Knowing More About Who You Are

Connecting who you are to what you want to do in life.

Mark Twain said, “If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Isn’t that everyone’s goal, to love their job? When people can match their interests, strengths, and values to their career choice, they never work a day.  

At this stage in your life, you have already discovered various interests. You may enjoy reading, playing soccer, painting, and snowboarding. As you grow, you are bound to discover many more. But, how do you connect your interests to your future?

Most people want to find a career path that coincides with their interests. You love playing soccer, so you would love a career coaching soccer. Of course, coaching is a possible career path; however, along with your interests, you must also consider your values.

Values are what you consider as important to how you live and how you work. So, what is important to you? As you move closer to attending college, choosing a major, and then choosing a career path, you will need to take time to reflect on your values and interests. In order to truly reflect and get an answer to these questions, you must first know yourself.

Who are you?

According to Meg Selig the author of Changepower! there are many reasons why it is necessary to understand who you are. For one, you live a happier existence when you can express who you are and what you want. You end up getting more out of life. When you are able to connect what you do with what you believe/value, you have less inner conflict and a greater ability to resist social pressure. You have more self-control because you know what you want, so you take the appropriate steps to achieve what you want. Overall, knowing yourself gives you a life that is richer and more exciting.

Values

One of the first steps to a better understanding of who you are is knowing what you value. This step requires self-reflection. This reflection centers on the question, what is important to you? When you match what you do with what you believe, your life is in harmony. For example, if your family is very important to you, but you don’t spend time with them because you overscheduled yourself with work and commitments, you are not matching what you do to what you value. When this occurs, you will probably experience stress and anxiety because you are not living in accordance with your values.

Many people immediately respond that they know their values include family and friends, but what else do you value? Here are some questions to consider as you take some time to reflect on what you value.

            When are you at your happiest?

            When are you most proud of yourself?

            When have you felt most satisfied?

For each of these questions, remember what you were doing at the time and who you were with. Also, consider what it took to get you to those moments. Did hard work get you to your proudest moment, or did it take honesty? These reflections will help you define your values.

Some common core values include authenticity, fun, honesty, boldness, curiosity, fairness, kindness and so many more. Many of these words sound reasonable and something to strive for; however, understanding your values is unique to you. Your values get you up in the morning and keep you moving forward in everything you do. Write down your values.

Take a look at your list of values. Are you proud of your values? If you have a list of several values, try to rank them. Which values are most important to you? Once you determine 3 or 4 top values, check to see if the life you lead matches these values. If you believe in these values, your daily tasks should work alongside each one. When your values and your life are in harmony, so are you.

Interests

Now that you have a better understanding of your values, take some time to consider your interests. What do you spend your time doing? Do you find yourself making crafts during your free time, or perhaps you prefer time outside taking a walk or a run?

Your interests may not be something you do, but they might be something you care about or are curious about. For example, you may find yourself spending time with young children whenever you have the opportunity, or you might enjoy reading articles about gender equality.

Sometimes experiences you had as a child will follow you throughout life. For example, you may have had a very positive experience the first time you flew on an airplane and ever since you’ve been interested in aviation. Or, you may have experienced a broken arm and were fascinated by the doctors and nurses that took care of you. All of these experiences make you who you are, and some of those experiences pique your interests.

Take some time and write down your interests.

Strengths

Understanding your strengths is another aspect of knowing who you are. Your strengths can include your talents and abilities, but they can also include different parts of your character.

Character is who you are at your core. It is how you act when no one else is watching.  Character ties closely to your values. So, when someone is said to have a good character, it usually means he or she has traits of honesty, integrity, and courage.

Consider the compliments you receive from others. They should give you a clue to your strengths. The following types of questions will help you reflect on your strengths:

Are you a loyal friend?

Is it important to you that everyone is treated fairly?

Do you have a love of learning?

Are you a curious person?

When you know your strengths, it helps with your self-esteem and self-confidence. It is also helpful to understand your weaknesses. When you know your weaknesses, you have a better understanding of what you need to improve, or what you need to avoid.

An understanding of both strengths and weaknesses helps you be honest with yourself and others. You will be more willing to take on certain projects and more open about when you need further assistance.

Overall, when you understand who you are, you can begin to make decisions about your future career path. Keep in mind, you are still growing and gaining experiences, so your values and strengths can change over time. Yet, as you begin the path to choosing a major, you must first take a deep look into who you are.