Most of us try to live our lives with far too little information about how life really works.
If you think about it, everything in life... from kitchen gadgets to the tools we use, come with very detailed instructions. Pages of them. But the thing that matters most to us, life itself, comes with no instructions. We have to discover it ourselves!
Our personalities are shaped by genetics and life experiences. In childhood, we decide what's important to us and that influences a great deal of our personality. And, we continuously evolve. Each of us is defined by many things - our emotional habits, our belief systems, our pattern of thoughts, our cultural upbringing, our preferences, our motivations, our style of relating to others, to name a few.
Some characteristics we share in common, some we don't. What we need to function well will often be quite different from what someone else will need. This is where self-knowledge and personal insight comes in. There is a big advantage in knowing ourselves and the type of environment in which we feel nurtured. But there is also a huge advantage in knowing how a partner, a child, or a co-worker thinks, feels and sorts information. Once we recognize that not everyone is like me and that each of us sees the world through their own lens, we will quickly realize that individuals will approach similar situations differently. It is not necessary that they do it just like me.
Putting it into Practice
Self-understanding. You cannot afford to miss the richness that comes with understanding your own personality and the benefit it brings to relationships. Take time to explore one or two personality assessments, with or without a coach.
Women, Know Thyself: The most important knowledge is self-knowledge.
Learn your Signature Strengths. It has been said that foresight is better than hindsight but we believe insight tops them all. Learn your top five signature talents and understand how when they are overused can become a weakness. Understand how you stand out from others.
When Doing It All Won't Do: A Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women
Self-Assessment Resources. As the world moves faster, when you are expected to do more with less, when teamwork and innovation are essential, when there are greater cultural and international concerns, understanding psychological types offers an unmatched resource.
Directory of Self-Assessments: http://www.selfassessmentcenter.com/
Marcus Buckingham: StandOut: The Groundbreaking New Strengths Assessment from the Leader of the Strengths Revolution
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