How well do you know yourself? Can you aptly describe yourself to others? At some point, you may have experienced getting confused with your own personality. We possess certain traits that we think do not perfectly describe who we really are. It is important that we regularly monitor our personal traits and behaviors and make a personal evaluation of our own selves.
“Self-Monitoring” is a process that allows us to examine and keep track of our own characters so that we will be seen by other people as pleasing in personality. With self-monitoring, you watch out on your own behavior and make sure you behave accordingly.
Following the self-monitoring process will make you know yourself better because you pay close attention to your strengths and weaknesses, your own problems, and personal habits. With self-monitoring, you learn to discipline yourself, especially with things that are beyond limitations.
Regulating your own behavior helps in enhancing positive thinking. This is because you choose to manifest good behavior when you do self-monitoring in order to get an impression from others. When you do so, you think more of positive things to bring out the most desirable behavior and conduct.
Types of Self-Monitoring
Basically, there are two types of self-monitoring: qualitative monitoring and quantitative monitoring. The former pertains to putting more consideration to the value or worth of what is going on or what is happening, and the impact of what you are showing to people; the latter puts more weight on counting the traits that you have turned into something favorable.
Although qualitative and quantitative monitoring are equally important, the process of self-regulation is done best on a quantified approach. With quantitative monitoring, you list down the personal behavior and habits you wish to keep track of, and also take note of the number of occurrences when these behaviors are manifested. The quantified manner of checking on our own selves makes us perceive ourselves more objectively.
Impact of Self-Monitoring on Self Improvement
Self-Monitoring keeps track of our personal behavior that is deemed favorable to others, it helps in eliminating undesirable conduct and even in conquering fear as well as refraining from addiction. The fact that you are regulating yourself makes you create better relationships with other people. You have a better control of your own life, and you can learn to discern what is good and what is not good for you.
Using the quantitative monitoring approach, you make a list of the negative thoughts you can think of. These kinds of thoughts are in no way destructive, you start to slow down from thinking about them most of the time until such time you can be confident enough to challenge your negative thoughts.
Self-monitoring pushes you to only allow positive and constructive thoughts to enter the mind. The subconscious mind will be triggered by such and will respond to the thoughts. And always remember, thoughts manifest into words, and words turn into actions. So, if you are able to control your life, your outlook in life changes as well.
Barriers to Self-Monitoring
You cannot expect yourself or probably other people to change in a day. Some factors are bound to get in the way of your goal to improve your own personality. Undisciplined lifestyle is such factor because discipline and perseverance are two crucial values you should have when regulating your behaviors. Moreover, if you lack the interest to adapt to any form of change in you and your environment, it can be quite hard to control yourself. It would also follow that you will have uncontrolled emotional responses to how you behave.
The entire concept of self-monitoring is all about controlling oneself, including attitude and behavior. This can be done by monitoring our thinking patterns. With a positive mind, we are also bound to act in a favorable manner, setting aside the fears, worries, anger, and negative thoughts. By controlling your thoughts via self-monitoring, you will not only improve your ability to think positively but you will also be able to change the way you view the world.
