Tomorrow is my 39^th birthday! 🥳 and as I turn 39, I find myself reflecting on this powerful reminder from Oprah. So much of leadership is about learning, growing, and evolving. Yet, all of that stems from the foundation of self-knowledge. It's about embracing our strengths, our limitations, and our values—and allowing these insights to guide how we lead, serve, and connect with others.

Self-knowledge is a gift that can grow with us over time, as long as we pause to check in with ourselves, question who we are becoming, and remember what matters most. It feels like a lot is changing in my life right now so I guess that’s why I’m getting all reflective for this year’s birthday. 

So as part of my birthday this year, I’m taking time to reflect. Obvi you don’t need to wait until a birthday to do this and here are some tips for you too!

5 Ways to Get to Know Yourself Better

1. Journal Regularly: Set aside time each day or week to journal about your thoughts, experiences, and reactions. Journaling offers a safe space to explore what’s on your mind without judgment, helping you track patterns and notice what’s truly important to you. If you're unsure where to start, try writing prompts like, “What am I feeling grateful for today?” or “What challenge did I face, and how did I handle it?” Over time, you’ll see how your values and priorities come through in your words. I make this simple and jot thoughts down in my notes app each morning.  
2. Identify Your Core Values: Reflect on the values that truly resonate with you and influence how you live. These could be integrity, kindness, growth, or any other principles that guide your decisions. Start by listing values you admire, then narrow them down to 5-7 that you feel are at the heart of who you are. Knowing these core values helps you align your actions with what matters most, creating a sense of purpose in your leadership journey. I recently did this exercise this summer with a life/career coach and loved it! It was cool to make a whole list of things and then match them into a few categories to really see where your values lie.
3. Seek Honest Feedback: Reach out to trusted friends, family, or colleagues and ask for their honest feedback on how they perceive your strengths and areas for growth. Getting an outside perspective can reveal blind spots or qualities that you might overlook about yourself. Be open to this feedback as a tool for self-growth—it can help you understand how others see you and whether your actions align with your intentions.
4. Pay Attention to Emotional Reactions: Observe your emotions, especially in challenging or unexpected situations. When you feel triggered or strongly affected by something, ask yourself why. Emotions are often signals pointing to deeper beliefs or needs that we may not have fully recognized. By investigating these reactions, you can uncover hidden biases, fears, or desires that influence your behavior and decision-making.
5. Reflect on Significant Life Moments: Think back on moments in your life that were particularly impactful, whether positive or negative. Reflect on what these moments taught you and how they shaped who you are today. Consider how you responded to the challenges you faced and the values you upheld in those situations. By analyzing these defining experiences, you can better understand your natural strengths and tendencies and appreciate the journey that’s brought you to this point. I love doing this like I do my journaling- I have a running list in my notes app so when I think of something, I add it in. That way it doesn’t feel so daunting to sit down and do it all at once.

When was the last time you truly celebrated who you are and all that you've accomplished? Leaders often push forward, tackling the next goal or project, but taking a moment to acknowledge your own journey is essential to sustained resilience and joy. Today, I invite you to practice the art of celebrating yourself. 

Celebrating yourself isn’t just about giving yourself credit for what you've achieved; it’s also about honoring the lessons learned through challenges, the growth gained in tough moments, and the ways you've shown up for yourself and others. This week, I’m encouraging all of us to see ourselves through a lens of compassion and pride. Reflect on the accomplishments, big and small, that have shaped your path—and celebrate them. Each step, each lesson, has added to your unique wisdom.