How well do you know yourself?
I mean, you probably know things like what your favorite color is, what your pet peeves are, and what you want to watch on Netflix later.
But, how much time have you actually taken to really get to know yourself?
To achieve the kind of success that’s right for you, you must first get to the heart of who you truly are and what you believe in!
Knowing your core values, interests, strengths and goals helps you to:
And of course, in order to change something, you must first be aware of it.
The more you understand it, the more you will be able to control it.
So, if there’s anything you’d like to improve – career, finances, relationships, health, spirituality, your confidence, yourself – you’ve got to know where you are starting from and where you want to go.
If you’re interested in seeing how well you know yourself and getting to know yourself better, here are 71 questions designed to help you do just that!
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A Quick Note About the Dangers of Self-Improvement
I want to quickly address something important.
This blog is about personal development.
It’s about becoming a better person, increasing your productivity, adopting habits of success, and managing all the stress and anxiety that comes along with those pursuits.
But, in this never-ending quest for self-improvement, I don’t want any of us to forget that we are enough. Just as we are.
Your worth is not measured by titles, material possessions, beauty, social status, or any other extrinsic accomplishments.
And you are more than just your thoughts -which are not facts, and emotions -which are temporary and malleable.
So, let’s remember that we are all unique, miraculous beings already. Just as we are.
The more we can accept ourselves just as we are (in a compassionate, self-love sort of way, not in a conceited, state of denial sort of way), the more we will be able to help ourselves improve.
And we have all the tools at our disposal to grow and change and try new things and become better and fail and learn and succeed!
Just don’t forget that this life is a precious (and fleeting) gift that is meant to be enjoyed.
It’s great to aspire but it’s equally important to be mindful and grateful.
If you have difficulty accepting yourself for who you are or being compassionate towards yourself, try practicing mindful meditation.
It helps you to witness, but not judge your thoughts and emotions … which leads to better understanding and acceptance.
Perception and Metaperception
Have you ever given a speech and been soooo nervous but afterwards your friend told you that you did great and they couldn’t even tell?
That’s because of the “illusion of transparency”!
We think everyone can tell what’s going on inside of us because it seems so obvious.
But, the truth is probably that when our palms are sweating, our hearts are racing and our thoughts are going a million miles an hour – no one knows.
We’re not as transparent as we think.
How you think others view you comes more from how you view yourself than anything else.
When it comes to who you are, there’s how:
The more you get to know yourself, the more you will be able to accurately interpret how others see you.
Then you can decide if that’s who you really are or how you want to be seen and change things if necessary/desirable.
So, try and be as honest as possible with yourself about these questions!
How Well Do You Know Yourself? 71 Insightful Questions
Get to Know Yourself: Questions 1-15
1. What are you afraid of?
2. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
3. Are you typically bold or risk averse?
4. What are some causes you believe in? (animal rights, environmental protection, gun laws, etc.)
5. What are some things you want to work on/learn about? (being more productive, building confidence, reducing stress & anxiety)
6. Are you generally decisive or do you struggle to make decisions?
7. What keeps you up at night? (injustice, cruelty, health, living up to expectations, student loan debt, etc.)
8. What kind of life did you envision for yourself when you were younger?
9. Do you often trust your gut/intuition?
10. Do you have any limiting beliefs?
11. What would you do if you had six months to live?
12. Do you have any regrets?
13. What regrets do you want to avoid having in the future?
14. What does your ideal life look like?
15. Whose advice/opinions do you value the most? (parents, experts, YouTube stars, peers, spouse, etc.)
Questions 16-31
16. What has been your greatest accomplishment in life so far?
17. Your biggest failure?
18. What was the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
19. Who or what inspires you?
20. Do you have any favorite quotes and what do they say about you?
21. How is your social image different from who you really are?
22. How do you want to be perceived?
23. Do you frequently get overwhelmed?
24. What’s something people often misunderstand about you?
25. Do you think it is more important to follow the rules or to do what you think is right?
26. Do you believe in your ability to accomplish your goals?
27. What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
28. What message do you have for your future self?
29. What’s your “why”?
30. Do you believe you have a purpose & if so, what is it?
31. What makes you happy?
Get to Know Yourself: Questions 32-47
32. What are you grateful for?
33. What’s your favorite book & what does that tell you about yourself? (one of mine is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss)
34. Do you prefer to work alone or to collaborate?
35. What sort of things do you like to do? (DIY projects, sports, going out to eat, etc.)
36. Do you like your job? Why/why not?
37. What are some qualities about others that bother you? Why?
38. What qualities do you admire in others? Why?
39. Are you more of an optimist, pessimist, realist, dreamer or pragmatist?
40. What are some of your best qualities? Worst?
41. What kind of career do you want? (work for a philanthropic company, start your own business, etc.)
42. What’s most important to you in terms of your career (the company’s mission, opportunity for advancement, stability, salary, etc.)
43. Where do you want to be in 1 year? 5? Even further down the road?
44. What stresses you out (public speaking, being around people, sensory overload, etc.) & how can you use that stress to your advantage?
45. Do you like to try new things?
46. Do you feel stuck in any areas of your life?
47. What are your insecurities?
Questions 48-63
48. What are your core values?
49. When are you in the “flow”?
50. Are you more introverted or extroverted?
52. What have you learned from your failures?
53. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
54. What is the meaning of life?
55. When are you most confident?
56. How have you changed in the past year? 5 years?
57. What makes you proud?
58. What makes you mad/frustrated?
59. Do you think most people are basically good or evil?
60. What’s your political stance?
61. What higher power, if any, do you believe in?
62. What’s your biggest goal right now?
63. What makes you emotional?
Get to Know Yourself: Questions 64-71
64. What’s something you’ve never done and would like to do?
65. What would you do if you won the lottery?
66. Are you willing to work hard for what you want?
67. Do you think you have the ability to change/improve?
68. What is your greatest challenge right now?
69. Do you work well under pressure? How's your time management?
70. What things from your childhood have had the most impact on who you are today?
71. What’s your definition of success?
Continue Getting to Know Yourself
Life is constantly moving; things are always changing.
What was true six months ago may not be true anymore.
So, don’t put yourself in a box!
Notice how your experiences are shaping you and give yourself room to grow.
Come back to this list every so often and answer the questions again. You might be surprised how much has changed!
Over to you … any questions to get to know yourself better that I didn’t include? Please leave them in the comments!
