We’ve all had to do it at some point or another whether we enjoyed it or not. Writing about ourselves is likely something we’ve had to do for a school assignment, applying for jobs, or for a biography on our online profiles. It can be uncomfortable and make you feel exposed or vulnerable, but sometimes that’s not a bad thing! Writing about yourself is something you can do without being prompted, and can make you feel good too!
One tangible benefit of writing about yourself is self-promoting yourself in business. Being able to write about your professional accomplishments to show potential clients or employers why you would be a great choice is a useful skill to have. If you're able to create a description of yourself that exemplifies your talents, qualifications, and achievement you'll always have a document to use for future assignments, proposals, and other professional inquisitions!
Another great thing about writing about yourself is allowing yourself to have time for self-reflection. When your days are busy it’s often hard to find some time just to think big picture about yourself and your life – past, present, and future. Reflection can lead you to create new goals or make plans to make your life even better. All the self-reflection and thoughts about where your life has been can also be a great way to think about where you would like your narrative to go.
Reflection can also lead to new insights and discoveries about yourself. Finding just the right words to describe yourself and your experiences can cause you to look at yourself from a different perspective. Even looking at what happened to you just yesterday can uncover important moments you did not realize were important at the time. We don’t always realize the significance of things until we’re out of the moment.
Putting all your thoughts and reflections about your life into words can help you craft your own life story. By recreating your life on paper, you have the ability to present your narrative the way you experience it – wholly your own.
Getting words on paper and focusing your energy on your own thoughts can be cathartic as well. Expressing your feelings on the things you’ve experienced can be an emotional release in a way that helps makes sense of things instead of holding them in. Almost like having a conversation with yourself, writing can be a healthy way to work through your feelings.
Finally, at the end of it all you will have a written history of yourself to either keep to yourself or share with loved ones. Even if you choose to keep what you wrote private, it can inspire future writing by being there to reference the context of your past experiences. The writing you create is your own personal history to mull over for years to come.
Writing about yourself is a great way to be creative and engage in self-exploration. Who better to write about yourself than you! So start documenting the moments of your life now and you might just discover something you didn’t know about yourself.
-Brianna Cochran
Photo Credit: Chris Blakeley scribbling via photopin (license)
