Aristotle Learning Is Best When You Dont Know Youre Doing It

Commodity first published on Alistair Cox'south LinkedIn on 26th January 2021.

If I asked you, "what's your favourite colour?", "what's your favourite nutrient?" or "what's your favourite motion picture?" you lot'd most probable be able to respond, probably instantly.

Simply, if I asked you, "what are your cadre values?", "what is your strongest forcefulness?", or "what is your weakest weakness?", would the answers come so easily to y'all?

What defines you every bit a person? The things you value most in life or whether yous prefer pizza to burgers?

It'southward astonishing how little we might actually know most ourselves, and that'due south considering nosotros've never asked.

How curious are y'all about yourself?

It's highly probable you've never asked yourself these kinds of confronting questions before. About people oasis't. If you have, it'southward probably just been in preparation for a task interview. Information technology's therefore very likely that yous're looking in the mirror but non really seeing your true self. Many of u.s. alive our lives on autopilot and fail to take the time to actually understand ourselves; to reflect on who nosotros are and what we want. Information technology's sad to say, just oftentimes others may well have a more accurate picture of us than nosotros practise of ourselves.

Nosotros're always striving towards the next achievement and the next goal, and we don't take time to call up nigh how we did (or didn't) achieve the last 1. It doesn't fifty-fifty occur to us to analyse what we could do amend next time.

We often go through life doing the same things, making the same choices, taking the same paths and we wonder why the outcome isn't dissimilar each time. Many of us are in a abiding cycle of 'more than of the same'. Why? Because we aren't practising self-reflection in whatsoever meaningful style.

That'south a trouble, only it's i that can be fixed.

Incorporating regular self-reflection into our personal and professional lives is the key. To be at our virtually successful and happy, we must, as I've explained previously, be curious about the world around us. Nonetheless, nosotros must also be equally curious about who we are as people.

I firmly believe that events over the past year have changed u.s. for good. When cipher can exist taken for granted anymore, nosotros alter how we meet the world and what really matters to us. Whatever our individual circumstances, we have been afforded the time to reflect on our lives, the decisions nosotros've already made, and those nosotros are yet to take. If you've used that time wisely, you've got a head start on self-reflection, had some practice and many are now starting to appreciate its value. The play a joke on now: making this exercise a permanent habit.

What is cocky-reflection?

What do we actually hateful by self-reflection? Cocky-reflection is defined past the Cambridge Dictionary every bit "the activity of thinking most your own feelings and behaviour, and the reasons that might prevarication behind them."

The practice of self-reflection is an extremely powerful ane, but it can exist uncomfortable. The key is to reflect in a non-judgemental way, with the principal aim of striving towards self-comeback and learning via constructive suggestions, not self-criticism and negativity, or self-reinforcement of what nosotros already think we know. Only by understanding the forces and motivations, both good and bad, that got yous to where you are today and how you lot experience about that, volition you be able to see more clearly where you want to go next and how you're going to get there.

Be warned though: this is non easy and if done well will probable be confronting. Information technology is not a test with right and wrong answers. Information technology is not something to be washed within a time limit. Your answers do non make you "skillful" or "bad". No i is listening and judging you. Simply if your answers here are honest, authentic and true to yourself, they will paint your film.

The fact that self-reflection is hard is probably why we don't do information technology more than often; why well-nigh of united states are strangers to ourselves. Perhaps we presume that we already know who nosotros are, that we're clear what drives and motivates usa, what we're good at, what we're bad at. However, many of us autumn into the trap of making these presumptions without really knowing where they come from. But actually, they are ofttimes incorrect, biased and can unknowingly atomic number 82 us to brand the incorrect choices and decisions.

