The practice of looking within in order to get rid of all that is bothering us and know ourselves better is called self-introspection. It’s wise to do this activity every once in a while to keep a track of your emotional well-being and navigate it in a simpler way.
For the times your mind is so clogged with unaddressed issues, self-introspection can help in taking up an informed decision.
Why is introspection important for growth?
- Breaking out of patterns- When you observe carefully, you find a pattern in your behavior, and breaking out of negative patterns brings an added definition to your character. You now know how you react in the first place and take steps to rectify the same. Not repeating the same mistakes and learning from them is the reason self-introspection is so important.
- Every time you keep a check on yourself it tells you something new about yourself- Getting to know yourself better is a form of self-awareness and constantly analysing yourself can lead to greater awareness.
- Knowing where you stand- All of us make promises to ourselves and want something out of our lives. The best way to know how far you’ve come and which area needs more attention is self-introspection.
- A great form of journaling- Looking at how far you’ve come and making changes as time passes brings you perspective. It shows what you gained by reflecting on each.
Prerequisites of self-introspection
Authenticity– You can only reap the benefits of this exercise if you are authentic. The whole point is to get to know yourself better and not hide behind your mistakes.
Hunger to Grow– When you have the undying need to tap into your full potential, you will gain its long-term benefits.
Comfortable With Changes– a lot of times self-introspection forces you to develop new methods to look at life and to get better, you need to get comfortable with making regular changes.
Harnessing Relationships– Until you take the step to bring considerable changes within yourself, nothing around you will change.
Realisation– It all boils down to knowing there’s a problem that needs attention or else you would never know what needs to be changed in your life.
Intrinsic Motivation– Having the will to break your habits is the only way to make this exercise useful.
What not to do as a part of self-introspection?
Getting too involved in your thoughts can have the opposite effect on this technique. You don’t need to question every second of your life and reason out parts that have little to no significance.
Trying to do that will only bring in more problems that never existed in the first place. You need to spot the difference between the right & the wrong questions before you dive into the process of knowing yourself better.
Any sort of question that makes you feel less about yourself and moves in a negative direction should be avoided. Blaming yourself for a particular situation without looking at ways to overcome will not bring you out of that chaos.
When something good happens, try to amplify the same by sticking to what made you feel that way.
When something bad happens, acknowledge what went wrong and could be avoided in the future.
In both ways, you will learn something that you previously did not and work in a way that can lead to more happiness and growth.
Closing Thoughts
As we take up new challenges, it becomes inevitable to observe what changes they bring within us. Not being afraid and consciously trying to look for lessons in everyday life will teach you to go about life’s numerous ups and downs.
It depends on how desperate you are to observe your mistakes and bring about a positive change. Once you take care of that area, life will take care of itself.
About the Author
Riya Baria
When to Hire a Coach and When to Take a Course
We offer both courses and coaching, and courses are usually significantly cheaper than hiring a decent private coach. You can learn virtually
Impossible
There was a time when I was surrounded by people I now refer to as proponents of impossibility. If a creative idea
Book of the Month – Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
This month in our personal development book a month challenge, we'll be reading a classic. Topping the charts for nearly a century,
Want more business? Treat your prospects like human beings.
I am amazed by the “gurus” out there preaching how to get people to spend thousands of dollars with your business. Create an email
Five Pieces of Advice I Would Give My Younger Self
I recently asked some of my readers what they would ask me if they had the chance, and I got many similar
How to improve your finances, health, and relationships
We asked thousands of people, “What would you change in your life right now if you could?” The responses are always interesting,
How Quickly Do You Apologize?
I had a little blow up last night where I went off on someone. But I did apologize today. Why? Apologizing frees
The Top Three Essentials for Daily Improvement
Have you ever heard the phrase “Rome wasn’t built in a day?” Unless you don’t get out much, the answer is probably
Why People Who Fear Living Fear Death the Most
Imagine this scenario; some country appears to plowing along, all peachy-keen. Then some sickness afflicts the country. Based on stats from the
Do You Live in a Carefully Constructed Comfortable Bubble?
I lived in a carefully constructed, neatly-designed, mindfully engineered bubble earlier in my life. I made a few close friends. We largely
Parable of the Investors
From Matthew 25:14-30 comes a story about those who choose to use the gifts they have wisely, and those who do not.
How to Create a Vision for Your Life
True success is all about balance in your life. Our careers, family, clubs, and health are all competing for our time, and