The importance of self-discovery by LK Tommi

“You are the greatest project that you will ever work on” – Jim Kwik.

I love this quote. It could not be truer. As human beings, we are always evolving. We are not the same person we were yesterday, nor will we be the same tomorrow. As we face new experiences and gain fresh knowledge, we are given the power to grow and develop.

However, we often don’t pay attention to this process. We don’t use our experiences as tools for self-discovery. Instead, we are passive in our own lives. We let things happen without thinking about how it is changing us, or how we can drive change for ourselves. Many people don’t embrace learning about themselves until midlife, or when a hugely negative experience impacts them and they are guided through self-discovery to help them cope.

The sooner we can encourage people to actively participate in their own self-exploration, the better they will manage in the future. Let’s investigate how.

What is your relationship with self-discovery?

As parents, we have to lead by example. So, when it comes to the topic of self-discovery, what is your experience?

I will confess I was only introduced to self-discovery when a major life event impacted my life. Up until that point, I hadn’t even heard of the concept, let alone what it meant. However, I came to understand that self-discovery is a fantastic tool for honing our personal development skills. I realised it gave me the power to change who I was into whom I wanted to be. I had the power to get myself out of a situation I didn’t want to be in.

This not only improved my life but the lives of my children. Now as a grandmother, I can see the effect that self-discovery and awareness have had on my grandchildren. They understand so much about themselves from a young age, and I want to help others harness this same self-possession.

Encouraging self-enquiry through MAP

Bringing it back to Jim Kwik, a key part of working on ‘the project of you’ is through self-enquiry. This involves asking yourself questions that encourage you to reflect on who you are and where your life is heading. As you stimulate your brain with these reflective questions, you will likely come up with an abundance of answers. These answers can help you start to realise things about yourself and drive you towards where you want to be.

But how do you get started? A Manageable Action Plan (MAP) can help you kick things off.

Step 1: Identify the questions to ask yourself

These questions can guide your self-discovery.

• What do I want to know about myself?
• How do I want to show up in this life?
• Who am I?
• What is my unique gift?
• What do you love doing that you could do over and over again?

Step 2: Make things more manageable by prioritising 

The answers in step 1 could yield multiple areas you want to improve. You can’t do it all at once, so identify what is the most vital.

• What do I want to do the most?
• What is the first thing I will do?
• What order can do things in?
• What will I do next? 

Step 3: Plan what you need

To achieve what you want, there may be certain things you need.

• Do I need someone to help me? Who?
• What do I need to learn?
• Is there somewhere I need to be?

Step 4: Get motivated

Don’t lose steam – you need to keep pushing down the path of discovery.

• What motivates you?
• What are you passionate about?
• Do you want to learn more?

Step 5: Take action

Now’s the time to get started! Take the ‘project of you’ into your hands and get going.

Time to start your journey of self-discovery through the ‘project of you’

I am sure you have completed plenty of projects, but never one focused on self-discovery. You are the most amazing person on this planet, and you should get to know yourself. I challenge you to do just that. I would love to hear all about it, and I can even help you and your family members start your journey. Reach out today to learn more.

My name is LK Tommi – I’m an educator working in the education and psychology field, and the author of a resilience-based book and journal series supporting children and teenagers to better understand their emotions, thinking, energy, and behaviour, and how it all connects with their everyday life experiences.

The people that know me well will tell you how much I love to chat.

Please connect with me at Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin: The Resilience Tutor

Website: www.theresiliencetutor.com.au