5 Reasons Improved Self-Awareness Can Make You a Success

self-awareness
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Practical skills, education and training only go so far. Improving your self-awareness could make a bigger difference than you’d think, if you want to advance your career.

Part of the way that we’re going to stay competitive against the robots is by besting them in skills that are uniquely human. Sure, a machine might have better precision or diligence than a person, but they can’t be as innovative or compassionate.

Developing certain soft skills can ensure that your career will continue to progress in changing times. Self-awareness is one of those key skills.

Here are a few ways that deepening and enriching your self-awareness encourages success:

1. You’ll illuminate the good and the bad

Self-awareness allows you to better diagnose, and therefore correct, your weaknesses at work. And, it also helps you to see your strengths. Developing a deeper understanding of both could do wonders for your career.

You can use your strengths to develop your weaknesses. For example, you can lean on your awesome communication skills to help you improve your relationships with difficult clients. Or, you can rely upon your positivity and hard-working attitude to help you wade your way through learning a new and difficult skill.

2. Research has linked it with success

Research has found a real connection between emotional intelligence, career advancement and earnings. One study, from TalentSmart, even found that it was the single best predictor of performance. They found that 90 percent of top performers have high emotional intelligence.

TalentSmart also identified that people with high emotional intelligence earned more – an average of $29,000 more per year to be exact. This is because the skills associated with this kind of intelligence, like self-awareness, are critical in so many ways. It creates the foundation from which you act and react throughout the day. So, if you want to get ahead at work, focusing on developing these skills is a great place to start.

3. You’ll self-regulate more reliably and effectively

Self-awareness comes with maturity. Think about a toddler who is overtired after a long morning. They probably don’t know that they need a nap, so instead they lash out in anger or frustration. That’s because of a lack of self-awareness.

As you age, you’re expected to understand yourself, and your subsequent reactions to the world, a little better. This skill can continue to deepen over time. As it does, your ability to self-regulate will improve, too. When your boss undermines your efforts, you’ll be more likely to respond in a constructive way rather than a destructive one.

4. You’ll set a good example

When your self-awareness improves, others around you just might develop theirs, as well. That makes for better teamwork and better results. And that could be good for everyone and for business in general.

5. You’ll be more authentic

Self-awareness allows you to be in touch with your emotions and to stay on top of them as they continue to develop. When you know how you’re really feeling, you’ll be able to respond to situations as they arise in a way that you can feel proud of later.

Authenticity can benefit your career in several ways. First, it’s more comfortable for you, which is a pretty big deal. Also though, you’ll come off as more authentic when you’re more self-aware, and that’s something that a lot of people respond to very positively.

Getting ahead at work isn’t all about bringing in more money or working harder than anyone else. It’s also about allowing your best authentic self to thrive and shine regularly and reliably. That will almost certainly lead to some pretty awesome professional gains.

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