I could say that I'm "taking strides towards becoming a better person" and that could still have meaning, despite the lack of any objective measure and, even, with the understanding that "a better person" could change over time.
I think you are saying we have a rough idea what it means, but then it's a sliding scale as far as ability to get closer to it.
Checking for consciousness is harder, but the rule of thumb should be anything that makes a highly subjective case it’s conscious probably is.
1) awareness, even without a sense of self, would still count as consciousness, and
2) describing consciousness in terms of awareness doesn't help to define it, since awareness is a subjective experience that cannot be shared directly
A thermostat that is aware of the temperature inside its own housing is "aware of itself". It's not conscious however.
Nailing down exactly what consciousness means is remarkably difficult.
For us, there's something it's like to be self-conscious, just like there's some experience that goes with our thoughts, such as inner dialog (hearing your thoughts). For some, that might be mental imagery instead of internal sound.
At any rate, it's the various feels that make up our experience of being a self in the world, or a self reflecting on itself.