It’s often believed that leadership is the act of influencing and showing others what to do. Within that is the implication that you need more than one person - but did you know it’s possible to lead yourself?

Being able to lead oneself is actually something we all do, even without realizing. However, if you spend time and effort in self-care, you will be more aware and conscious of applying self-leadership.

It is a life skill that allows us to live with intention and with direction, and is how we find purpose. You discover how you want to live your life, then be intentional in motivating yourself to get there.

If we don’t want to merely drift along and just react to outside stimuli, then we need to acquire self-knowledge and figure ourselves out somewhat. Do you know what your values are? What are you good at? How does your personality play out? What do you love?

Understanding your personality will inform why you act and think in certain ways. In identifying values, you can understand what is important to you and can tap into your desires and make a plan to get there, within the framework of what you are truly like, and what is important to you.
We can create strategies based on our standards, and our behavior will mirror those standards. It’s more about how you want to live, rather than a specific outcome.

Like any project, self-leadership can fall into the pattern of planning-doing-reviewing. You’ve set your goal (big or small, for the day or something long-term), you’ve considered the internal and external barriers and resources, you’ve made a plan, and are committed to carrying it out. Then you review, see if you need to adjust anything, and go for it.

The ability to look at yourself and examine how you think is called metacognition - that ongoing evaluation of what makes you tick, why, and what you need to do is a definite worthwhile skill.

Looking after yourself and how you lead yourself enables you to pursue goals in a way that is enjoyable and leaves you with a sense of meaning and purpose. Your motivation will be based on intrinsic things so the chances of achieving your goal will be greater, and the journey will be more satisfying.

The more you practice this, the more you will cultivate these strategies, and the better leader of yourself you’ll be.