5 Steps
To Be More Honest With Yourself
If you are
serious about improving yourself as a person, if you’re serious about
developing yourself, then honesty is an important part of the journey. Honesty
is a key aspect of developing because if you aren’t being honest with yourself,
how on earth do you plan to grow?
When we
choose dishonesty and delusion, we are choosing to see only what we want to.
That might not sound so bad, but it means that you are ignoring a whole lot
that you would prefer to avoid. It’s those things that matter the most. You’re
securing short-term joy in exchange for long-term happiness.
Being more
honest with yourself might be painful, but it’s a necessary part of furthering
yourself. How can you be more honest with yourself?
1.
Acknowledge The Bad and The Good
The thing we
are guiltiest of is embracing all of the good things about life, while
completely ignoring the bad. It’s a bit like social media. We watch these
timelines of pure joy and bliss. That isn’t real. People only share the best
bits, it’s a slideshow of someone’s life and doesn’t paint a true picture of
the hardships they might face.
We do this,
too, whether it’s on social media or in our own heads. It’s just easier to
ignore the bad things rather than deal with them head-on. Ignoring problems
won’t solve anything, if anything, it will make things worse for you in the
long run. Be honest with yourself about everything good and bad in your life,
that balanced view will keep you sane.
2. Take Time
For Self-Reflection
At the end
of each day, take a few minutes to think about how it went. Ask yourself how
you did, if there’s anything you did well or could have done better. You can be
honest without being overly critical or too judgmental.
This
exercise isn’t about damaging your self-esteem, rather, it’s about reflecting
on the day in order to make tomorrow a better one. Reflection helps you learn
about yourself and it can improve your ability to solve problems, too. When you
allow yourself the opportunity to analyze the day, you’re going to get a better
picture of what it takes to improve.
3. We All
Make Mistakes – Admit It
Every one of
us so, why can’t you just admit it? It is one of the most difficult aspects of
being honest with yourself. It’s easy to slip into ego protection mode and fine
an excuse or someone else to blame for a mistake. That’s not going to help you
build a real sense of self-esteem, though. True self-esteem, true confidence
lies in being courageous enough to own up to mistakes. When you can stand up
and own shortcomings you can learn and grow.
4. Get Into
Your Feelings
When people
say they’re caught up in their feelings it’s usually used in a negative
connotation. Yet, your emotions have an important role to play in how you
understand and interact with the world. Emotions aren’t the reality, but they
are revealing.
When you dig
deep to figure out why you feel a certain way, you’re learning about the things
that tend to make you feel that way. More importantly, you’re learning how to
manage and respond appropriately. This is a level of honesty that your stress
levels (and social circle) will appreciate.
5. Don’t Get
Caught in Analysis Paralysis
As we noted
above, it’s important to take time for reflection and analyze the day. However,
it’s equally as important that you don’t over-analyze. It’s easy to get carried
away. You don’t need to rationalize everything or intellectualize about it.
You simply
need to be matter of fact. There’s no need to create an elaborate story about
why bad things happen to you. You need only to note how it is right now and
move forward. You can’t understand everything that’s going on in the world, and
you don’t need to. You just have to be realistic, be practical and sensible.
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