1. Self Awareness "Self-knowledge is the great power by which we comprehend and control our lives." -- Vernon Howard

2. Definition • Self awareness is defined as understanding what is important to you, understanding how you experience things, knowing what you want, knowing how you feel, and knowing how you come across to others

3. Key areas of Self Awareness • To become more self-aware, we should develop an understanding of ourselves in 5 key areas: • Personality traits • Personal values • Habits • Needs • Emotions

4. Personality • We normally don’t change our personalities based on what we learn about ourselves. • Understanding our personalities can help us: • Find situations in which we’ll thrive • Help us avoid stressful situations

5. Values • Our daily “things-to-do” list is quite excessive • Can often lose focus on our main priorities • When we focus on our values, we are likely to accomplish what we find most important.

6. Habits • We would all like to possess the habits that help our relationships with others. • The truth is that we all have habits that decrease our relationship effectiveness • Understanding these habits can help our relationships with our managers and our co-workers

7. needs • We all have needs that govern our choices, but we must be careful not to attribute the label “need” to our “wants” • Figuring out the difference between what we need and what we want can change the way we behave • Understanding our needs can improve our daily lives and interactions with others

8. Emotions • Everyone has emotions • Emotions can be tricky • Regulating emotional responses is important • The human condition prompts immediate emotional responses • The key to regulating emotions is to understand your own and practice self-mediation

9. Becoming self-aware • Visit self-improvement websites • Browse self-improvement books • Think critically about the 5 key areas • Be your own Life CoachThe Pocket Life Coach by Clare Gaskell • Examine your values and beliefs and compare them to your lifestyle