Know Yourself to Propel Yourself

By Mark Brown

Eric Hoffer wrote,

“In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”

So how does one constantly learn?

Transformational learning starts with introspective curiosity. The most useful knowledge a person can gain is a knowledge of oneself, one’s motivations, one’s most fervent desires.

Without this foundational knowledge, everything else you learn lacks context. Knowing who you are and what you stand for is the anchor that holds you steady through the waves of change.

In his excellent book, Half Time: Moving From Success to Significance, Bob Buford lists the following questions that will help you spark this introspection and get on the path of learning.

Take time to answer these with true insight:

What am I really good at?

What do I want to do?

What is most important to me?

What do I want to be remembered for?

If my life were absolutely perfect, what would it look like?

What will I be leaving behind that will make a difference in the world?

Do I have an eternal perspective as a prism through which I view my life?

What is my purpose, my life work, my destiny? What does it really mean to “have it all”?

What would my life really look like if it turned out well?

What should I do?

How could I be most useful?

Where should I invest my talents, time, and treasure?

What are the values that give purpose to my life?

What is the overarching vision that shapes me?

Who am I?

Where am I?

Where am I going?

How do I get there?

The clearer you are on the answers to these questions, the easier and more fulfilling your life will be.