SELF AWARENESS: THE

KEY TO PERSONAL
DEVELOPMENT
LECTURE DELIVERED AT THE DEVELOPMENT
SEMINAR AT THE 2017 JINYA WEEK PROGRAMME
AT IKORODU MOSQUE ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY
18, 2017

OKUNNU GANIU
For every nation there is a direction to which they face.
So hasten towards all that is good.   (Qur'an 2: 148)

"know thyself." Socrates

“I have to know me to grow me.” – John Maxwell

What is Self Awareness?
Self-awareness (sometimes also referred to as
self-knowledge or introspection) is about
understanding your own needs, desires, failings,
habits, and everything else that makes you tick.

The more you know about yourself, the better you

are at adapting life changes that suit your needs.
Self Awareness is having a clear perception of
your personality, including strengths, weaknesses,
thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions.

Self Awareness allows you to understand other

people, how they perceive you, your attitude and
your responses to them in the moment.
Self awareness is the first step in creating what you want
and mastering your life. Where you focus your attention,
your emotions, reactions, personality and behavior
determine where you go in life.

Having self awareness allows you to see where your

thoughts and emotions are taking you. It also allows you
to take control of your emotions, behavior, and personality
so you can make changes you want.
Why Self Awareness?
EVERYBODY IS A GENIUS
Every person has his own set of talents, abilities, skills,
and preferences.
One aspect of the Prophet's character was his ability to
lead: he employed his Companions each in accordance
with his talent and expertise.
Ali was both just and wise, so the Prophet (Blessings
and Peace be upon him) appointed him to be a judge.
Mu'aadh for his knowledge;
Khaalid for leadership in art of warfare;
Qays ibn Thaabit for public speeches (may Allah be
pleased with them all).
Why Self
Essentially, Awareness?
the more you pay attention to your emotions
and how you work, the better you'll understand why you
do the things you do. The more you know about your own
habits, the easier it is to improve on those habits.

People with a high degree of social intelligence know

themselves, have the ability to build and maintain strong
mutually beneficial relationships with others, and are able
to resolve conflict in a positive manner.
Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I)

Sensing (S) – Intuiting (N)

Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)

Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)

Self Awareness and Career Development
Studies have shown that individuals who are self-aware
make more compatible career choices, perform better and
longer in their employment positions, and derive more
satisfaction from work.

Choosing a career that is compatible with your interests

and motivations helps you find greater satisfaction in your
work.
Role of Self Awareness on our Career
Choice
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses.  Self-
awareness helps you exploit your strengths and cope with
your weaknesses.  Without self-awareness, you cannot
understand your strengths and weakness, your “super
powers” versus your “kryptonite.”
Skill development.  Improvement projects should
normally begin with an assessment of the gap between the
current situation and the desired future situation.  Having
an accurate sense of who you are helps you decide what
you should do to improve.  Often, self-awareness will
reveal a skills gap that you want to work on.
Needs and Emotional Gratification. Maslow and other
scholars have identified a variety of psychological needs
that drive our behaviors such as needs for esteem,
affection, belongingness, achievement, self-actualization,
power and control.

By applying our skills to our chosen career, we derive

gratification or happiness.
Key Areas for Self-Awareness
 Personality.  We don't normally change our
personalities, values and needs based on what we learn
about ourselves.  But, an understanding of our
personalities can help us find situations in which we will
thrive, and help us avoid situations in which we will
experience too much stress. 

For instance, if you are highly introverted, you should

either learn skills to cope with the demands of a sales
position that requires extravert-type behavior patterns, or
you should find a position that is more compatible with
your personality
Key Areas for Self-Awareness
Values.  It's important that we each know and focus on
our personal values.
During the workday, so many problems and opportunities
arise that our lists of "things to do" can easily exceed the
time we have to do them. 
 When we focus on our values, we are more likely to
accomplish what we consider most important.
Key Areas for Self-Awareness
Habits.  Our habits are the behaviors that we repeat
routinely and often automatically. 

Although we would like to possess the habits that help us

interact effectively with and manage others, we can
probably all identify at least one of our habits that
decreases our effectiveness. 
Key Areas for Self-Awareness
Needs.  One of the advantages of knowing which needs
exert the strongest influence on our own behaviors is the
ability to understand how they affect our interpersonal
relationships. 
Key Areas for Self-Awareness
 Emotions.  Emotional self-awareness has become a hot
topic of discussion recently because it's one of the five
facets of emotional intelligence.  Understanding your own
feelings, what causes them, and how they impact your
thoughts and actions is emotional self-awareness.
Self Awareness Tips for Personal
Development
Be Grateful & Recognize Your Worth. Focus on what
you already have. Think about how others benefit from
what you do. If you improve yourself, those benefits will
increase. Your personal development is for others as well
as for you.

Give up comparing yourself to others. You are unique,

with your own special power, talents, and gifts. There is
no one else in the world just like you!
Self Awareness Tips for Personal
Development
Get over your fear of failure. Whatever your desire or
need is, there is a market for it and people are waiting for
you.

Who do you admire most? If you are struggling to

notice where your seeds of potential need to be sown, just
look around you for people you admire and respect. If you
admire someone who is compassionate or incredibly kind
for instance, it is likely that you see something in them
that is also in you.
Self Awareness Tips for Personal
Development
Admit your imperfections. Focus on your strengths, and
manage your weaknesses.

You are worthy of success and happiness