HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
With 2022 just around the corner its the time of year when people start to reflect on their life in the past year and start to make small changes on the next. The only advice we have here is theres no such thing as a mistake or failure. Everything that is 'wrong' or you have 'failed' at is all just learning curves. You cant learn without having problems in the past. You need to take the problems and overcome them! Thats how you learn and suceed.
But for this topic were not going to talk about how to learn and overcome were going to go into a completley different direction with a new year Self Awareness QUIZ!!!
1. Can you name the behaviors that you are doing at all times?
a) Yes, I’m always intentional with my behaviors and can name what I’m taking part in at all times.
b) Sometimes. I’m usually aware of what I’m doing, although at times, I get caught up in something or don’t realize what I’m doing.
c) No, I rarely am aware of what my body or mind is doing.
While it might seem obvious, it can be challenging to recognize our own behaviors. Every day, we have to make over 2,000 decisions. Because this number is so high, our brain usually takes over and acts without us being conscious of it. Our emotional brain has more power than our thinking brain does. All of these unconscious decisions decrease our self-awareness. We also default to our typical routines and patterns without consciously identifying the shift.
2. Can you name the emotions that you are feeling at all times?
a) Yes, I can always identify and name the emotion I’m feeling at any given moment.
b) Sometimes. I’m usually aware of what emotion I’m feeling. However, it takes me a few moments to recognize it, and strong emotions sometimes catch me off-guard.
c) No, I rarely think about what emotion I’m feeling. I just feel something and act accordingly.
Emotional intelligence is perhaps the foundation of all self-awareness, but it’s not easy. Humans are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Our amygdala sparks emotions deep within us. These driving emotions get in the way of our rational thinking. The more self-aware you are of your emotions, the better you can control them.
3. Can you identify what causes a shift to negative emotions?
a) Yes, I can always identify what causes me to shift to negative emotions, whether it be an event, person, or recurring trigger.
b) Sometimes. I can usually identify what caused a shift in emotions, although it takes a little while for me to catch on.
c) No, I rarely know what specifically causes me to shift to negative emotions. All of a sudden, I’m no longer happy and I don’t know why.
I know it’s difficult to believe, but we don’t just “switch” to negative emotions for no apparent reason. There’s almost always something that causes this shift. The problem is that we don’t always know what this “something” is (generally because it’s hard enough just to name our negative emotion in the first place). After taking this free self-awareness test, try to consciously recognize when you shift into a bad mood and what might have caused it.
4. Can you name the emotional patterns you experience the most?
a) Yes, I can list my standard emotional patterns right now, including what they are, what causes them, and what effect they have on my life.
b) Somewhat. I generally know what I have a tendency to do, but it’s not always consistent or recognizable.
c) No, I have no idea what emotional patterns I repeat. I have emotions, but I can’t name any trends with when or why they happen.
If emotions are difficult to identify, emotional patterns can be even trickier. We all fall into emotional patterns, both negative and positive, that repeat themselves in our lives. Once you’re self-aware of these patterns, you can begin to improve your negative patterns and construct your positive ones.
5. Can you name your deepest fear triggers?
a) Yes, I’m self-aware of my deepest fears and what triggers these fears in my everyday life. I understand how pervasive these fears are in my thoughts and actions.
b) Somewhat. I can tell you what I’m most scared of, but I don’t fully know how it affects my life and daily actions.
c) No, I have no idea what a fear trigger even is or if I have one.
One of the strongest human motivators is the emotion of fear. Starting in our evolutionary history, fear helped us survive from potential threats. In today’s age, this fear still drives us, even when we’re not in imminent danger. Additionally, we’ve all developed our own deep-rooted fears. By increasing your self-awareness of what causes your fear, you can better manage your emotional reactions when it gets triggered.
6. Can you name your deepest shame triggers?
a) Yes, I know the things that give me the most shame and what triggers this shame in my everyday life. I understand how pervasive this shame is in my thoughts and actions.
b) Somewhat. I can tell you what I’m most ashamed of, but I don’t fully know how it affects my life and daily actions.
c) No, I have no idea what a shame trigger even is or if I have one.
The other powerful motivating emotion is shame. We’re not self-aware of how shame, and the avoidance of shame, drive our thinking and behaviors. To limit the effect that shame has, we need to develop greater self-awareness of what triggers our shame the most.
