Self-awareness is one of the key foundations of personal growth. By gradually building self-awareness, you will have a greater understanding of what type of interactions you have with others. In short, self-awareness will help you to create and maintain the healthy life that you want and deserve.

There are two kinds of self-awareness, internal and external, both equally important. Internal self-awareness is the conscious knowledge of your own character, feelings, motives, and desires. External self-awareness will make you aware of how other people see you.

Building and creating your own self-awareness will allow you to make intuitive decisions without thinking twice.

Here are some simple ways to help you build self-awareness along your journey to optimal wellbeing:

• Test yourself. Personality tests, psychometrics, and strength assessments can start to build self-awareness by illustrating your dominant patterns and behaviors, good or bad.
• Self-Reflect. Self-reflection is the ability to look at yourself and your actions in an unbiased way. Looking back at your actions before, during, and after situations without judgment is difficult but can build long term emotional intelligence.
• Journaling. Writing about your feelings can help you reflect upon a situation, past or present. Simply write down your thoughts and feelings in Your LifeBook or a personal journal, then revisit these events and feelings to help you better understand yourself.
• Ask others. Seek input from trusted family members or friends. Ask what words describe you? What is their perception of your strengths and weaknesses? Do they notice certain tendencies or triggers in various types of situations? This honest feedback may be difficult to hear at times, but it can help you identify when you need to change or stay the same, building your whole picture –who you are, what you recognize, and how you take responsibility for your actions.

Ask me, your OPTAVIA Coach, about building self-awareness on your journey to Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time^®.