We are often too busy to stop and take stock of our life and discover who we really are and what we want from life. The moment you find out who you are can often invoke a eureka moment when everything clicks into place and makes sense. If you find you are floating through life unsatisfied and jumping from job to job or floundering in relationships, then perhaps it is time to stop and take some time to get to know yourself. Here are 4 ways on how to do just that.
Take a Personality Test
Personality tests are questionnaires used to determine a person’s personality traits. The tests pinpoint how a person reacts in specific social situations, what choices or preferences they have, or how they interact with other personality types. One of the most popular personality tests is the Myers-Briggs test. It tests the intentions a person has in four situations – the ways they direct or receive energy (extroversion or introversion), how they take in information (sensing or intuition), ways they make decisions (thinking or feeling), and the ways they approach the outside world ( judging and perceiving). To discover your personality through a scientific test that has been researched over a period of 70 years and thoroughly tested, log on to your computer and take the Myers-Briggs test online.
Ask Yourself Questions
An effective way to get to know your true self is to ask yourself some soul-searching questions and write down your answers. You will be surprised how much this can help you assess your life and might even put you on a happier path than you are on currently.
Ask yourself what your dreams are, what you want for the future, how you want people to perceive you, are you happy and fulfilled, what you want to change. Writing the answers down makes you pay more attention to your thoughts and helps you to work out how you might want to change your life for the better.
Get Personal Appraisals
If you want to know how others perceive you, you have to ask for their opinions. If you are feeling fragile, this should be done with caution, as you may not be prepared for negative feedback. However, constructive criticism is a great way to discover how you look to the world, and you can alter your behavior accordingly to be the person you want them to see.
Giving yourself a personal appraisal can help with self-love. Stand in front of a mirror or write down things you like about yourself – be kind. If your self-esteem is faltering, it is a good idea to read the list of your positive attributes at the beginning of each day. If you struggle to find positive traits about yourself, ask yourself why and find ways to overcome negative thoughts. Think of ways you can be happier with the way your life is or the way you look.
Keep a Journal
Writing in a journal on a daily basis is a great way to monitor your thoughts, dreams, and goals. Try to write a comprehensive entry into your journal each day that describes the emotions you experienced that day, your mood, any events that made an impact on you, such as something that happened that made you happy or triggered negative feelings. Reading over your entries can give you insight into what situations make you feel down, how you react to them and give you a chance to think of ways to avoid these feelings occurring in the future.