Develop Self-Awareness & Insight: Understand Yourself for Life, Learning, and Work

What does it really mean to “know yourself”? In a world full of distractions, pressures, and expectations, an honest understanding of yourself can be a game-changer for how you navigate life, learning, and work. Whether you're choosing a career, school subjects, or making a major life decision, self-awareness and insight act as your internal compass.

What Is Self-Awareness & Insight? 

Self-awareness is the ability to recognise your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours as they happen—and insight is understanding how they influence your choices, relationships, and wellbeing. In other words, self-awareness lets you notice what you’re thinking or feeling, while insight helps you understand why you’re acting a certain way, and how others might experience you.

Insight can be experienced as the "aha!" moment when something clicks—when you identify a pattern, clarify a value, or realise why certain choices have (or haven’t) worked for you. It is the ability to understand yourself, your thoughts, emotions, motivations, and behaviours. 

Together self-awareness and insight support your personal growth, guide you when making decisions, boosts your emotional intelligence, and helps you understand your relationships with others.

Why Self-Awareness & Insight Matters

Self-awareness and insight help you make career and life decisions that align with what is most important to you. By discovering and clarifying your values, goals, motivations, strengths, and blind spots, you are better able to act and shape your trajectory and life outcomes.

3 Easy Ways to Build Insight

1. Notice What Sparks Interest

What makes you feel energised and engaged? These moments hold clues to your interests and core motivations.

Try this: Think of a time—at school, work, or in your free time—when you felt focused, curious, excited, or when you simply lost track of time while doing something. Write down and describe: What you were doing, where you were, who you were with, and what felt fulfilling. 

Can't think of anything? Try this instead: Look for small clues—whether you prefer group work or solo tasks, reading or hands-on activities. To discover your interests, it’s important to try things out. This week, try something new, fix something, volunteer, help someone, research a topic, or write.  

Bonus tip: Noticing what you dislike also helps. It can point to things that may suit you better. 

2. Clarity What Matters Most

Your values help you make decisions and stay focused on the big picture even when you face challenges. 

Look at this list: adventure, contribution, creativity, freedom, fairness, growth, stability, kindness, achievement, family, helping others. Which 3 stand out to you, and what do they say about the life you want to live?

Still unsure? Try flipping it: What frustrates you? For example, if unfair treatment makes you upset, maybe fairness is a value. If feeling stuck drains your energy, you might value growth. 

3. Act on Strengths and Growth Areas

Confidence grows when you practice what you’re good at and what you want to improve.

Try this: Write down 3 things you do well, and 3 things you would like to improve. Ask someone who knows you well if they agree. Choose one thing you’d like to improve and describe when, where, and how you’ll work on it and how you will track your progress.  

If you’re stuck: Ask a teacher, coach, or friend what strengths they see in you. Or try something new and reflect on what it showed you. 

What If You Feel Unsure?

Insight is developed overtime so feeling unsure is totally normal. It isn’t a destination, it's a practice of reflection, curiosity, and trying things out. 

Here’s what you can do:

• Notice any self-awareness quiz questions that were hard to answer—those are areas worth exploring.

• Talk with someone who can reflect things back to you.

• Try one new thing this week. Experience builds insight.

• Follow and connect with Trajectories for guidance.

  
  

In Summary: What’s important to remember? 

Being self-aware and developing your insight is about being curious, noticing your patterns, and staying open to new ways of understanding yourself. Insight grows when we reflect, ask questions, problem-solve, and give ourselves space to connect the dots over time.