There’s a lot of talk these days about self-awareness, but most of it falls short of what’s really necessary to make a significant difference in your life. To do that, you need very high resolution self-awareness, which is hard to maintain when your attention is distracted or externally focused.
To move in this direction, try this 10 x 10 exercise. For ten days in a row, write in a journal for ten minutes each day. Focus on your core values. Instead of simply writing general thoughts, do this:
1. Ask yourself what thoughts come into your mind when you talk about a particular value? How have you expressed your values in life, or failed to do so?
2. Describe the way your body feels when you talk or think about that value. Do you feel more or less energy? Are you excited or nervous?
3. Review your writing for insights, and in doing so, each day you will dig a little deeper.
You don’t have to write about one value and then move on. It’s okay to focus on one value for several days in a row, being sure to stop and literally examine how you feel as well as what you think.
Developing the skill of paying attention to your thoughts and to your feelings will allow you to form a high resolution level of self-awareness.