Self-reflection tin also boost performance at work

As Aristotle put information technology, "Knowing yourself is the get-go of all wisdom." And that wisdom extends into our professional person, as well as our personal, life. Here'southward how:

• It can heave motivation and energy levels at work: As explained in their Harvard Concern Review article, professors at the University of Florida and the University of Maryland found that those leaders who practised self-reflection each morning, asking themselves what makes them a good leader, felt more motivated and less depleted at work.
• It can boost happiness at work: Research institute that those commuters who used their travelling fourth dimension to prepare and plan for the day ahead were happier and more productive.
• It can build our cocky-conviction at work: By practising regular cocky-reflection, we are more than likely to create better experiences and brand better decisions. When this happens more often, and we experience more positive outcomes, we beginning to meet ourselves every bit more capable and confident, boosting our self-esteem in the process.
• It can aid the states develop resilience to bargain with challenges and change at work: Cocky-reflection can assist u.s. recognise and break the bike of abiding negative self-talk and self-limiting beliefs. It tin help united states of america run across ourselves for the stiff, capable and talented people we are, thus building our resilience in the process.
• It can assist u.s.a. become more than compassionate at piece of work: By understanding our innermost motivations, worries, likes and dislikes, we develop a level of emotional intelligence which allows us to be more than compassionate and empathetic to the unique situation and perspectives of others in our working lives.
• It can help us become better learners: Regular self-reflection will help us go ameliorate learners because it enables us to be more aware of how we learn all-time. Importantly, it volition help us more readily adopt a growth mindset and practise more self-appreciation, meaning when faced with failure we are more than easily able to appreciate the learnings and motion forrad in a positive mode. A willingness and ability to go on learning is one of the key attributes people are looking for in the talent they recruit today, and so it's important for your career.

How to do self-reflection

With all this in mind, how tin can we get better at true self-reflection and brand improve career decisions?

Ask yourself the right questions

The questions you enquire yourself are the key to unlocking those things that y'all don't already know about yourself. Only by asking yourself the right questions, and by asking them regularly, volition you get to the true answers, and thus go on to make the right career decisions.

But what questions should you lot enquire yourself when it comes to self-reflecting on your career? Hither are a few ideas to get you started:

1. What is my ultimate career goal? Is my current role going to help me accomplish it?

two. How practice I personally ascertain career success? Are my goals truly fulfilling me, or is that definition impacted past the opinions and perspectives of others?

three. How will I feel in five years' fourth dimension if I don't brand any changes to my electric current career trajectory?

4. If I'm coasting in my electric current role, what is the root cause?

5. Exercise I know what my current skills gaps are and how I tin fill them?

6. What are the self-limiting, negative stories I tell myself every 24-hour interval that could be holding me back? Where do those stories originate from and on what facts (if any) are they based?

7. If I recall back to a time when I was performing at my all-time, what was I doing, thinking and feeling?

8. What am I naturally good at? What comes hands to me and puts me into that 'menstruum' state?

9. Which strengths do I most adore in myself? Which accomplishments am I most proud of?

10. When did I last push myself out of my comfort zone? Do I actually have a growth mindset in terms of my career?

11. What could I have achieved over the last twelvemonth that I didn't? Why didn't I?

When you're answering these questions, effort to accept a step back. They don't need to be answered instantly. Ruminate on them and mull them over. My personal play tricks is to think about them as if yous're a stranger to yourself, ridding yourself of bias or preconceptions. Never reply them in ways you think others in your life or lodge would want to hear. Simon Sinek recommends looking at a state of affairs equally if you were the third person evaluating it, and I observe that 'detachment' helpful when I explore my own story. Analyse your behaviour, decisions and deportment with no judgement and an open mind. This is what will permit you to make the right career decisions for you going frontward.

Be clear on your personal values

When self-reflecting, perhaps ane of the most hard questions to answer almost yourself is, "what are my personal values?" Our personal values are the things that are important to u.s.a., that guide and motivate us, that directly the life we build for ourselves. They are the Dna of our personality and are unique to y'all. If you're non clear on what yours are, how will you identify and reach your goals, make the right decisions and build the career and life you want to live?

All of us are different, we all have different personal values. However, as explained by Dr John Demartini, many misfile theirs for what they think they should be. When asked what their values are, most volition unknowingly reel off a listing of ideals in a bid to fit into whatever society says should be important to them. This is pointless and will pb you nowhere.

How practice you sympathise what your own personal values are? As philanthropist and life omnibus Stefan James explains, ask yourself, "what's important to me in my life?" Permit the answer come up to you without judgement and write it downward. Perhaps family comes to your listen first – very few of usa would say family is unimportant to united states. Merely 'family' isn't a value. To decide your values, recollect virtually what emotions your family unit galvanises in you – love, connection, pride or support, for instance. Then, ask yourself the same question over again, "what's of import to me in my life?" Permit the reply come to you without judgement and write information technology downwards. And go along asking yourself the same question. Then, order the values y'all've written down into a hierarchy. What's virtually important to y'all? What'south at the superlative of the listing?

