Listen to this episode of the Focus with Marlene Podcast:
Get caught up with all episodes in the Developing a New Focus series.
This is part 4 in my series, “Focus on Where You Want to Go.”
Part 1: What Do I Want to Do With The Rest of My Life?
Part 2: How to Replace Negative Self-Talk With Affirmations
Part 3: Take an Inventory of Your Routines and Habits
As we move from one stage of development to another, we seldom take time to reflect and examine what we do and why we do it.
Yet, to become the person you were meant to be requires a thorough understanding of who you are.
Who am I?
As you begin to answer that question, you might find it difficult to come up with answers because you are used to identifying yourself by your role in life or by the job or work you do. This is natural.
But if you want to go a step further, you must ask more probing questions. This month on my blog and podcast, you have begun to explore questions such as:
- What do I really like to do?
- What am I passionate about?
- What are my weaknesses?
- What are my strengths?
You may be reticent about listing them. But until you have thoroughly evaluated who you are, you won’t accomplish what you want to do. To get that genuine evaluation, you need to be honest and forthright.
Be honest about how you spend your time, how that could be improved, and what truly is important to you.
As you acknowledge your accomplishments and your strengths, celebrate who you are.
This is an exercise just for you.
It is an opportunity to be honest with yourself, uncover some truths you may not like, and challenge behaviors that conflict with what you value and believe.
For example, when you evaluate your strengths, they may include:
- Survivor
- Tenacious
- Determined
- Compassionate
- Loyal
- Able to ask for help
Your weaknesses may include:
- Find it difficult to be a good friend
- Feel vulnerable about revealing too much of myself
- Too quick to judge
- Have a temper
- Don’t listen
- Suspicious
As you examine the things that are important to you, you become aware that you might be living a life that is contradictory to what you believe and value. This can create an enormous amount of stress and unrest.
Sometimes old scripts demand you act in ways that don’t seem genuine and honest with the person you are. Some of the questions may bring up painful memories of the past that have shaped you but have left you feeling worse about yourself.
This has been an ongoing exercise of discovery. You have examined what you have accomplished, what you want to accomplish, and what has been keeping you from becoming the person you want to be. You now know a little more about who you are and what you are capable of.
Write yourself a letter.
When you have had time to review last week’s inventory, write a letter to yourself.
Tell yourself what dreams you are still serious about and why.
Write a few sentences that define who you are and all you can be.
Brainstorm ideas about how you might complete some of your goals and what you need to begin the process.
Make a commitment to yourself.
Congratulate yourself.