I took a little end-of-summer blogging break but I’m back and ready to share bits of knowledge, things I’m learning, and recipes that I love! I’m also changing up when I’m publishing posts to Thursdays! Today’s post is personal development focused – enjoy!
A huge part of living a healthy lifestyle is mindset. If we don’t create healthy habits, we won’t have very much success reaching our goals. If we don’t know ourselves and under which circumstances we best operate, we won’t be able to sustain healthy habits.
I’ve mentioned it a few times, but I’ve been so obsessed with the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin and Elizabeth Craft for the past few months. I absolutely love it. Lucky for me, there are tons of episodes and I don’t have to worry about running out anytime soon. Gretchen’s works is focused all around the subjects of happiness and habits, so I learn a lot from her!
One of my favorite segments that they feature on the podcast is the “know yourself better” segment. It’s basically just a question they ask every few episode to help you do exactly that, know yourself better! And after applying them to my own life, I SERIOUSLY DO know myself better! (Really, you think you do, but you probably don’t know yourself as well as you thought.)
I believe that one part of progress is recognizing those strengths and weaknesses that you have, and making them work for you. These questions will help you do just that! Here are just a few of my favorites. I’ve linked to every podcast episode in which these questions were discussed so you can learn more about each one if you desire.
Whom do you envy? This one sounds crazy right off the bat, but honestly ask yourself. If there is someone you envy, why do you envy them? What is it about their life that you want? Is it their job? Their friendly nature? Their physically fit body? Something more tangible such as their home or their car? Think about that and this may help you decide if you’re on the right path or not, and help you figure out what changes you may want to make. in your own life.
Abstainer or Moderator? I love this one. I’ve heard it mostly applied to food, and being a (almost) nutritionist, I find it very applicable. A moderator is someone who can have something around and moderate the amount they have/use/etc. While an abstainer is more of the all-or-nothing type. Let’s use chocolate for example. If an abstainer (me) has a dark chocolate bar in the kitchen (my vice), it may be gone in a day or two, while if a moderator has a dark chocolate bar in the kitchen they could make it last months, if not longer! The trick for abstainers is to plan for those moments of indulgence.
Do you savor or spree? This is similar, in my opinion, to abstainer/moderator. But I find it more applicable in more situations. Let’s use Netflix as an example. When you’re watching a series, do you make it last and stretch it out as long as possible because you don’t want it to end(savor)? Or do you watch as many episodes as you possibly can in one sitting because you can’t get enough (spree)? Or maybe it depends on what we’re referring to?
What’s your “tell?” This one had me thinking a little harder, and still does actually. A tell is a sign when a person makes a change in behavior that reveals their inner state; an inner tick that reveals whether they’re happy, sad, nervous, etc. For example my tell when I’m anxious or stressed in grinding my teeth. Sometimes I won’t even be aware I’m anxious about anything until I notice I’ve been grinding my teeth, or my jaw is sore. Then I am able to reflect and think about what is bothering me and what I can do about it.
More time with friends or more time in solitude? What fills your cup? I find that I thrive on both actually. I am such a people person and love communicating with friends and loved ones! But I also NEED alone time or I go crazy. A perfect blend of both is necessary.
Discuss subjects at length or keep it short? I love this one! It has helped me understand Jason and myself better too! It’s pretty straight forward I think. Are you the kind of person who analyzes and dissects a topic/decision until there’s nothing else to discuss, or are you more of a short-and-sweet conversationalist? I fall in the lengthy category for sure 🙂
What are your favorite loopholes? I’ve linked to a post by Gretchen that outlines all 10 of these loopholes. GO read it! It’s actually really fun to figure out and dissect. I use the “one-coin” loophole far too often myself.
I want to emphasize that I don’t think any of these are right or wrong/good or bad. Each is just a way to know who you are and how you operate, so as to better function in day to day life. It has helped me so much personally.
Gretchen Rubin has SO many more “Know Yourself Betters,” so I encourage you to listen to the Podcast or check out her website. She also has some incredible books that I’ve linked to below! Gretchen is just a wonderful influence and teacher, especially for building healthy habits and being truly happy. Sharing is caring.
What did you learn about yourself from these questions?? I’d love to hear it! Let me know in the comments! 🙂
Adrienne Biehl 