One of our most important personal behaviours is self awareness.  This is an understanding of your personality, including strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions.

Self awareness allows you to assess how others view you and act appropriately.    Building your self awareness capabilities is a key skill  for all but hermits.

Where to start?

With any process, from issue resolution to self improvement, the most crtical step is recognition of the need for change.  Thus acknowledgement is step one.

This concept is key to improving your own self awareness.  The key here is motivation.  Is there a value (or a need ) to make the change.  In the case of self awareness it is very personal.

Most importantly though if you do not recognize a need or value it is unlikely you will take action.  Conversely, if self motivated, the potential for success is high.

What next?

You need to have a clear understanding of the objective.  Improved self awareness on its own is still pretty vague.  Begin with a more detailed definition of what self awareness looks to you.  Focus on the results.

For example, in my case, one result I strive for positive results stemming from is my different approaches to personal interactions.

For some people I interact with creation of a close bond of friendship . For others a looser relationship (e.g. an aquaintance) makes more sense.

Or if  I want to collaberate with a person but am aware there will never be a strong bond, I focus on approaches that will work for both of us. That is satisfy both our needs.

Ultimately, for me the practice of self awareness is a foundational behaviour which enables me to ensure interpersonal relations our pleasurable experiences for me with detracting from others needs.