Ready for the details? (Part 2)

Today we’ll finish up the self assessment quiz for self actualization.  The goal right now is to determine which areas of your life you feel strongest in, and which need work.  Remember, you can’t fail this test; this is just a snapshot of where you are.   Today we’ll start with:

CENTEREDNESS

1. When I look back on my days, I generally feel I was where I was supposed to be, doing what I was supposed to do.
2. If I act false or say something that isn’t true, it feels very uncomfortable.
3. My mind is usually on what I’m doing/experiencing at any given time – I rarely dedicate large chunks of time to worrying about the past or the future.
4. Overall, I feel like I’m living my life; not just watching it go by.
5. When I’m nearing the end of my life, I feel like I’m going to have a worthwhile story to tell.

GROWTH

1. When you look back over the past few years, can you detect areas where you’ve moved toward your goals and closer to self actualization?
2. If I could go back a decade in time, but as payment you’d sacrifice all the wisdom and maturity you’ve acquired in that period of time, I would refuse.
3. When I’m faced with situations that I’ve handled badly in the past, I’m prepared now, and I handle them much better.
4. I can easily describe three or more ways that I’ve grown in the past five years.
5. Even though my circumstances might not change for months, my responses to those circumstances do change, and they bring me a different and often better outcome.

PRESENCE

1. I rarely think of myself as “invisible” in group situations.
2. I feel like people generally listen to what I have to say.
3. I consider myself to be a “doer” in my life, and not just a recipient of whatever positive or negative events come my way.
4. I’m usually aware of the impact I have on others.
5. At any given time, I’ve usually got one or two areas in my life that I’m working on – making intentional choices instead of relying on habit and raising my game a little.

SELF MANAGEMENT

1. When I get up in the morning, I have a pretty good idea what I’ll be doing that day.
2. I do small tasks with an unconscious awareness of how these tasks fit into the “big picture” of what I want to accomplish in my life.
3. If unexpected events derail your plans, I’m able to shift your vision of the day without feeling like life is out of control.
4. I might have a few areas where I need more work, but overall I feel like I work on the important goals and values often enough that I’m making slow and steady progress.
5. I’m not afraid to ask for and accept advice, but I consider myself to be solely responsible for who I am and what I do.

Go ahead and tally up your score for each category, and devote some time to processing your discoveries.  If you like, you can rank the areas according to strength or weakness, but the important thing is taking in the new information.  Are there some areas of your life you’re very concerned about?  Some that you had improved in without realizing it?  I can’t stress enough that no matter what numbers you’re looking at, your results aren’t “bad” or “wrong.”  At most, they are an alert system, warning you that you aren’t happy with some aspects of your life, and you want to work on them.  Knowing this is a good thing, because now you can address the situation.

Roger K. Allen, Ph.D. is an expert in personal transformation, leadership, and teams. His tools and methods have helped hundreds of businesses and tens of thousands of people transform the ways they work and live. To learn more, visit www.rogerkallen.com.