At its core, self-introspection is like being your own Sherlock Holmes. It’s a psychological process where you turn your investigative gaze inward, analyzing your thoughts, feelings, and motivations. It’s a journey into the recesses of your mind, where the searchlight of your attention illuminates your deepest desires, fears, and beliefs.

But where did this soul-searching practice originate? 

Well, it has roots in both Eastern and Western philosophies, tracing back to ancient practices like meditation, mindfulness, and philosophical introspection. It’s as old as human curiosity about the self—so, pretty ancient.

The next step is to cultivate the desire to change behaviors that bother you. After identifying any problematic aspects of yourself, take baby steps and slowly shift your behavior in ways that better represent how you want to be, the life you want to live, and the career you want to have.
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If you thought “that issue” was “fixed” but it comes back, self-reflect once again to see if you missed something important or if you were hiding something from yourself. It’s not easy to change ourselves or our behavior, and it may take several attempts to get it “right”, so just accept and appreciate yourself for trying.
Other Approaches to Self-Reflection
Self-reflection can be aided or enhanced by using other tools, like writing or imagination. For example, I recently got the book True You, which is a workbook with guiding questions designed to help you get to know yourself better. But any notebook will do if you already have questions for yourself. Just write them down an answer them honestly.

dentify the “Why” of Self-Reflection​
With your mind quieted, try to look deeper. Aim to go to the most important aspects of this issue. What did you feel, think, or do? Now, go a layer deeper, and ask yourself: Why did you think, feel, or do these things?
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This kind of inner search-and-discovery with self-reflection can reveal some scary stuff, so go at your own pace and remember to be kind to yourself as you learn more about what’s underneath.
Observe Yourself with New Insight​
Next, observe yourself living your life, in the present. Try to “catch yourself” when your unconscious is in control, leading you to feel, think, and act in ways that go against your true self and your values. Through self-reflection your self-awareness is likely to grow, helping you on the path to authenticity and greater control over your life.

It can give you perspective
Self-reflection can allow you to take a step back, engage in introspection, and gain perspective on what really matters to you. As a result you can make better decisions about pursuing goals in your life that suit your needs and interests.

It can help you respond more effectively
When we better understand who we are and why we do the things we do, we can more easily make changes that allow us to respond to circumstances in more effective ways. Hopefully, this can keep us from saying and doing things we regret.

It helps us better understand ourselves and possibly others
Self-reflection can help you get to know who you truly are. As a result you can find yourself , pursue your purpose more easily, and be more authentic.

So many of our habits, patterns of behavior, and pre-set programming are buried in our subconscious. They operate in a sort of “control room”, directing how we think, feel, and act, often times hurting our well-being (take this well-being quiz to see how you’re doing). If we want to be in control, we need to look beyond the conscious mind, and change some of the programming we no longer benefit from. One way to access the unconscious is through self-reflection—i.e., putting a mirror up to ourselves and analyzing what we see or feel as objectively as possible so that we can better understand ourselves and how think, feel, and behave. But how do we engage in this type of deep self-reflection?​Want to know why you do the things you do? When we use self-reflections we gain a better understanding of ourselves, our motivations, and our behaviors. So let’s learn how to self-reflect.

We’ve discussed the idea that learners can develop their creative abilities. This is critical because our global workplace is changing due to advances in technology (Attaran, et al., 2019). The shift in valuing creativity and adaptability, and the ability to increase revenue by enhancing product value through design and function, echoes in a growing number of market segments (Yu, et al., 2019).

In his book A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink discusses the success of nations depending on “having artists in the room” (Pink, 2005). Such insights lead to the realization that having creative people on any team is essential. It’s paramount to the success of any corporation wanting to innovate and inspire with its products.

Ultimately any job focusing on routine work and repetitive mental tasks can and probably will be outsourced in the future, and many including manufacturing, data entry, accounting, call support, legal assistance, and others already have been for years.

As if in response to this, bloggers such as culture writer Gabriel Navarro discuss the necessity for employees to be consistently upskilling in modern workplaces:

Rewarding yourself is a powerful way to acknowledge your accomplishments and practice self-care. But it’s important to choose rewards that align with your goals for well-being. 

We all deserve the occasional indulgence, of course! But when it comes to truly celebrating you, I challenge you to upgrade your rewards.

Instead of the extra glass of wine, choose something that nourishes your mind, body, or spirit in some way (or enjoy your wine and do something else as well). Spend time on your favorite hobby, get cozy and watch a movie, or treat yourself to a nourishing meal.

Let me start by saying that the fact that you exist is reason enough to celebrate. You are fabulous! So please don’t wait for a special occasion to treat yourself.

I’m willing to bet that you make your corner of the world a better place, simply by being who you are.

Self-celebration is often overlooked in our fast-paced society, where external achievements are valued above all else. But, taking the time to celebrate yourself is crucial for your overall well-being and happiness.

In fact, your job to carve out time to praise yourself for all that you do!

It’s so easy to fall to the bottom of your own priority list. But remember, you can’t be on your game for others when you’re run down.

It’s time to celebrate yourself because you are amazing! When’s the last time you took time out to honor yourself for simply being who you are? Today I’m sharing 20 simple ways to infuse self-love and appreciation into your day, so you can bloom in all areas of life.

By prioritizing wellbeing and engaging in activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul, you are sending a powerful message to yourself: you are worthy of love and care.

From treating yourself to a special meal to practicing self-care rituals, these tips will help you prioritize your own needs and appreciate all that you have achieved. So, if you’re ready to start celebrating yourself and boosting your confidence, let’s dive in!

When you said you were in the business of helping people live awesome lives, I will admit that I laughed at you. I laughed because, up until that point, my life had been anything but.

You know the story as well as I do: I was caught in a twister of addiction, anorexia, and trauma.

By my mid-20s, it felt like I’d lived several lifetimes worth of pain. And I’d become so deeply accustomed to it, I figured I’d live out the rest of my life as a shell of what I could’ve been.