Happiness depends on knowing yourself—where you are now and where you want to be. Two simple tools for self-discovery are analyzing how you spend your time and money. These habits reveal your true priorities and values. By understanding them, you can align your life with your goals and create lasting happiness.
Why Is Knowledge of Self Important?
Are you steering your life toward happiness, or are you unknowingly sabotaging it through misaligned priorities? Knowledge of self is often highlighted in quotations, sayings, and axioms—but does it truly impact how a person lives and the happiness they experience? More importantly, how does self-awareness actively contribute to creating happiness?
A simple Taoist method for increasing happiness involves the Four Managements (described in another post on happiness). These principles have consistently brought significant improvements in happiness for anyone who follows them. However, one critical barrier can derail this process: a lack of understanding of oneself.
Why Self-Knowledge Is Critical
Happiness requires a life tuned to two essential pieces of information:
- Where you are right now.
- Where you want to be.
Without an accurate understanding of these two factors, it’s easy to steer personal development in the wrong direction, creating frustration and imbalance.
Two Simple Tools for Building Self-Knowledge
There are two effective tools for developing self-awareness: time and money. However, a word of caution: self-assessment often reveals unexpected or uncomfortable truths. These exercises should be done privately to avoid subconscious self-censorship. In Taoist terms, this means stepping outside the Social Sphere and into the Tao Sphere, where clarity and honesty about oneself can emerge.
When conducting these assessments, it’s crucial to set aside judgment or “should” thoughts (e.g., “I should be this way”). Instead, focus on observing what is, without imposing ideas of how things ought to be.
Tool 1: Time
Time is one of the most valuable and limited resources. Each week provides 168 hours, with approximately 56 spent sleeping, leaving 112 hours for everything else. The way time is spent reflects personal values and priorities.
Take stock of how time is currently allocated. Don’t worry about the reasons or justifications for these choices during this step. Simply document the flow of time to create a clear picture of how your life is being shaped. This exercise often reveals painful but invaluable truths about what is truly being prioritized.
Tool 2: Money
Money serves as a physical marker of value. Where it is spent—and where it is not—offers insight into personal priorities. This concept can be referred to as “wallet time.” If money isn’t being spent on something or someone, it’s a clear indicator of its relative importance in comparison to other expenditures.
Document spending patterns, noting where money flows and the feelings associated with those activities or individuals. This process creates a vivid and revealing picture of personal values and priorities.
Conclusions About Self-Knowledge
The pursuit of self-awareness must take place outside of standard social relationships to uncover the root of current values and priorities. If happiness is lacking, it is often due to misaligned or unbalanced valuations—or the absence of a goal that genuinely fosters happiness.
Clear goals emerge naturally when current values and priorities are understood. Take the first step today: track how you spend your time and money. The clearer your self-awareness, the closer you are to unlocking a life of balanced happiness.
