Development Rule #2 - Seek Self

"What character virtues are most important to me and how will I express them?" Aristotle

Do you know what makes you tick? What motivates you and where do your motives come from? What is your value system that drives your decision making? Why do you behave the way you do at work and how are your cultural norms shaped? What are your strengths and weaknesses and where do you want your career to grow next? This may sound like a set of interview questions but I like to think of it as Seeking Self. It is critical for our development to get selfish for a moment and spend time in reflection. I previously wrote about this topic at length and would recommend you have a read of it here. 

Reflection is a powerful way to better understand who we are and to learn from our day to day experiences which then helps us to be more aware of our thoughts and behaviors in the moment. Seeking Self is not just a good idea it is foundational to development growth and you won't grow fast without it. In a world that is becoming ever so busy and distracting we are losing the value in spending time with ourselves. If you aren't spending time thinking about what went well, what didn't go well, and what you can learn from your experience to take into the future you are robbing yourself of growth. You also will struggle to develop your awareness which can regulate "in the moment" events and allow you to adapt. It doesn't just happen you need to practice in order to grow it, just as you would a muscle. 

I love this article in Inc. magazine which talks about the importance of Reflection for those in Leadership roles. Ultimately this idea of Seeking Self along with being Always Accountable are about finding your motivation and passion and taking your development into your own hands. Later in Rule 6 I’ll talk about the role others can play but ultimately even with their help you need to do something with it. 

Years ago as part of my own development I decided to start journaling about work experiences, my "Dear Diary" moments collected on a regular basis. I wanted to force myself to reflect more so I could learn and not just experience. Today I have hundreds of stories and work experiences captured with lessons learned that I continually draw from and motivate me to be better each day. 

To put this into practice I challenge you to spend 30 minutes this week on yourself. Schedule it in if you have to but during that time put down your laptop or mobile device, grab a pen and paper, and just reflect and take notes. What can you learn from the week you had, or that challenging meeting, or that wonderful achievement? 

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my thoughts on the importance of finding Superb Strengths!

Alan