How To Use Self Awareness

In the book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear, Clear talks about our genetic predispositions that we inherit. Someone who is 6’4 with a long torso is much more likely to be an olympic swimmer, not a runner. Why don’t we have the same realizations about ourselves?

The example Clear gave in the book describes this best. You warm water to a boil. You put a potato in and it turns soft. You put an egg in and it becomes hard. You cannot decide whether you are a potato or an egg, but you can decide what field you play in, and if that field is better suited for being hard or being soft.  

We all exist in different fields of competition and are subject to this same thought. There are certain things we are naturally better at, and often we are pushed in that way based on interest, validation, and intermediate successes. We must not be resistant to that push because that is where our natural aptitude lies, which often is the place of our unique purpose and ultimate contribution.

Having an understanding for where your skill-set lies requires self-awareness. Acknowledging that there is an element of genetic predisposition, paired with the environment that you exhibited those tendencies in, creates this beautiful formula that creates you and all of your uniqueness. That needs to be embraced if you want to be truly effective in your life with respect to impact, efficiency, and fulfillment.