By far, one of the most important things I have learned in my life has to be that you cannot survive if you don’t know yourself. Now, most people will skip over this post because they think, “how could I not know myself? I’m me.” Well, that’s fine. Continue being you and all, but when was the last time you’ve asked yourself, why did I do that? Better yet, why did you ask yourself when was the last time you asked that question?
I’m a firm believer that truly successful people don’t only know what they are good at, they know what they are horrible at. They know what they need to truly be successful, happy, healthy and aware, even if they may not always choose to follow those things. Truly successful people have mastered the talent of self-evaluation and understand what makes them tick. The average person looks inside and sees this:
When they really should look inside and see this:
And even if you see the first instead of the second, what is often missing is the ability to turn such fears and weaknesses into strength. As I grew up as a child, I used to be so shy and freeze up when people would talk to me that for a while, I started to develop a stutter. I was so socially awkward and just afraid of what everyone thought about me. Over time, I made the decision that I hated being afraid. I started talking to people more and I bombed, HARD. I kept ending up feeling awkward , so I would do what made me comfortable to a point, and when I started to feel awkward, I would try something different. It started off small as posture, but eventually turned into conversations, postures, skills and anything else that I could pick up and try along the way. Honestly, I still do it today.
However, even more important than experimenting with who I was. I started to pick up my habits on when I function best. I usually do my best writing late at night or early in the morning. I like sour patch kids during the summer and chocolate during the winter. I’d rather run and work out before breakfast. Small things like that make a huge difference on peace of mind and efficiency.
Knowing things personal quirks allow you to build a better routine for yourself. You become a better worker. I do better with meetings and interpersonal interaction to get things done than impersonal work. I work better getting motivated and knocking out the whole project at once than in small sections. I’d rather brainstorm with a group to bounce ideas then refine my ideas in private. These are things that because I know now, I can be even better when I venture more into professional work. Those are the skills and pieces that if utilized properly, you can make sure that what you do, you do great. Becoming known for high quality work is the true mark of a success. Once you master yourself, the rest is child’s play. Until Next Time,
Peace, Passion, Love and
Keep Dreaming,
Mr. Magnificent Miles