I used to mentally roll my eyes at people who would say things like “I’m the kind of person who [fill in the blank]” or “I work best when [insert conditions here]." I saw these descriptions as excuses for not being able to accomplish a goal or get along with others. When I was younger, I viewed those who tried to justify not being successful by “blaming” their environment or their personality, as individuals who just did not want to work hard at certain tasks.

Thankfully, my opinion since then has drastically changed. As I grew older and went off to college, I definitely started noticing things about myself that I never had before. I began realizing why I clicked with some of my peers better than others or why I completely understood one professor’s style of teaching over another’s. Through my studies I met all sorts of people who thrived at different tasks and in various environments. I believe becoming more self-aware has been one of the most useful steps I could have taken.

How can being self-aware help me professionally?

Whether you are a student, an intern, a volunteer, or are right in the middle of your career; knowing how to become the most successful version of yourself is important. Are you a person that shines most when you’re leading your fellow students or employees, or are you most comfortable and successful working with a team and providing input in a group setting? When you’re given deadlines for an assignment or project, are you more likely to complete the work if you set aside a few hours of work time a couple days a week, or are you one of the (lucky) few that actually does well with procrastination and can successfully crank out everything needed in one night? When choosing a career in the first place, do you value providing a quality service for the community or do you get more satisfaction caring for the needs of individuals? Knowing how, when, and where you work best is crucial in determining the pleasure and success you will get from the academic or professional parts of your life.

How can being self-aware help me personally?

Knowing yourself well means being aware of situations that make you comfortable versus uncomfortable. It means knowing which environments help you relax and which ones make you anxious. Do you get more energized when hanging out with a group of friends or does being in the presence of others drain you of energy? Does being home alone sound like a lonely evening or a chance to get cozy and have some peace and quiet? Being aware of where your energy comes from can prevent you from getting too emotionally strained; it can help you determine if, after a long day, you need to go grab a drink with some friends or go home, get cozy and read a book.

Being self-aware also comes in handy with relationships of all shapes and forms. If you have a good idea of how you as a person express love and appreciation, you may just have an easier time identifying people you will get along with. That being said, the opposite is also true. When you come across individuals you do not mesh well with, it may be easier to determine the differences between your personality and theirs. Figuring out how they show appreciation can help you interact smoothly with those different than yourself.

How do I become more self-aware?

If you are unsure of how to go about it or do not have the time to do some good old fashioned soul-searching, have no fear. There are many free online resources at your fingertips. The following are just a few of the online personality tests out there. These options go beyond telling you if you’re an extrovert or an introvert or determining which character from “The Office” you are most like (apparently, I’m Kevin). Although these tests are an awesome starting point, I do not want their results to put you in a box. Do not think that just because a test says you most often get energy from having your alone time that you can no longer enjoy going out with friends. Think of these quizzes as a step in the right direction to getting to know yourself a little better.

Free Personality Test

This quiz is similar to the Myers-Briggs test. There are a total of 16 different personality types that range from "The Giver" to "The Commander".

The Enneagram Test

This Eclectic Energies test will place you into 1 of 9 personality types. The results also provide you with different "wings" or additional personality types that you might have some characteristics of.

The Five Love Languages

Words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, or physical touch. If you've ever wondered how you show your love for others or how you most value being shown affection, this test can aid you in discovering how to improve yourself in every relationship, romantic or otherwise.

There are hundreds of other online quizzes out there. Whichever you choose to try, just remember not to follow the results blindly. Take your results as a good jumping off point that can help you dive into your personality and become more self-aware. You are wonderfully unique, and I promise that you will not regret getting to know yourself better.