Psychology plays an important role in the development of our careers. It begins with the identification of our work interests when we are young and expands over time to include interpersonal relationships, self-motivation, passion for what we do, attitudes towards superiors, team cooperation and many other aspects related to work. worked. Perhaps most importantly, psychology speaks to how constructive we are at work and how we manage our mental well-being and stress levels on the road to productivity.

Effective performance depends on how a worker feels at work. Safety, protection and the absence of harassment are basic. Beyond that, feeling appreciated and being prepared to work efficiently makes an employee a valued contributor. Quality management can be essential in establishing and maintaining such conditions in the workplace. But realizing the benefits of positive psychology is not just the responsibility of management. The state of our psychology ultimately depends on each of us individually, both in life and at work.

Perhaps the key psychological quality that determines how well we will thrive in our careers is self-awareness. People with acute self-awareness have almost complete insight into their emotional makeup, potentials, imperfections, requirements, and what energizes them. They are well equipped to capitalize on their strengths while managing their weaknesses. Conscientious professionals carry with them a quiet self-confidence grounded in honesty and realism knowing they don’t have to fake it to make it. Your success is the result of a work product delivered competently, but without exceeding your ability to perform effectively. They know what they know and “know” what they don’t know.

It is not necessary to think of self-awareness as a metaphysical trait that only a few anointed people possess. We all practice it to some degree. For example, if we know that too many meetings scheduled together are stressing us out, then we work to ensure that the meetings in which we are expected to participate are spaced out so that we can optimally contribute. If we freak out when our email inbox fills up with superfluous messages, we advise our coworkers to only send messages of great importance. Knowing that our best work comes from meeting deadlines, we structure our workflow so that tasks that need to be completed by a specific time are stacked accordingly. (Don’t you have control over such conditions at your job? You may be in the wrong job.)

An additional benefit of self-awareness is its increased usefulness to coworkers. The self-aware colleague is less likely to lash out in frustration or make unreasonable demands on others. They have an advantage in assessing the ability levels of their fellow associates and can sense how each one best accomplishes their tasks. Team orientation and work performance improve the more conscientious members are involved. Self-aware coworkers and managers can serve as role models, if not unofficial mentors, thus improving the overall workforce.

Self-awareness is cultivated internally over time. The development of this ability is largely related to how reflective we choose to be. Reflection is a major component of critical thinking. As we refine our reflective ability, we find ourselves more adept at examining, analyzing, and evaluating experiences, which better informs how we will approach future challenges. For some of us, building up the time and effort to be thoughtful may need to be more intentional. If we find that our default mode is to keep analyzing the minute details and demands of our jobs without deliberately reflecting on what insights we can gain from the approaches we take, then we deny ourselves the richness that can come from reflection. and by extension self-awareness.

In short, self-awareness brings greater clarity to our values ​​and work goals. Our decisions improve and our goal of getting stronger and more satisfaction from our careers becomes more likely. Don’t worry. Very few of us have reached self-awareness nirvana, so give yourself a break and start or continue honing this skill wherever you are.