The Key to Mastering Personal Change: Increasing Self-Awareness

?"...there is one quality that trumps all, evident in virtually every great entrepreneur, manager, and leader. That quality is self-awareness. The best thing leaders can do to improve their effectiveness is to become more aware of what motivates them and their decision-making."?- Anthony K. Tjan (Harvard Business Review)

Mastering change for personal growth and?effectiveness requires the development of the inner capacity to become more self-aware and reflective.?Personal growth through higher self-awareness and?reflection requires the ability to?adapt?our mindset and?to dismantle the?unproductive beliefs that limit?our effectiveness.??Shifting mindsets and?dismantling?unproductive beliefs requires?personal?self-examination?for change and growth to occur.?

Personal?self-examination?opens the door to?increased self-awareness that previously remained locked, it also provides a mirror into our limiting beliefs and furnishes a portal through which we can identify and fortify our inner core (source of personal power, capability and knowledge) - which strengthens our ability to change.?Personal self-examination?through its?disruptive effect stimulates the?awakening of our self-awareness capacity,?sharpens our insight and?sensing capabilities and?stimulates the unconscious observance of our own experiences.?

Personal change emerges from the?learning?that occurs during the self-examination and reflective process.??Learning results from feedback, adaptation, and personal accountability (action) that is taken as we?move ourselves to?a higher state of self-awareness and responsibility.?The process (journey) of becoming more self-aware through conscious choice leads to a?healthier perspective?and the?potential for greater success.

Building self-awareness capacity for personal growth and development is achieved by a) becoming more internally aware of our own behaviors, actions, feelings?and responses as sources of knowledge and understanding; b) seeking physical and mental well-being by engaging in activities that promote hope, optimism and appreciation for a better future; and c) learning to live in the present state.?

Self-examination is the key to insight; insight is the key to wisdom?- Ghandi

Reflecting on my own time as a change practitioner, I offer a simple four step process that anyone can use to increase self-awareness and build momentum for personal change.?First, recognize the need for?change (seek dissatisfaction or satisfaction).?To do this -?look at?the results that you are getting in your personal?or professional?situation and acknowledge the need for change, the awareness gained here will help create?the momentum for change. Second, develop the conviction (seek confidence) to change and make the personal commitment to then change (seek motivation).?The motivation or willingness to change can come through internal or external channels and result from the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction that is present.?Third, actually take the action to change (seek movement).?As motivation and willingness to change is expressed, a new picture or vision of success emerges that compels us to act in more productive ways to bring about that new vision.?Finally, pursue feedback about the changes that have been made (seek reflection).?Feedback?is central to learning, growth, and development.??It increases our?awareness of areas that need to change, encourages acceptance to those changes, and drives action to implement those changes.?

Self-awareness and reflection when deeply intertwined into the change process leads to higher levels of personal effectiveness.?As an aspect of the change process: it allows us to be more willing to accept?our own vulnerabilities and address them in a productive manner, it helps us to see the world around us as an open book leading to deeper levels of learning, growth and insight, and finally it helps us engage in activities that open our perspectives and expose us to new and different ways of doing things.

“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”

- C.G. Jung