7. Can you name the principles and values you believe in the most?
a) Yes, I can list my guiding principles and core values right now. I know how to distinguish between what I care about and the outside influence of others.
b) Somewhat. I can name a few principles and qualities that are most important to me, but I haven’t given this list a lot of thought.
c) No, I have no idea what values I personally believe in the most.
Self-awareness extends beyond identifying our emotions (although being self-aware of our emotions is the foundation). Understanding our principles and core values is a crucial component of self-awareness. To be happy, you must discover what core values you want to guide your life.
8. How much do you consider these principles when making decisions?
a) A lot. Not only do I know what these principles are, but I design my life and decision-making around them. They give clarity to my decisions.
b) Somewhat. I know what my principles are but don’t really know when they come into effect in my life.
c) Not at all. I live my life without ever giving a thought to any principles.
Naming your core values is the first step. The second step includes using these principles to guide your life and decision-making. To be self-aware, you must understand how to orient your decision-making around your core values. Only with this self-awareness can you give your life the direction you want.
9. Can you name the passions that you have and lose track of time while doing?
a) Yes, I know what I’m passionate about and why they give me joy.
b) Somewhat. I can list things that I enjoy doing, although I wouldn’t necessarily call them passions.
c) No, I don’t have any clear passions.
Many of us have a false idea of what passion and purpose should look like. Passions do not need to consume your life. Instead, passions are the things that you do that give you joy and energy. We all have passions; it merely takes some self-awareness to identify them and prioritize them in your life.
10. Can you state a list of goals and ambitions you have for yourself?
a) Yes, I can state a list of goals right now that include both short-term and long-term goals. I understand what I want out of life and can express these ambitions.
b) Somewhat. I have a few goals and ambitions, although they might not be the most defined.
c) No, I don’t really have any driving goals or ambitions in my life.
Humans are wired for self-growth. This growth is difficult to achieve, however, if you’re not self-aware of what you should be growing toward. Self-improvement needs to start with clear goals, and it takes a level of self-awareness to be able to state these goals and pursue them.
11. Can you describe the environment you thrive in the most?
a) Yes, I can describe the ideal environment that I need to be happy and be successful, including the pace, energy, and structure that I thrive in.
b) Somewhat. I know certain things that I would want, but I can’t fully describe the exact environment that I thrive in.
c) No, I don’t know what environment works best for me. I just try to make it work wherever I am.
It’s easy to only look inward when we think of self-awareness. However, real self-awareness also requires us to look outward. The more self-aware you are about your environment and how it affects you, the more you can design your life in a way that brings purpose to your life.
12. Can you identify a list of personal strengths and how they manifest themselves in your life?
a) Yes, I can list all of my strengths right now, as well as where they fit into my life and how I use them to find success.
b) Somewhat. I mostly know what I’m good at, although I couldn’t tell you exactly how I incorporate these strengths into my life.
c) No, I don’t know what my strengths are. I just try to do my best.
There’s a reason there are a lot of strength-finding tests. Being self-aware of your strengths, and how they manifest themselves in your life, is crucial to being successful in life.
13. Can you identify a list of shortcomings and how they manifest themselves in your life?
a) Yes, I can list all of my shortcomings right now, as well as how they affect my life and what I need to do to overcome them.
b) Somewhat. I mostly know what my weaknesses are, although I don’t have an exact list. I try to avoid them, but I don’t really know how they hold me back.
c) No, I don’t know what my shortcomings are.
As fun as it might be to discover our strengths, it might be unpleasant to look for our shortcomings. However, understanding our limitations is 100% necessary to be successful. Possessing the self-awareness of these limitations can help us design our life in a way that is realistic and effective.
14. Can you describe your typical reaction to new information, whether it be positive or negative?
a) Yes, I can tell you right now how I usually react to new information. I understand my natural tendencies with both what emotions I feel and what impulses I have.
b) Somewhat. I can generally describe how I react to positive and negative news, but I’m not fully aware of my emotions and thoughts.
c) No, I just react in the moment and don’t know of any patterns.
We don’t often think about a “typical” reaction, because every new piece of information feels new. However, if you do think about it, you can become self-aware of your reactions and how they repeat themselves. By doing so, you can work to downplay the negative reactions and build on your positive ones.
