Interview Yourself

Bluntly

Have You Changed?

My Self-Portrait: A short-short story

How Honest Am I?

How Have You Changed? A self-inventory

Taking stock of how we’ve changed can gratify us. And it can motivate us to change some things. Answering the questions I offer in my Psychology Today article today should help you get clear on both.

Whom to Idolize: Better than athletes, performers, lying politicians, and even scientists

In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I argue that it's wise to idolize your best self and aspire to being that person. I ask questions to help you tease out how to that.

A Fast Way to Identify Your Strengths

Self-report is a valuable way for you to identify our strengths and weaknesses. Not only does that enable you to consider the full range of your life’s past experiences, it allows you to project forward: what are your latent attributes—those that life hasn’t yet afforded you sufficient opportunity to express but that you might like to. Plus, self-report is free.

To keep concise the self-report strengths inventory in my PsychologyToday.com article today, it isn't universally applicable. It focuses on the Psychology Today readership—people who are well educated and/or with above-average intelligence. So, for example, it doesn’t ask about physical strength or ability to do repetitive tasks.

Clear-Eyed Self-Assessment, Not Inflated Self-Esteem

Not so long ago, being hard on yourself was seen as an asset. Now, self-acceptance is more lauded. My PsychologyToday.com article today argues that's a mistake.

Taking Inventory: A look at lessons learned in 2018 can yield a better 2019

In theory, we all agree that we learn from experience. Yet too often, those lessons go unnoticed or unremembered. Answering the questions about your 2018 that I pose in my PsychologyToday.com article today might help.

Does Your Self-Concept Match How Others See You?

As my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer an easy way to compare your self-concept with how you're perceived.  

How Benevolent Are You, Really?

Most people think of themselves as benevolent but how benevolent are you, really? In my PsychologyToday.com article today, I offer seven questions that may help you self-assess.

Of course, no one's perfect but it can't hurt to take a look at yourself if only to pat yourself on the back for the good you do.

Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Worklife

We’re often too busy to reflect, even on something as important as our worklife. My PsychologyToday.com article today asks questions to make it easier. HERE is the link.

What Are Your Key Skills and Abilities?

An important step toward career success is to identify your key skills and abilities. My PsychologyToday.com article helps you do that expeditiously. HERE is the link.

The Ultimate Race Against Time: Might You Want to Spend Your Time Differently?

As we get older, we become more aware that the sand in our hourglass is falling, seemingly ever faster.

We’re all in the ultimate race against time. Perhaps the best we can do is to be more conscious of how we’ll spend that time. 

My PsychologyToday.com article asks you questions to help you decide what you might want to spend more or less time doing and with whom. HERE is the link.

Probing Questions Worth Asking Yourself

Over the past quarter century, I've kept  improving my list of probing questions designed to tease out my clients' essence and help them establish goals. 

I present those questions in my PsychologyToday.com article today. HERE is the link.

A Deathbed Exercise

I created a version of the deathbed exercise, a useful tool for evaluating your life and seeing what, if any changes, you'd like to make. HERE is the link.

Rate Your Life

My article yesterday on PsychologyToday.com: Rate Your Life. 

Update: Today, April 26, 2014, this is the #1 most read article of the thousands on PsychologyToday.com

This Resolution's a Keeper

You know you should get a 360-degree evaluation: asking trusted colleagues for feedback on you. But most people are too scared to get it. Force yourself anyway. It's key to your growing. Besides, better to know the bad news so you can try to improve before it's too late.  And who knows? You may get more praise than you fear. 

Here's a good way to get your feedback: 

1. Use www.checkster.com to get anonymous feedback from your board of advisors:  bosses and coworkers you trust.

2. Review their feedback and pick one or two things you want to improve during the next week.

3. Daily, give yourself a letter grade on your progress. Record it on www.bellygraph.com

4. After one to four weeks, ask your Board of Advisors to reevaluate you on Checkster.

5. As desired, repeat steps 1-4. 

Also consider using that process to improve your personal life, perhaps selecting the person(s) you're living with as your board of advisors.