What does it take to become successful? Hard work? Time? Tenacity? In truth, it’s like asking “how long is a piece of string?” – there isn’t really a set answer. However, if we asked you what you needed to do to be successful, what would you say? It’s almost guaranteed that you will mainly consider the physical, tangible things you could do.
Of course, development of professional skills, expanding your knowledge and building business relationships will all help you on your way. That being said, something that can easily be overlooked is the power of looking within. We’re talking about the importance of self reflection and how it can help you to reach your goals.
Being self-aware, in a professional sense, involves understanding how you work, what motivates you and most of all, being able to criticise yourself in a constructive way. Growth relies on change, and you can’t make the right changes to your working life without self-reflection.
It’s easy to feel secure in the way we work, and if things are going well, why shouldn’t you feel that way? Then again, it’s just as easy to fall into a stagnant routine, to find yourself stuck but there is always room for improvement.
Realising the importance of self reflection
If you have professional goals, are hungry for success or simply looking to be the best you can be at what you do, it’s time to take a long, hard look at yourself – you may be surprised at what you learn! Here are some questions you may want to consider:
What do YOU want?
This is the most obvious one. We can often lose sight of our own wants and needs when it comes to work. As teenagers, pushy parents can try to steer your career in a certain direction, or as adults our managers may have plans in mind for where they want us to go. So, that’s what we end up aiming for, we do what is expected of us and convince ourselves that it’s what we want.
If you hate what you do, will a promotion make you happy? If you reach the top of your game in your current industry, will you feel like you’ve made it if you aren’t passionate about it? Success means different things to different people. It’s not always about status and money, happiness is a big factor, too.
The secret is – it’s pretty hard to be successful doing something you don’t really want to do or at least somewhat enjoy. Success takes blood, sweat and tears – it’s even tougher if your heart isn’t in it.
Realising the importance of self reflection and taking the time to really think about what you want and what would make you happy could give you a real opportunity to steer your career onto the right path for you. You may realise that what you’re doing now is exactly the right thing! Either way, it helps to know, that way you can plan your next steps.
What are you good at?
This isn’t about ego-stroking or being modest either, it’s about being honest with yourself. Have a think about your skill set, what can you offer professionally? What are you particularly good at? What do you like doing at work? Write them down, you may not have known just how much of an asset you are!
Gaining a good understanding of your professional strengths can help you in many ways. It can help you identify a career or a development path you should take, you can incorporate them into your working life more in order to excel in your current role and they can help you identify what to do to improve them even further.
What are you not so good at?
This is the unpleasant part; human pride can make our flaws seem like a bitter pill to swallow. Yet, in the quest for success, identifying your weaknesses will only make you stronger.
Explore the things you find difficult, the skills you currently lack and the areas in which you need to improve. Don’t beat yourself up about them, you’re only human, everyone has their imperfections – it’s what you do about them that counts. Sweeping them under the rug by shying away from tasks you struggle with, or simply don’t enjoy, will only hold you back.
Take a deep breath, and be totally honest with yourself. This way you can start thinking about ways to tackle your weaknesses so that one day they may become strengths!
What do others think?
Sometimes you can’t see the woods for the trees. When it comes to how we view ourselves, we’re a little biased; we may think we come across in a certain way, when really we couldn’t be more far off the mark. This can lead to us being stuck in our ways or getting into bad habits because we don’t think we need to change.
The best way to make sure that you see yourself in the most accurate light, and to become truly self-aware, is to gather opinions from others.
In a professional sense, a great way to do this is to seek feedback from your colleagues and superiors; this will allow you to understand how others see you and identify any further areas for improvement. Talking to a manager can also be valuable, they obviously know what it takes to do well; they may have some valuable advice for you to take on board.
What’s the plan?
By now, you have a thorough understanding of where you want to be, what you’re good at and where you need to improve. It’s time to bring it all together and work out just how you’re going to do it.
Do your research, talk to friends, family or colleagues and really weigh up your options so you know that you can take the right step forward. Consider every possible path that will take you where you want to be and every way you can reach your goals; this way you’re prepared for every twist in the road.
Once you have a plan in place, you’ll feel motivated and like you have a new sense of direction. Stay focused and you’ll get there!
Do you have some thoughts to share on the importance of self reflection? Leave us a comment below!
