How to Assess Yourself in the 5 Key Areas of Growth

Use the following question sets to consider your progress. Remember, you’re not
comparing yourself to anyone else here, so be totally honest. Score yourself on a
scale of 1 to 10 for each question, with 10 being the best. It’s a great idea to reassess
roughly every 3 to 6 months or so, and since we can have blind spots about
ourselves, have others you trust assess you, too.

Education
·         Do I seek out advice regularly from others?
·         Am I improving my daily reading time, speed or level?
·         Am I exploring a wide variety of topics or experiences outside my niche areas?
·         Do I ask questions regularly of others?
·         Have I taken classes or training within the last 1-3 months?
·         Am I able to teach others in new areas with confidence, and do I actually do so?
·         Have I traveled in the last 3-6 months to expose myself to something new?
·         Do I have a routine for studying or preparing information that I follow?
·         Are my scores or reviews on tests or presentations improving?
·         Do I feel relatively comfortable during tests or presentations?
·         Am I able to step back and objectively review my scores, results or decisions
for biases?
·         Can I find information when I need it (without the Internet)?
·         Do I practice every day to remember information and retain my skills?
·         Am I able to come out of learning with more good questions or a greater
appreciation?
 

Spiritual
·         Do I regularly take time for self-care, meditation, prayer and/or mindfulness?
·         Can I define my guiding values and defend them to others?
·         Do I intentionally take opportunities to share my beliefs with others?
·         Do I use my guiding values to make daily decisions?
·         Can others get an accurate sense of who I am, what I believe or what I need
through what I do?
·         Am I willing to submit, suffer, sacrifice or serve to improve myself, others or
the world?
·         Do I try to understand individuals who have different beliefs than me?
·         Do I accept my imperfections and offer myself grace?
·         Do I see difficulties or challenges as opportunities?
·         Do I have goals?
·         Do I have a clear sense of purpose in my life?
 ·         Do
I use tools that can help me reflect and feel spiritually full (e.g., gratitude,
journal, religious texts)
 

Physical
·         Am I meeting the standard recommendation for daily exercise?
·         Do I engage in a variety of different exercises or routines appropriate for me?
·         Am I improving the endurance or strength I have?
·         Do I spend time outdoors?
·         Do I eat the recommended allowance of fruits, vegetables, dairy, nuts/seeds and
meats (or use recommended healthy equivalents)?
·         Do I feel like I have good energy through the day?
·         Do I go to bed consistently?
·         Do I get the recommended number of hours of sleep each night?
·         Do I talk to my doctor regularly to address physical concerns?
·         Do I address discomfort right away to protect myself instead of ignoring or
pushing through it (i.e., do I listen to my body)?
·         Are my numbers good and/or consistent (e.g., cholesterol, weight, blood
pressure measurements)?
·         Am I in a safe environment at home and at work?
·         Do I advocate for my physical needs?
·         Do I take regular breaks?
·         Do I strive to stay active through the day (e.g., going to chat face to face instead
of sending a message through a chat client, walking meetings)?
 

Emotional
·         Are my moods relatively consistent?
·         Am I able to cope flexibly when I experience a challenging situation?
·         Do I seek support from others?
·         Do I express my thoughts, needs and ideas in appropriate ways?
·         Do I recognize that others might be willing and able to help me?
·         Do I draw clear, protective boundaries?
·         Do I have a good sense of personal control?
·         Do I have a good support network?
·         Am I able to frame experiences in positive ways?
·         Do I have and use specific coping strategies to handle stress?
·         Do I sleep well at night without being kept up with worry or anxiety?
·         Can I recognize and respond to the emotional needs of others?
·         Do I let go of what’s bad for me and move away from what’s toxic?
·         Do I take action rather than simply complain?
·         Can I celebrate others and myself?
·         Do I respond to criticism well?
  

Social
·         Am I reaching out to current friends regularly?
·         Do I actively seek out new relationships?
·         Do I have relationships in many communities (e.g., race, location)?
·         Do I feel comfortable working with new people?
·         Do I participate in social events?
·         Do I accept invitations from others?
·         Do I think of others as well as myself?
·         Can I engage in civil debate?
·         Can I argue the opposing perspective to show I really understand?
·         Can I reasonably prevent or deescalate conflicts and maintain emotional control
while doing so?
·         Do I help others without being prompted to do so?
·         Do I trust and feel connected to the people that I know?
·         Do I show who I truly am without excessive fear of rejection or judgment?
·         Can I identify my biases, and do I strive to control them?