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34 Self Awareness Questions to Better Understand Yourself

Self awareness is an important part of personal development because it helps you understand where you are now and what your goals are for the future.

In today’s post, we list out 34 self awareness questions that we should all ask ourselves on a regular basis in order to better understand our values, what makes us happy, how confident we are in who we are, and how self-sabotaging or self-defeating behaviors can be a hindrance to achieving our best self.

key areas of self awareness

What are the key areas of self awareness?

Some key areas of self awareness are self knowledge, self esteem, self actualization and self discipline.

Self knowledge is knowing yourself. It means acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses, recognizing your interests and which activities you enjoy the most. You need to know that you’re not perfect but there are things that you excel in as well as things about yourself that need work in order for you to reach all of your potential.

Getting an understanding of your beliefs is also important because these will shape who you are (self awareness questions).

Self esteem. It means believing in and feeling good about yourself and your abilities. It means knowing that you’re capable of doing anything and not letting any doubts or fears creeping up on you.

Self actualization means living up to your potential. Self actualization, in a sense means becoming the best version of yourself that you can be. 

Self discipline means being able to make decisions. It includes being able to say no to the things you’re not excited about or something that is not moving you forward.

34 Self Awareness Question to ask yourself

  1. What motivates me?
  2. What do I want to accomplish?
  3. What’s my definition of success?
  4. What does vulnerability mean to me?
  5. Who are the people in my life that matter most and why?
  6. How would I describe myself at work or school, now and in five years from now? What am I doing today to get there?
  7. Why am I not fulfilled when… (fill-in a time you were not fulfilled)
  8. What are my self-defining moments?
  9. Who loves me unconditionally no matter what I do or say?
  10. Am I willing to take risks for what matters most in life?
  11. Is there a certain value I hold more than others? What does it mean to me and why is that important to have in my life?
  12. Who am I really focusing on changing – myself or others around me?
  13. Which of these values would most define the person you want to be, as opposed with who you think other people see you as being already: honesty/integrity; kindness/compassionate; self-discipline; intelligence.
  14. How can I identify opportunities — or potential obstacles–to achieving my goals based on past experience and current circumstances (e.g., family, peers, self-esteem)?
  15. How often do I spend time alone with myself without distractions from media or other people?
  16. What’s my preferred way of working? (e.g., situations; tasks) Who is the best person to consult with when making decisions that have a high emotional charge or are otherwise difficult for me?
  17. Which of these values would most define the relationships you want to build: open/trustful dialogue; selfless service; acceptance/kindness; mastery and self-sufficiency.
  18. How do I make time for myself on a daily basis? What type of environment am I in now that makes it easy–or more challenging–to take care of myself physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually? How can I find an environment that will support me in living healthy habits each day?
  19. Is there anything I do that makes me feel self-conscious or self-critical?
  20. What is the best thing about myself in general–and why? What are my most significant characteristics as a person, both good and bad (e.g., selfless/selfish; envious)?
  21. How can I be more compassionate with myself on a daily basis?
  22. What would make today great, even if nothing else happened beyond this morning?
  23. What are my self-defining moments?

24. What do I respect about myself?

25. Am I self defeating or self sabotaging myself without realizing it?

26. Do I have a self pity party as often as possible, always focusing on what’s not going well, instead of all the good things life has brought me so far?

27. Is my self esteem based more on external factors and less on how great of a person I am deep down inside?

28. If someone had never met me before but took one look at my Facebook page (or something similar), would they be impressed by who they saw there, or discouraged about getting to know this person better because I seem too self-centered?

29. Do I expect more from myself than other people would demand, or do I self-sabotage in some way to avoid success (for example by not taking on a project because it seems too hard)?

30. Have my self esteem issues made me feel self conscious about things that don’t matter while ignoring the great aspects of who I am and all of the amazing qualities that make me unique?

31. Do I have an accurate sense of who I am?

32. Am I able to admit my mistakes without feeling like a failure?

33. Is self-awareness something I struggle with?

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34. Am I self-aware in my life, relationships and career?

If you are enjoying this post, check out our self reflection quotes for personal growth. 

What are a few examples of self awareness?

  1. Having the ability to recognize your emotions. Having this ability will help you to know what triggers certain emotions and feelings.
  2. Knowing who you are as a person, including your strengths and shortcomings. Know your boundaries and limits in different situations.
  3. Understanding how the world is affecting you at any given moment. This will allow you to develop coping strategies that work best for yourself.
  4. Being aware of your self-esteem.
  5. Recognizing when you are feeling self-conscious.
  6. Being true to what you believe in and stand for without any outside influence.

Overall, self awareness is the first step to knowing ourselves better. To understand what makes you happy, there are many questions you can ask yourself to get a snapshot of your life.

But in order to truly understand yourself, and be grounded in who you are, asking the right questions on a regular basis will give you insight into how to live your best life now and for the future. 

We hope you’ve found these self awareness questions helpful today! If you have any feedback on these, let us know in the comments below.

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InspiredLife ShopWear Your Motivation. Inspire Your Space.