer to identify the observer behind your concepts.
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When recording yourself, ensure you have a clear purpose and explain what you are doing rather than filming mundane activities without context.
There is no point in recording mundane actions like eating snacks while watching TV if there is no explanation.
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Recognize that the ego or self is an illusion presented by the mind, allowing you to detach.
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At the beginning of a project, involve your team in creating SOPs, time estimates, tools, quality standards, and exact outcomes, then let them work.
Including them in outlining helps you stipulate deadlines accordingly and makes everything predictable at the start.
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Recognize that your personality is not defined by the things you like.
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Avoid regarding yourself as above others or seeing 'reality' while others are ignorant, as this narcissistic perspective prevents you from seeing their inner depths.
Regarding yourself as above others hinders connection and insight into others.
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Review past relationships with family and friends to summarize instances where people got angry, corrected you, or expressed dislike.
It helps identify areas for personal growth and improvement.
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Study Stoicism to realize how little you truly control, which provides insight into what really matters.
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Increase self-awareness to improve yourself.
Self-awareness is identified as the key to improvement.
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Apply self-awareness practices to your ideologies, politics, and consumption of journalism.
It provides the same benefit as other self-awareness practices.
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If you face recurring problems, recognize that you are the common denominator to take ownership of change.
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Recognize that your best qualities can be your biggest downfalls, such as being too nice and getting taken advantage of, or being too positive and missing negatives.
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Remain willing to adjust your position when exposed to superior data, rather than clinging to selected facts.
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Review recordings of yourself teaching to see what you look and sound like, as self-perception often differs from reality.
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Use Existentialism to recognize that many perceived obligations are simply internalized expectations from others.
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Identify and change aspects of your identity or personality to get your desired outcomes.
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Recognize that becoming aware of an issue is a significant step forward.
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Journal to gain insight into what drives your choices.
One person found it insightful for understanding their drivers.
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Analyze similarities in thoughts and actions between yourself and biological parents to understand your own traits, even if adopted.
One person found they were very similar to their biological parents despite never meeting them.
- Based on one person's experience as an adoptee.
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Acknowledge that early experiences deeply affect development and perspectives, often without realization.
Early experiences shape us in ways we may not realize.
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Accept that there is likely a core part of yourself that remains unchanged despite family influence.
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