🍃Hey, do you ever notice that voice in your head that never seems to shush?

You know, the one that always has something to say about everything you do or don’t do. The one that sounds like a grumpy old teacher or a nagging parent. Yeah, that one.

Well, guess what? That voice is not your friend. It’s not trying to help you or make you better. It’s just a bunch of negative and judgmental nonsense that you picked up from somewhere along the way. And it’s holding you back from being awesome.

🍃About inner monologue

Your inner monologue is the voice in your head that narrates your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

It can be a helpful tool to understand yourself better, or it can be a source of self-criticism and doubt. You can learn about yourself by paying attention to your inner monologue and noticing what it says, how it says it, and why it says it. You can also challenge your inner monologue if it is negative or inaccurate, and replace it with more positive and realistic messages.

🍃About self-awareness

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and reflect on your own emotions, thoughts, behaviours, values, and goals.

It is important for personal growth, mental health, and interpersonal relationships. You can develop self-awareness by writing down your beliefs and assumptions about yourself and the world, and examining them for evidence and validity. You can also ask for feedback from others, practice mindfulness, and try new experiences.

🍃Map vs territory

One way to think about self-awareness is to use the analogy of a map and a territory. A map is a representation of a territory, but it is not the same as the territory itself. A map can be useful for navigating the territory, but it can also be inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated. Similarly, our self-awareness is a representation of our reality, but it is not the same as our reality itself. Our self-awareness can help us understand ourselves and our actions, but it can also be distorted, biased, or limited. Therefore, we should always be open to updating our map based on new information and feedback from the territory.

🍃1 key to the inner monologue

But don’t worry, there’s a way to deal with that voice. And it’s not by ignoring it or fighting it. It’s by listening to it. Yes, you heard me right. Listening to it.

Why? Because listening to that voice will help you understand yourself better. It will help you see what you really think and feel about yourself and the world around you. It will help you spot the gaps between what you say and what you do. It will help you change the things that are not working for you and keep the things that are.

Sounds good, right? Well, it is. And it’s not that hard to do. All you need is some curiosity, some courage, and some practice. And maybe a pen and a paper.

🍃Listening to your inner voice

Here are some steps to get you started:

1. Find a quiet place and time where you can be alone and relaxed.
2. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
3. Ask yourself a question that you want to explore, such as “What do I want from life?” or “How do I feel about my job?” or “What am I afraid of?”
4. Listen to the first thing that pops into your head. Don’t judge it or dismiss it. Just let it be.
5. Write down what you heard, word for word.
6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 until you have a list of answers.
7. Read your list and look for patterns, themes, or insights.
8. Ask yourself what these answers mean to you and how they affect your actions and decisions.
9. Decide what you want to do with this information. Do you want to change something? Do you want to accept something? Do you want to learn something?
10. Take action accordingly.

That’s it! You’ve just listened to your inner voice and learned something new about yourself. Congratulations! Now, don’t get me wrong. Listening to your inner voice is not a magic bullet that will solve all your problems or make you happy overnight. It’s a process that takes time and effort. And sometimes it can be uncomfortable or scary.

But trust me, it’s worth it. Because listening to your inner voice will help you become more self-aware, more emotionally intelligent, and more authentic as a leader and as a person. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and give it a try. And let me know how it goes.

🍃Why am I saying this?

💡My confidence and skills as a leader really took off when I stopped thinking externally (which leadership style box do I need to fit?) and instead focused more time inwardly to understand my own mind, its dynamics and what pitfalls I should be aware of.

😲This, my friend, was the game changer. And I’m here today to help as many emerging leaders go through the same personal learning journey, one step at a time.

I accelerating your impact as an FMCG emerging leader by making self-awareness your no. 1 strength through 1:1 or group coaching, mentoring or keynote speaker.

Mags

The Marketer Whisperer