15. Can you name what you need in your relationships to feel fulfilled?
a) Yes, I can name exactly what I need in my life in my relationships to create a sense of belonging and feel fulfilled. Additionally, I’m able to express these needs.
b) Somewhat. I know what I need from others, although I might not know specifically what I need from each person or in different situations.
c) No, I don’t know what I need from my relationships to feel fulfilled.
We often think of relationships in terms of two people, but this narrow perspective is doing more harm than good. You must be self-aware of what you need to build meaningful relationships in your life. Trust me – self-awareness will immediately improve your relationships.
16. Can you list the relationships in your life and which ones meet your needs?
a) Yes, I can list the relationships I have in my life right now and evaluate what they give me. I know what I need to feel a strong connection.
b) Somewhat. I can list the people that are in my life, as well as my most important relationships, but my connections aren’t always perfect.
c) No, I don’t give much thought to the people in my life and which relationships meet my needs.
Not only do we need to be self-aware in our relationships, but we also need to be self-aware about the relationships in our life as a whole. Research has proven that we need different types of relationships to be happy and avoid loneliness. Greater self-awareness will help you identify which boxes might be left unchecked in your life.
17. Can you accurately describe the impact you have on others?
a) Yes, I know the impact I have on others, including what they think of me, how my words and actions affect them, and what my role is in their life.
b) Somewhat. I know what impact I have on others in general, although I couldn’t get into the specifics.
c) No, I don’t know how my words and actions affect others.
Self-awareness has two types: internal and external. Understanding the impact you have on others falls under external self-awareness, and it’s just as critical. While it’s impossible to get into the minds of others, there are strategies to help you understand the impact you have on others.
18. Can you identify where in your life biases and natural human tendencies play a role in your thinking?
a) Yes, I’m aware of where my thoughts and actions are influenced by biases and natural human tendencies. I can identify and name when these factors are getting in the way of my self-awareness and mindset.
b) Sometimes. I understand that I’m influenced by human nature, but I don’t always know what these influences are or how they affect me.
c) No, I have no idea about natural human tendencies or how they get in the way of self-awareness.
Humans are flawed and imperfect. It’s not enough to accept this fact, however, for your pursuit of self-awareness. The more you understand how our human nature affects us, the more you can develop your awareness in life. First, you must learn the different biases that affect us. Then, you can begin to identify where they affect your life.
19. Can you name your primary coping mechanisms, and what triggers them?
a) Yes, I can list my primary coping mechanisms right now and what situations trigger them. I understand how they developed in my past and can evaluate whether they still serve me now.
b) Sometimes. I know what coping mechanisms I generally use when trying to defend myself, but I can’t always recognize what triggers them.
c) No, I have no idea what coping mechanisms I default to or why.
We’re all deeply influenced by our childhood (especially when it comes to our love life). Sometime along the way, we developed coping mechanisms to deal with negative stressors. Some of us shut down and practice avoidance; others try to be perfectionists. A self-aware person can name their coping mechanisms and identify what triggers them. From there, they can better manage themselves.
20. Can you evaluate how much of an impact cultural narratives have on you, and can you identify where they influence your thinking?
a) Yes, I’m aware of the cultural narratives that exist and how they influence my thinking and perspective. I can distinguish between what I know to be true and what I feel like I should do, as told by society.
b) Sometimes. I know that cultural narratives exist and can sometimes recognize where the influence my thinkings. That being said, I imagine there are aspects of society that affect me that I don’t realize.
c) No, I don’t know what “cultural narrative” means, let alone how it affects me.
One of the elements of human nature that affect us is social comparison. We naturally look to others for answers. As a result, our culture or environment can have a significant impact on us. To improve your self-awareness, you must understand what these cultural narratives are (and especially, which ones are myths). Then, you can identify where they influence your thinking.
Scoring this self-awareness test
You can get fancy with scoring if you want to (although I’d suggest you just take the interactive quiz below if so). For simpler results, you should consider what questions you answered “b’s” and “c’s” for. For any question you answered “b” for, how can you bring greater clarity into your life in this area? For your “c” answers, I’d suggest you really dive into the topic and be intentional with questioning yourself to find the answers you’re looking for.
This test is from https://myquestionlife.com/self-awareness-test/