Create a Strength, Weaknesses Chart


See Jane Win

Create a Strengths, Weaknesses, and Changes Chart

The first step toward accepting your strengths and weaknesses is to figure out what they are. (That makes sense, doesn't it?) Below is a list of characteristics that the See Jane Win women used when describing themselves as kids. As you look over the list, think about which characteristics apply to you. Of these, which are you happy about and which do you wish you didn't have?

adult-like	athletic	beautiful	bossy
book loving	brainy	cool	courageous
confident	creative	different	emotional
fashionable	fearful	follower	funny
gifted	good	happy	hard working
immature	independent	kind	lazy
leading	lonely	mean	modest
nerdy	perfectionistic	persistent	popular
princess-like	quiet	rebellious	risk taking
sad	secure	self-critical	sensitive
shy	smart	special	strong willed
sweet	talented	talkative	tomboyish
troublemaking	unhappy	very social	wimpy

Using these words, and any others that describe you well, create a
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Changes Chart.
For two examples, Khana and Laura's charts are below.

Here's how to make the Chart:

Open the chart by clicking here. Print a copy of the chart.
Strengths. In the first column, list your skills and abilities and the personality traits and aspects of your appearance that you like. (Don't forget to refer to the list of characteristics above for ideas.)
Things to Improve. In the second column, list areas you'd like to work on.
Changes to Make. In the third column, list changes you could make that would help you feel even better about yourself. But be realistic. Some things (like height, skin color, disabilities, or living situation) are very difficult or impossible to change or control.
Things to Accept. List the things that are out of your control-the ones you'll have to learn to live with-in the fourth column of the chart.

Do you see anything that can be grouped together?
Are you being too hard on yourself? Do you have strengths with a downside or problem areas with an upside? If so, how does seeing the two sides make you feel different about your pluses and minuses?
Can you use your strengths to help yourself in areas where you're weak?

Khana's Strengths, Weakness, and Changes Chart
Strengths	Things to Improve	Changes to Make	Things to Accept
Good Writer	Average in Science	Ask Manuela, who is good at Science, to study with me for our weekly quizzes. Stop doing math homework in front of the TV!	My Height (Wish I was Taller)
Good Reader	Average in Math
Friendly	Sometimes forget Chores		How Soft my Voice Is
Good Helper
Persistent	Stubborn		My curly Hair
Understanding of my friends	A Little Shy
		Create a Schedule showing when I have Chores to do.
Leader with some friends
Likes School		Accept that it's okay to change my mind sometimes.
Creative Thinker
Kind Person
Good Big Sister		Speak up more in class. Could also audition for the school play, or join the debate club for practice talking in front of others.
Pretty Nice Looking
Good Coordination for Sports

Laura's Strengths, Weakness, and Changes Chart
Strengths	Things to Improve	Changes to Make	Things to Accept
Good Singing Voice	Bad Student	Ask to Get a Tutor	Diabetes
Good Listener	Lonely a Lot	Join the Church Choir	That my sister and I have to share a room
Good at Art	Mean to my Sister	Be Nice to my Sister	That my sister and I have to share a room
	Lose my temper	Count to 10 and take deep breaths when I feel myself getting angry	My freckles
	Boys don't like me
	Girls leave me out
	Too fat
	Bad at sports	Eat less junk food and exercise more
		Eat less junk food and exercise more
		Find a sport I like

Read See Jane Win for Girls or go to www.sylviarimm.com for Dr. Rimm's many other parenting articles.

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This web site designed by Joanne Riedl and updated by Jeremy Knackert for Sylvia Rimm
and Educational Assessment Service, Inc.