Day 18 - Self-Evaluation

A stepping-stone can be a stumbling block if we can't see it until after we have tripped over it.

Cullen Hightower (American Writer)

As I mentioned yesterday I’d like to end this series on small changes = BIG results with some exercises. They won’t take long to complete but they will get you thinking. Consider it a bit of life coaching on yourself!

Yesterday I went over a brief exercise to determine how you describe yourself in four keys areas of life: physical, relational, intellectual and spiritual. Today, we're going to build on that.

In each of the above areas rate your satisfaction on a scale of 1-10.

-          How satisfied are you in terms of the intellectual aspects of your life? (This may relate to your job, your overall awareness of what’s going on in the world, intellectual pursuits such as classes and reading etc.).

-          What about your physical health and well-being? (Do you exercise and maintain a healthy diet? Are you trying to lose weight? Are you struggling with any chronic conditions or medical illnesses, etc.)?

-          What about relationally? (Are you able to keep up with the demands of your marriage, friendships and family? Are you feeling isolated? Overwhelmed with too many social commitments? How easy or difficult is it for you to maintain boundaries in your social life? etc.).

-          And finally, spiritually? (Are you pursuing your heart’s passions? Are you utilizing your gifts to make a difference in the lives of others? Are you attempting to learn more about God every day? Are you participating in any activities or disciplines to facilitate spiritual growth in your life)?

After you indicate your overall satisfaction with where you are now, write down 2-3 things you would like to do to challenge yourself to grow in each of the above areas.

Finally, rank each of the four areas in order of importance right now in your life. They are all important areas or we wouldn’t be spending time addressing each of them. However your overall satisfaction is going to be higher in some than others. That is natural depending on what your life looks like in this particular season. So which area(s) do you feel dissatisfied with at the moment?

Once you’ve ranked them, focus on the most important thing only for the next week. You will become overwhelmed if you try to tackle all of the areas at once. While these activities are simple, developing new habits and creating long-lasting change takes time. So be patient with yourself.

See you tomorrow!