Before you fix yourself, find yourself
Self-improvement is a journey with self-awareness as the map
Want to expand your comfort zone?
These articles help you crush your fears and overcome challenges:
Dare to fail your way to success - Moon Arica💦 Blindfolded = Blindsided
A lot of self-improvement books tell you what to do. You are reading books, watching videos or taking courses on how to set goals, beat procrastination, kick bad habits etc.
All without stopping to understand yourself first.
You’re navigating a maze blindfolded.
Yes, you’re making moves, but are they the right ones?
You can’t fix what you don’t see.
Self-awareness is the flashlight that illuminates the maze. It helps you see where you’re stuck, recognize patterns, and identify the path forward.
Without self-awareness, you’re just reacting to life rather than designing it.
💦 How does darkness look like?
Lack of self-awareness shows up everywhere:
You set goals that don’t align with who you are, leading to frustration.
You repeat the same mistakes because you don’t understand your triggers.
You blame others for outcomes rooted in your own behaviour.
But when you’re self-aware, everything changes.
You understand
your strengths and weaknesses
your fears and desires
your values and boundaries
This clarity fuels smarter decisions, healthier relationships, and a life that is authentic.
💦 Look inward for self-awareness
Here’s how to be more aware and develop self-awareness:
💡 Be honest with yourself
Ask yourself tough questions:
What am I avoiding in my life? Or what’s missing?
What patterns show up in my relationships or decisions?
What truly matters to me, and am I living those values?
💡 Listen to criticism
This one’s pretty nasty and no one likes it.
The only way to take criticisim is to detach yourself from it. Criticism is not an attack on your identity. It’s just a finger pointed at your behaviours and then pointing to a different direction.
Once you get over your ego, at swallowing what’s bitter, you neutralize yourself to the negativity.
And admit it, sometimes others see us more clearly than we see ourselves. When others criticise us, they may not do it with the best intentions.
But we can listen with the best intentions for ourselves.
So, when we are criticised, before we get angry, reflect:
Is that the truth?
What could I do better?
How do I prevent being criticized again?
💡 Be mindful
Track your feelings and emotions. Pay attention to how you feel throughout the day. Journal, meditate or use mood trackers to identify or spot patterns in
what’s currently happening to you?
what’re the things that energizes or drains you?
what triggers you?
💡 Your environment matters
People and things around you will influence your thoughts and behaviours.
Maybe we have clutter, tangible and intangible. Maybe we buy too many things, and hoard them. Maybe we are harbouring old hurts, regrets, harmful thoughts.
All of these cloud our vision, making us unsure, who are we really?
Can we start to clear things out?
Make space in our surroundings and in our minds. Don’t overcomplicate the process. Start small and gradully work things out.
💦 Clarity leads to transformation
Self-awareness without action is like finding treasure but never opening the chest. What you’ve learned about yourself is the key to create meaningful change.
This is a permanent shift in how you approach your life.
Which leads to your transformation.
Turn insights into action
With each insight you uncover about yourself, take action to improve.
💡 Take actionable steps
Maybe procrastination stems from fear of failure, then commit to breaking tasks into smaller, less intimidating steps.
Maybe we don’t achieve goals because we don’t set correct goals or don’t have a proper plan, then learn to set SMART goals.
Perhaps some relationships drain our energy, then set boundaries or limit your time with them.
💡 Create new habits
You know that transformation does not happen overnight. But it does happen.
Therefore, start by taking consistent actions.
Replace unhelpful habits with a productive one.
For eg,
swap out mindless scolling for writing a few sentences
counter negative self-talk with positive mantras
when you are bored, take a walk, even if it’s around the house.
Habits are the bridge between knowing better and doing better. Focus on small, repeatable actions that reinforce your growth every day.
💡 Aligh goals with your values
Use self-awareness as a mirror to give you clarity on what truly matters.
List down your core values and reflect on them regularly. Every goal you set should align. Alignment leads to harmony and achieving goals will not be an uphill battle.
When your goals are rooted in who you are, motivation becomes effortless, and achieving them is fulfilling.
💦 Final note
Remove your blindfold, shine a light, gain clarity and transform yourself.
Do this by
being honest
accepting criticisms and correcting faults
being mindful of ourselves
clearing up our environment
After that,
take action
create good habits
align goals with values
Look inward, step forward, become the person you want to be.
Be a forerunner, take the lead. - Moon AricaIf you like someone else to embrace a Dare to Fail mindset, please restack and recommend it.
Expand your comfort zone here, tell me your thoughts:
Have you found yourself?
List out your strengths and weaknesses. Are there any surprises there?
On writing:
Thanks for reading.
Moon, this reads like a guidebook for someone who’s finally decided to turn on the lights in their own house. I also love how you’ve broken the big, nebulous concept of finding yourself into bite-sized, actionable steps. It’s like Marie Kondo (in a good way ha) for the soul. By the end, you’ve handed us a flashlight, a map, and a nudge forward. A practical yet profound roadmap to transformation. Thank you.
know thyself. in all aspects. Love how you break it down and bullet point it. so simple, so clear.