5. See yourself as others see you. "There were times when I didn't necessarily understand enough about myself," says Ed Goldman, vice president of enterprise operations at Bethesda, Md.-based Marriott International Inc. He recalls an experience during an MBA course that revealed this and led him to a new way of thinking. After a role-playing exercise, two classmates evaluated Goldman's performance, and their comments surprised him. "It's amazing how your perceptions about what you're like can be changed when you see what somebody else thinks about you," he says.

An everyday way to work on self-knowledge, Levoy suggests, is to keep a personal journal. This may not only help you know yourself better -- it may raise red flags about issues before they become crises.

However you choose to stay sharp, don't leave it to chance. Find a tool that works for you and apply it. As Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is said to have counseled, "Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our life."

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