The Power of Self-Evaluation
A Path to Balanced Self-Worth
Self-evaluation, the process of reflecting on your abilities, behaviours, and characteristics, is often at the core of how we see ourselves, our identity. Our strengths may become a part of our character, as we acknowledge our weaknesses, but what happens when self-worth becomes overly dependent on a single area of life? When a part of ourselves starts to take over? Be it our relationship, appearance, or career, this imbalance can feel helpful when things are going well but leave us vulnerable when challenges arise.
Why Self-Evaluation Matters
Healthy self-evaluation is about more than recognising your abilities, it’s about resilience. For example:
A student reflecting on an exam might realise they excel at problem-solving but need to improve time management.
An employee might feel proud of their teamwork on a project while identifying a need for clearer communication.
When self-worth relies heavily on one part of ourselves, like professional success or appearance, it can led us to over invest in one area at the cost of others.
Introducing the Self-Evaluation Pie
The Self-Evaluation Pie is a simple exercise to help us reflect on the amount of balance in our lives. By allocating "slices" of a pie chart to different areas of your life, such as family, friends, relationships, work, hobbies, physical and mental health, you can visualise how much time, energy and overall weight each area holds in your self-assessment. Larger slices represent areas with the greatest influence on your self-worth.
Think about how you would complete your pie. Do you spend the most time in the areas of the life that make you feel the most felt proud, valued, or motivated?
Examples of Over-Reliance
Relationships: In codependent relationships, a person’s self-worth can be tied to the needs and validation of others. A breakdown in the relationship can leave them feeling lost and worthless without the partner they cared for.
Appearance: When self-worth is reliant on physical appearance or weight, changes in these areas (which can be due to ageing, illness, or life circumstances). An individual with body dysmorphia may spiral into shame when their body doesn't meet their impossible, idealised standard. For example, an injury might prevent someone from exercising, resulting in feelings of failure.
Career: Over-identification with professional success can create vulnerability to feelings of inadequacy during job loss, retirement, or career setbacks. For example, losing a long-held job can devastate someone whose identity is tied entirely to professional success.
Building a Balanced Sense of Self-Worth
Diversifying the ways individuals assess their self-worth is essential. This involves recognising value across multiple areas, such as interpersonal relationships, community involvement, personal growth, hobbies, and intrinsic qualities. A balanced self-evaluation can reduce the psychological impact of loss or change in one area. Here’s how:
Broaden Your Focus
Explore hobbies, join community groups, or develop new skills. Example: A professional who starts painting discovers fulfilment beyond work.
Therapeutic Techniques
Challenge beliefs tied to single areas of your life, look for exceptions, times when you were successful or valued in other areas. Guided exercises, like journaling or role-playing, can help reframe unhelpful thoughts.
Strengthen Your Network
Build relationships across diverse areas of life to foster a sense of belonging.
Self-Evaluation Pie
The Self-Evaluation Pie is more than an exercise, it’s a visual tool through which we can reimagine our value. By recognising the need for balance and embracing diverse sources of fulfilment, we can navigate life’s challenges.
The self-evaluation pie is just one strategy, others include ways to explore the different parts of yourself and explore how your self-worth is shaped. Our goal is to help you transform the way you see yourself, and see more of your what you value and build greater resilience
