4 Ways Matthew McConaughey Breeds Self-Awareness On A Daily Basis 

A sense of self-awareness is, by no means, automatic. Just ask Matthew McConaughey: On this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, we discuss how tapping into your own intuition takes work—and while it may be easier for some than others, it certainly doesn't come naturally. Make no mistake: Your sense of self-awareness is a muscle, and you need to target it in order to help it grow. 

That's why the Academy Award–winning actor, producer, and author of the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Greenlights actually makes it a habit to foster self-awareness every single day. Why? Well, those slow moments of introspection (he dubs them "yellow lights") are crucial: "Interruptions, moments of introspection, while we don't usually want those, we usually find out we need those," he tells me. Learning to navigate those "yellow lights" can ultimately help you determine what's most important in life and what steps you need to take to achieve those goals—the definition of true success, if you will. 

Of course, we'd be remiss not to mention his raw, introspective journal entries (peppered throughout his new book). But in addition to those diaries, "I love making lists," McConaughey says. Not just to keep himself organized throughout the workweek (although, that's another perk) but also to hold himself accountable to what's important in life, to reel him back from "autopilot," as he says. "I put little, fun things on there. Like, 'kiss your wife at lunchtime.'" 

Speaking of prayer, McConaughey is also quite spiritual—connecting to a higher power helps him reflect. "I like church. That's where I get my time to think about me, and my life, and my loved ones around it," he says. He doesn't attend every single day, but he likens the weekly ritual to a reset, whenever he needs to "go recharge and do some inventory." 

Sometimes, you need a visual reminder to see the bigger picture. Here's McConaughey's trick for when he's having an especially hard day: He pulls up Google Earth, zooms out into the galaxy, and takes a few moments to reflect on how enormous the universe is compared to himself. "[I'm] a little speck on this revolving planet and this little increment of time," he notes.