Judgment days: Self-evaluation strategy, simplified

Using a personal self-review to find solutions to some of your problems, whether it’s 30 minutes of daily exercise to help maintain your weight or taking guitar lessons to help alleviate some of your stress, may be less complicated than you think. In many ways, reaching those goals can only be accomplished after you do an honest appraisal of your current situation. To help get you there, author John Putzier offers three tips for a strong self-assessment:

1. Measure the good and bad:

Create a balance chart by simply drawing a line down the center of the page and labeling one side with a plus sign and the other with a minus sign. Write down the things you’ve done well on the plus side and those areas where you’ve fallen short on the other. Accomplishments don’t have to be groundbreaking. Something as simple as “Stopped eating fast-food for lunch every day” could be one.

“Paid bills on time” could be another. On the flipside, negatives can be “inconsistent sleep” or “watch too much TV.”

2. Step outside yourself: If you were writing a self-evaluation for work, you’d use the perspective of a client or co-worker. When you’re evaluating your personal life, use the perspective of family members and friends. Are you pulling your weight at home by doing a fair amount of housework? Are you available to others when they need help?

3. Question everything: Again, Putzier suggests modifying workrelated criteria by asking the following questions:

• To what degree have I added value to others?

• To what degree have I been easy to live with?

• To what degree have I done more than what’s expected?