Written by: Alexis Lenihan, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We all want that next level. Whether it is in our careers, our relationships, our health, or our happiness — we simply want MORE.
More success at work.
More passion in our relationships.
More happiness in life.
More money. Energy. Excitement.
More.
We all know those people who seem to always be progressing — they seem to have it all. We think, “they’re so lucky” or “things just happen for them”.
Luck rarely has anything to do with it. There is a strategy that these people who seem to be effortlessly getting more in life have that 90% of the population don’t.
They are incredibly self-aware. Aware of what they want, what they need, what they are missing, and where they need to improve.
In order to gain self-awareness at that level, one must reflect and assess themselves regularly.
For most of us, self-assessment is something that we think of once or twice a year at most. When New Year’s Eve rolls around, we look back and evaluate how we progressed on our goals. Maybe we have an annual performance review where we reflect on the past year. Or we assess ourselves when there’s a major problem that needs to be addressed. Other than that, we often push forward without much self-reflection at all.
When we do stop to reflect, we often aren’t happy with the results of our self-assessment. But by the time we realize it, it’s too late to make a meaningful change.
If you’re a corporate professional, you utilize metrics to know if you’ve been successful in a particular area. Assessment helps you evaluate whether you’ve made progress and hit the mark, as well as where you need to take a closer look, tweak the plan or try something completely new.
What makes sense in business also makes sense in our personal development. When we take time to measure our own accomplishments and performance, we start to build a life of the consistent improvement.
Most people don’t want to take the time to start a practice of proactive self-assessment. It’s just another thing to add to the daily agenda. But if you have a restless feeling that there’s more to your life than the level you’re at right now, self-assessment is the quickest way to access that growth. It doesn’t take long either — 5 minutes before bed is all you really need.
If you don’t have a self-assessment habit, don’t beat yourself up. There’s a simple way you can build self-assessment into your nightly practice. First, choose a few areas that are important to you to evaluate. Find a notebook in which you can score yourself in these areas — a simple 1–5 rating works perfectly (don’t overthink this).
Here are some areas you might choose:
Core values: Did your activities align with your core values today?
Energy: Did you have the energy you needed to get your priorities done today? What affected your energy?
Relationships: Did you positively influence others today? How is your relationship with your friends, kids, and partner?
Business (Focus, Sales, Client Relations): How was your performance at work today?
Get really specific. Don’t just ask, “How did I do today?” Instead, ask pointed questions that will help you pinpoint areas you can improve in. Be clear about what you’re trying to achieve or gain momentum in. Then evaluate yourself in that area for the day.
If you’re having trouble coming up with your own questions, borrow a few general statements from The High Performance Institute until you find the ones that work for you.
Rate yourself from 1–5 on the following statements:
I worked on things that mattered most today. You know the goals you’re working towards, professionally and personally. You have clarity about what that looks like, and you know the tasks that will move you forward toward those goals. Rate yourself from 1 (low) to 5 (high) on how well you pursued your goals.
I avoided distractions well today. One of the number one killers of momentum and productivity is distractions. Maybe you’re not distracting yourself with social media or Netflix. You might be cleaning a closet so you can avoid doing challenging activities. Did you stay focused on your needle-moving activities today?
I progressed to a major dream or goal today. This one could be personal or professional.
I set intentions before each major activity today. This one is HUGE.
I fully engaged and enjoyed my efforts today. High performers strive satisfied. We honor the struggle, and we enjoy the journey. If we’re not enjoying our work, we step back and wonder what we can add and subtract from our daily lives. Work to tweak your habits to find joy in the simple tasks of life.
Don’t get bummed out if you get some low scores to start with. Low scores show you what to focus on next. They help you notice areas of decline so you can address them quickly. Otherwise, several months can go by before you notice your health or relationship decline. It could be too late by then.
You want to work offensively, not defensively.
Today, you can start incorporating habits of self-assessment into your life. As a high-performer, you can measure yourself on a daily basis to pinpoint ways you can improve. You can begin to tweak your habits and routines to maximize energy, productivity, and joy. As you do, your personal and professional performance will rise to the next level.
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Alexis Lenihan, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
As a Certified High-Performance Coach, Alexis and her team transform their clients from playing small to showing up and playing BIG in every major life arena. They are dedicated to helping people achieve heightened and sustained levels of performance while maintaining optimum health, well-being, and connection.
Trained and certified by the High-Performance Institute, Alexis is a leading authority on the habits and practices of High Performers and shares her ideas on major and minor media to inspire others to take action in their own lives.
She is the COO of Goal Set Coach, a Business Professor, and a busy mom of two young boys! She knows firsthand how life can feel like a juggling act but and is committed to helping you find a beautiful balance so that the life you live is by design, not by reaction.
