Practical guide to boosting your self-awareness

Many of you have been asking how my first week of MBA went…

Here’s the answer:

It was exciting!

We kicked things off with a management simulation, where we took control of a company, competing to achieve the highest share price by year 6.

• 9 teams, 5 members each

• 4 days, 6 intense rounds

• Countless lessons!

Did we win? Not exactly 🥲 

But we did pretty well and learned a lot!

The biggest lesson?

How essential these two are for success:

1. Team dynamics

2. Strategy alignment

But here’s something even more important:

Before you can master teamwork, you have to master yourself.

That’s the topic of today’s issue.

• Want to learn how to boost self-awareness?

• Wish to improve your performance at work and in life?

• Curious to learn practical tips?

Keep reading.

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Before we begin: Here’s what you might have missed last week…

Big idea #1: Discover your 3E’s

In our MBA simulation, teams were assigned at random — just like in real life, when you often end up collaborating with people you haven’t met or chosen to work with.

So the first thing I suggested for our team was simple: let’s get to know each other.

I asked them a few key questions:

• What are your superpowers? Which ones can you bring to the team?

• What area would you like to improve?

• What’s your preferred working/learning style?

• What responsibilities do you have outside of the project?

• What boundaries do you need to set?

• How do you feel about giving and receiving feedback?

Now, scratch the MBA context for a moment and think about your line of work.

Do you know your answers to these questions?

Here’s what I was really looking to uncover about each teammate because everyone should know this about themselves:

3E’s: Element, Energy, Environment

(H/t Jay Shetty)

Element

• The pursuit that gets you into a flow state.

• For some, it’s analyzing data. For others, it’s writing or generating new ideas.

• What gets you excited? Where do you feel most confident?

Energy

• The type of energy you thrive in.

• Do you do your best work in fast-paced, dynamic discussions? Or maybe you prefer a calm, slower pace. Some thrive in joyful, lighthearted environments, while others work best in serious, focused settings.

• What kind of energy fuels your productivity?

Environment

• The surroundings that support your focus and effectiveness.

• For some, it’s bright, spacious, minimalistic, and quiet. For others, it’s cozy, with people working nearby.

• What kind of environment helps you do your best work?

Understanding your 3 E’s is a powerful step toward greater self-awareness and a game-changer for your ability to work effectively with a team.

Big idea #2: The 3-way audit

That was my first conversation with my new MBA team.

But my first conversation with clients? It’s a bit different.

We dive into self-awareness — not just at work, but in life.

It's about clarity on who they are and what they truly value.

Here’s how we do it:

Step 1: Audit your values

Think about what truly matters to you.

What are your core values?

Here’s a list of 40 options (you can find more if none resonate).

1. Pick your top 5.

2. Write them down. ✍️

3. And most importantly, define them.

   
   Because we may define “fun” or “service” very differently.

Step 2: Audit your time

Look back at the past 7 days.

What were the 5-10 most time-consuming activities in your week (outside of sleep)?

Where do you actually spend most of your time?

Step 3: Audit your spending

Your spending habits reveal your priorities.

Where does your money go?

What proportion of your income supports which areas of your life?

This exercise can be very eye-opening.

Now, onto my favourite part...

Big idea #3: Strive for congruence

Before I dive into congruence, let's talk about why self-awareness is so essential.

It gives you a clear edge in life:

• You gain confidence in the choices you make.

• You make decisions faster because you know what’s important.

• You understand your triggers and take ownership of them, instead of expecting others to tiptoe around you.

• You bring subconscious beliefs to the surface, the ones quietly holding you back.

• You start connecting with people who value the same things, leading to deeper, more meaningful relationships.

• Ultimately, happiness and fulfillment come from living in alignment with your values. But to live in alignment, you first need to know what those values are.

Let me repeat the most important takeaway here:

Fulfillment is living in congruence with the best version of yourself.

It means:

• Being aligned with your core values.

• Showing up for the things that matter most.

• Knowing exactly who you are — and who you are not.

Which brings us back to the 3-way audit we talked about earlier.

Now that you’ve audited your values, your time, and your spending…

It’s time to compare them.

1. Do your most time-consuming activities reflect what’s important to you?

For example, if "health" is one of your core values, but your time audit shows zero time spent on exercise, there's a misalignment.

Now, look at your spending in relation to your values.

2. Are you putting your money toward what you say matters most?

If "growth" is a value, but you’re not investing in education or personal development, there’s a gap.

Remember:

The gaps are expected, but so is aiming toward alignment.

No one has it perfectly figured out.

The key is to consistently check in with yourself and make small adjustments.

It’s a balancing act.

Perfection isn’t the goal, but living in awareness and continually striving for congruence is.

So, how close are you to alignment?

What’s one small shift you could make today?

The Productivist Challenge: Create a guide to working with you

I came across this idea through Ben Meer’s content, but it originally came from Claire Hughes Johnson, the former COO of Stripe.

She created a personal guide that essentially briefs everyone on how to work with her.

Is it just me, or is that genius? 👀

And for those who think it’s kind of selfish or too self-involved…

There’s nothing more selfish than expecting people to “just know” how to work with you and then resenting them when they don’t remember that one thing you mentioned 6 months ago. 🙃

So, I’m challenging myself to create one of these guides for every future team I work with. And I’m encouraging you to join me in the challenge!

Even if you don’t end up sharing it with anyone, doing this exercise will give you something invaluable:

SELF-AWARENESS

Knowing how you operate, what you need, and how to communicate that is the foundation of stronger relationships — both at work and in life.

Need some inspiration?

Check out Claire’s guide right here:

The Productivist Question:

What’s one small shift you can make today to better align with your values?

Wish you a beautiful week ahead,

Valeriya

PS: What’s the biggest insight for you here? Let me know by hitting reply or DMing me on LinkedIn!

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