Understanding what your values are - the principles that underpin you every bit a unique man being - can help you get on the right track and importantly stay on it. Having a articulate picture of your core values tin can also aid y'all see what'southward important, what's worth your time and what isn't, and ultimately give you a sense of purpose.

This kind of focus and clarity is vital to making the right strategic career decisions throughout your life. It'southward almost impossible to imagine how you will accomplish your goals without information technology! Agreement and living by your personal values will affect the fashion you interact with others and form relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. It will inform your choices around the piece of work you lot pursue, which employer to work for, and your delivery to establishing a work-life rest.

Anybody self-reflects differently

Documenting what you've plant during your self-reflection exercises will help it all seem more than real, more memorable, more impactful and more actionable to yous. Some proceed a journal, some prefer uncomplicated notes on their phone, others adopt talking with a colleague, manager, mentor, family unit member, partner or friend.

I often expect dorsum on my own notes, some of them many years old now, and they bring into sharp calorie-free what matters to me almost. Information technology is interesting to see how underlying themes remain constant, fifty-fifty as life changes around us. But it is also interesting to come across how new themes can emerge, which can then be a catalyst for positive change.

When and how often to self-reflect is likewise downwards to personal preference. What is key is making information technology a habit, something you instinctively and automatically do in a bid to improve yourself. We practice regularly to make our physical beingness meliorate, and then we should self-reflect regularly to brand ourselves mentally stronger, fitter, healthier and happier.

You may like to commit to daily reflection, at the kickoff or end of the mean solar day. Or peradventure it's a ritual you come back to at the end of a big project, before a operation review or when yous reach a career milestone. Information technology's different for everyone, but what'south of import is that y'all practise it in a space in which you lot feel relaxed, open and gratis, and that you take activity on what you've learnt.

As I said, self-reflection isn't easy. Information technology takes vulnerability, bravery, space, commitment and time. If you rush information technology, gloss over the difficult questions, give up, provide the politically right answer or just plain prevarication, y'all are only fooling yourself. No one is judging your answers apart from yourself.

Self-reflection is designed to make you better. And making improvements to anything in life starts with honesty and hard work. So, as nosotros embark on an e'er-changed world of work, I strongly believe the power to self-reflect will be 1 of the nigh powerful skills that we tin can arm ourselves with.

Author

Alistair Cox
Chief Executive, Hays
Alistair has been the CEO of Hays, plc since Sept. 2007. An aeronautical engineer by training (Academy of Salford, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, 1982), Alistair commenced his career at British Aerospace in the military aircraft sectionalisation. From 1983-1988, he worked Schlumberger filling a number of field and research roles in the Oil & Gas Manufacture in both Europe and North America. He completed his MBA (Stanford University, California) in 1991 and returned to the UK equally a consultant for McKinsey & Co. His experience at McKinsey & Co covered a number of sectors including energy, consumer goods and manufacturing.

He moved to Blue Circumvolve Industries in 1994 as Group Strategy Director, responsible for all aspects of strategic planning and international investments for the group. During this fourth dimension, Blue Circle re-focused its concern upon heavy edifice textile in a number of new markets and in 1998, Alistair assumed the role of Regional Director responsible for Blue Circle'due south operations in Asia, based in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. He was responsible for businesses in Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. Subsequent to the acquisition of Bluish Circumvolve by Lafarge in 2001, he likewise assumed responsibility for Lafarge's operations in the region equally Regional President for Asia.

In 2002, Alistair returned to the U.k. as CEO of Xansa, a UK based IT services and back-office processing arrangement. During his 5 year tenure at Xansa, he re-focused the arrangement to create a United kingdom leading provider of back-office services beyond both the Public and Private sector and built one of the strongest offshore operations in the sector with over 6,000 people based in India.

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Source: https://www.haystalentsolutions.com/-/-knowing-yourself-is-the-beginning-of-all-wisdom.-aristotle

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