One very practical approach to scan quickly the resource you have right here and right now is the exercise provided by Vladimir Levi. Please take a piece of paper and separate it on two. In my experience I have seen that it works best to separate it on three and I will explain later why.
The first column you name Zebra A. Here you will write your positive character traits. The qualities that you are proud to have. All the qualities that allows you to go ahead and to manage life even when the environment is absolutely new and unknown to you but you still somehow get through it successfully. Add as much as you can. Please think about minimum 10 things. If you get stuck on the early lines do not worry. Don’t aim for the stars here. Take down the self judgmental expectations and just be free and open. At the end only you will be reading this! Consider the small things as well, don’t give all your respect only for the grandee.
Once you are ready go towards Zebra B. Here are the negatives. The sides of your character that slows you down, stop you from doing things, freezing your will and actions in your life. All of them come here.
Please don't be judgmental when you write the negatives. Don’t be critical and hard on yourself even for the things that you find yourself writing down but you do not like. Be grateful that you can see them because this is a unique chance to work on them. Be happy that you know about them as this is your most powerful tool to grow them into good. Welcome them! Once they reveal you will have the chance to work with them and to turn them in what you want.
According to Levi A and B shall have equal number of listed qualities. You can aim towards this rule. But in any case write it in a way that you feel comfortable.
The third column will contain all the qualities that are already in stage of development and hard work. Here is everything that you know that you have started improving, but there is still some more work in order to reach the satisfying result.
Positive Character Traits | Negative Character Traits | In Process |
Active Admirable Adventurous Agreeable Amiable Amusing Appreciative Athletic Authentic Benevolent Brave Bright Brilliant Calm Capable Caring Charming Cheerful Clean Clear-headed Clever Compassionate Confident Considerate Cooperative Courageous Dedicated Easygoing Educated Enthusiastic Ethical Exciting Extraordinary Fair Firm Focused Forgiving Friendly Generous Gentle Good-natured Grateful Happy Hardworking Helpful Heroic Honest Hopeful Humble Innocent Intelligent Inventive Joyful Lively Loving Loyal Neat Nice Optimistic Organized Passionate Patient Peaceful Playful Polite Principled Reliable Respectful Responsible Self-disciplined Selfless Sincere Skillful Strong Sweet Thoughtful Trustworthy Understanding Unselfish Wise Kind Curious | Aggressive Angry Anxious Argumentative Arrogant Bored Bossy Brutal Careless Charmless Clumsy Conceited Cowardly Critical Cruel Dangerous Deceitful Destructive Devious Difficult Discouraging Discourteous Dishonest Disloyal Disobedient Disorganized Disrespectful Disruptive Envious Fearful Foolish Forgetful Frightening Gloomy Greedy Grim Hateful Haughty Hostile Ignorant Impatient Impractical Inconsiderate Insincere Insulting Intolerant Irresponsible Irritable Jealous Lazy Liar Mean Meddlesome Messy Miserable Monstrous Moody Negative Neglectful Obnoxious Petty Possessive Power-hungry Prejudiced Resentful Rude Scornful Selfish Shallow Sloppy Sneaky Snobbish Thoughtless Unappreciative Uncaring Uncooperative Unforgiving Unfriendly Ungrateful Unhealthy Unreliable Violent Weak Wicked | Flexible Strong Calm Organized |