Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. – Aristotle

There are many battles that we are fighting in our lives all the time. It is usually connected to the goals that we aspire to attain. We run the rat race of our ambitions. We sometimes fail, and sometimes we pass, but all the while we struggle to be what we want to be. Most of the time however, we want to be someone else.

Underestimating and overestimating

Whatever your aspirations, the first step towards success is knowing yourself. It means having a proper estimate of who we are. How many times have we underestimated ourselves? We have told ourselves that we may not be able to do certain things? I cannot do it! We have concluded. This happens every day. If we count the small things that we give up because of the various hurdles we encounter, we must be giving up so many things. Then we are overconfident in certain areas. We overestimate of our abilities. We may do it because of encouragement from others or we could be trying not to disappoint someone else. However, when we do try, we fall flat on our faces. Whether underestimating or overestimating, our actions are usually focused on impressing others.

Analyze yourself

Do a SWOT analysis of yourself. Know your strengths and weaknesses. Make a list of your strengths and segregate them into actual strengths and what you believe are your good qualities (maybe some people will disagree). Similarly, make a list of your weaknesses. Try to find out how to do away with your weaknesses or to convert them into strengths.

Find out how different situations affect you. Keep a daily analysis sheet and write down your observations. What makes you tick? The things that make you happy. What changes your mood? The first things that you do in the morning that help you face the day. Your state of mind and the environmental stimuli changes it? Be aware of your likes and dislikes. Including what makes you like a person or dislike him or her.

You have to answer so many questions and the answers are not easy to get. However, they are a way of self-awareness.

Nobody will be able to tell you what kind of a person you should be, but you will know what kind of a person you are.

Your decisions should become conscious and informed ones. Your interpersonal relations should improve because you will start to invest in them. You will now be better in setting goals and your achievement percentage will go up. Knowing yourself will probably not change you, but it could help in making a better you.

Knowing others is intelligence;
Knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
Mastering yourself is true power.
– Lao Tzu