Following is a list of questions you can use to get to know yourself better. They actually come from an Elle Canada article, but they were put together by psychologists Gary Lewandowski and Brent Mattingly, whose specialty is studying the self. I recopied the questions here, because the format on Elle is an annoying, slow slide show.
Some of your answers will be the same for multiple questions, that’s OK. But I would dedicate about 30 good minutes to this (an hour would be even better). I promise it will pay dividends.
- List five adjectives or traits that describe you.
- List five of your possessions that provide insight into who you are as a person.
- List five of your skills and abilities.
- List five life experiences that have helped define who you are.
- List five attributes that you think your family and closest friends would say describe you.
- What do you know about yourself for sure?
- When you think about who you are, what aspects of your personality are most clear to you?
- Think of three examples of when you stayed true to yourself despite societal or peer pressure.
- What are three of your most important personal values, and how can standing by these beliefs benefit you in the future?
- What aspects of your personality stay the same regardless of the situation?
- If you compare yourself to others you know, what are you especially good at?
- List three things about yourself that make you proud.
- What things do you struggle with? Do you know anyone else who shares these struggles?
- What are three topics you would like to learn about? Create an action plan for deepening your understanding of at least one.
- Which three places would you like to visit in the future? What could you learn from visiting these places?
- In what ways have you improved as a person? How has this helped shape who you are today?