7 Ways to Get to Know Yourself that will Improve your Home Management Skills
Getting to know yourself is an important key to achieving next-level home management skills. We’re all different, each having our different strengths and weaknesses. Even though some of us may share similar lives, we function differently throughout the day. We may be extroverts, introverts, or even ambiverts. Some of us love to read books while others go to YouTube for information.
I don’t enjoy laundry chores, except hanging clothes outside on the clothesline (key word: outside). Others may love laundry. And some of us are left brain dominant and others are right brain dominant. What works for you might not work for your friend.
To be successful at anything we do, it’s useful to know yourself better.
Typically we learn how to do home management tasks from our family growing up, or pick up habits from people we look up to. This can work well- or not, as each family and home is unique with its specific needs. You are unique, and it pays to know yourself so you can maximize your strengths and learn how to work with weaknesses. Learning who we are and how we work best adds energy and joy to our lives.
Questions to get to know yourself:
Spend some time really focusing on these questions and the answers you come up with.
What are your strengths? What gives you energy?
When you identify your strengths, you can maximize them and use them to your advantage. Take a moment to think about what you’re good at and what you love to do, then make a plan to do it!
Example: If you love to cook and make fantastic food, bless others with your skills. This may look like many different thing: sharing recipes, have dinner parties, inviting other families over, taking meals to those in need, etc.
That is just one example of a strength you may have. For others they may be good at organizing, planning events, doing laundry, planning fun activities for kids, etc. Identify YOUR unique strengths and acknowledge that they may be different than others. You’re gifted in your own unique ways, take a moment to love and appreciate yourself for that.
By identifying the things you love doing, you can prioritize doing them!
What are you limited by? What drains your energy?
We all have things that we’re uncomfortable with. Perhaps it’s a skill we simply need to develop, or maybe it’s something that we have no interest in improving. We need to acknowledge these aspects of ourselves and seek ways to work with it.
When we identify and accept our problem areas it helps us as we find ways to maneuver these tough aspects in life.
Maybe you find cooking tedious and boring, or you don’t want to or simply can’t take time for it? Don’t beat yourself up over it. Accept this, and figure out strategies to provide good, healthy food for your family. Is there a person in your house who enjoys cooking? Do you need to hire someone to cook? Maybe subscribe to a meal plan service? Or take cooking classes?
Evaluate your options and find a solution that works for you.
Maybe you don’t have an eye for interior decorating. Ask a friend for help, get a book, or watch some shows.
Identify a do-able plan to address your problem areas. Delegate tasks, or learn super fast and efficient ways to do the work that you don’t enjoy or that drains you.
What are your personal advantages?
We all have advantages in life that we often aren’t even aware of. These are the aspects of life in which we excel or have easily obtainable resources to ease our way.
Did you grow up knowing how to bake bread? Or do you live near a bike trail and easily get exercise? Perhaps your best friend has a huge garden and shares her excess produce that you then turn into delicious food for your family.
There are little things in life that add benefit, which we often don’t even realize to be thankful for. Take a minute to think about the blessings in your life and live gratefully.
What can you delegate?
Think about the strengths of the people in your home and delegate tasks to them. Do you have a tall child who can easily dust the top of the refrigerator? Or a child that loves to plant and care for flowers? If there are tasks you struggle with, figure out if and how to delegate them to someone else.
For example: If your house has a lot of windows and you don’t have the equipment or time to wash them, it may be beneficial to hire a window washing business to handle the task.
What are your priorities?
Spend a moment envisioning yourself at the end of your life. What will you think back on and be happy and grateful for? What people will you surround yourself with?
People and relationships are always the most important. It’s essential to keep your priorities straight, home is more than a place; it’s a feeling. Yes, you may create a home that looks, smells, and feels clean and beautiful; but don’t forget that the atmosphere is more important than cleanliness. Fill your home with love and caring.
How do you do your work?
Have you heard the saying: work smarter, not harder? Apply this to your home management work. We all come from different homes and have learned habits, both good and bad.
It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and continue doing things the way you always have. Don’t get stuck in a pattern. Seek out tips, tricks, and hacks for all aspects of home management work and life with children. Search for new and better ways to do things, always seeking more efficient methods.
How do you manage money?
Maybe you learned your financial habits at home growing up, or maybe you developed them in your early adulthood. Think for a minute about your money management skills. Money management information is easily accessible, but the bottom line is that you can’t spend more than you make without getting into financial trouble. This is important to remember as you shop for your home and family. If you haven’t yet, learn how to better manage money in your day-to-day life.
Knowing Yourself will Improve your Life!
Knowing yourself helps you learn how to amplify your strengths and plan to acknowledge and address your limitations. Spend some time thinking through what’s important and plan to strategize home management to allow you to emphasize on what’s truly important.
Bottom line: know yourself and emphasize your strengths and the parts of life that give energy.
You can do this!
By following these questions to evaluate and know yourself, you can identify how to improve your habits, therefore improving your life. It’s easy to let this type of activity take the back burner. Life is busy and staying in your well known habits is EASY. But to grow and improve you must know yourself, to capitalize on your strengths and overcome your weaknesses.
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