Take inventory of your self-perception
Quick, without thinking, make a list of ten words that describe you this very second. They can be feelings, emotions, personality traits, physical traits, whatever.
We’ll wait.
Done?
Good. Now let’s get into a little self-analysis. You can do this exercise any time for a glimpse into your psyche at any given moment—but it’s incredibly important that you don’t censor yourself. Look over your list of words. Ask yourself these questions:
- How many are positive? negative? neutral?
- How many are action-oriented? passive?
- Which ones describe you just in this moment, and which are more permanent?
Using your words and your analysis, is there anything you can do to take action—can you make yourself happier by eliminating a barrier, can you tackle a task to alleviate stress, can you decipher what’s making you happy in that instance and replicate it in the future?
This exercise takes almost no time at all but can be very revealing if you let yourself be honest with yourself!
Image: Some rights reserved by chadmagiera