Ask Yourself These 20 Questions to Improve Your Self-Awareness

‘Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom,’ Aristotle said

Photo: Chalabala/Getty Images

It’s not exactly a revelation that self-awareness is a key component of success. In fact, we’ve been extolling its importance for thousands of years. The Greek philosopher Aristotle, who lived between 384 and 322 BC, once said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

Truly knowing yourself requires serious effort. But unfortunately, there’s no set path to self-awareness, no standardized steps you can take to reach it.

That said, taking some time to examine yourself — your skills, your desires, your motivations — helps. It’s a way to do the work of getting to know yourself better.

In an effort to become more self-aware in my own life, I developed a list of 20 questions to reflect on:

1. What am I good at?
2. What am I so-so at?
3. What am I bad at?
4. What makes me tired?
5. What is the most important thing in my life?
6. Who are the most important people in my life?
7. How much sleep do I need?
8. What stresses me out?
9. What relaxes me?
10. What’s my definition of success?
11. What type of worker am I?
12. How do I want others to see me?
13. What makes me sad?
14. What makes me happy?
15. What makes me angry?
16. What type of person do I want to be?
17. What type of friend do I want to be?
18. What do I think about myself?
19. What things do I value in life?
20. What makes me afraid?

If you want to try it for yourself, answer with the first thing that pops up in your mind, and don’t think too hard about the meaning behind a question. Everyone interprets them differently. That’s the point.

Your initial answers aren’t even that important. What matters more is that the questions get you thinking, especially those that might be difficult or…