How to Self-Evaluate to Break Unhealthy Habits

If you're like most people, you've probably developed one or more unhealthy habits during your life, whether you know it or not. Whether there's something that you don't really like about yourself or something that others have pointed out to you, there's probably something about you that you'd like to improve over time.

And that's OK because as humans, we're all flawed in our own ways, and we're all striving to be the best versions of ourselves we can, which does not mean perfection. What it does mean is that self-evaluation can often be an excellent way to figure out areas where we can improve so that we can be a better version of ourselves.

If you haven't taken a hard look at yourself lately, now is an excellent time to do so. Here's how self-evaluation can help you be a better version of yourself!

Be Honest With Yourself

Take a good look at yourself: if you could change anything about the person you are today, what would you want to change and why? Whatever answer you come up with should be the thing that you focus on changing. For example, you might feel that you're not getting as active as you should, and you'd like to move around more to improve your health. Or maybe you aren't prioritizing sleep enough because you feel like you've always got something that needs to be done.

Whatever the issue might be, take this time to look at yourself and be completely honest. If there's anything about you that you don't like, you have the power to change it.

Set Reasonable Goals

One reason people fail in their efforts to change their lives is they pile too much pressure on themselves to be perfect right away. Improving on unhealthy habits is a process, one that takes months or even years. That's why diets often fail: the person tries to completely change everything they eat and ends up binging on the food they really crave after a few weeks.

Instead, change a little at a time. For example, if you think you don't eat enough healthy foods, try making yourself eat one or two extra servings of fruit every day. As you get used to that, you can make other gradual changes to keep making progress.

Be Accountable

Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec has a saying: “A goal without a deadline is just a dream.” That's why you need to hold yourself to your goals. Every few weeks, you should check in on your progress toward your goal and re-analyze what you need to do to make it a reality. If your goal is too tough, scale back and give yourself more time. If it's too easy, set a harder target that will challenge you.

Remember, self-evaluation is one of the best ways that you can determine which unhealthy habits you've built and fix them in a reasonable way. If you're ready to make a change in your life, it's time to take a look toward a more positive future!