How to Improve Your Personal Integrity
Live with honesty and keep your promises., Show compassion and sympathy/empathy towards others., Create a personal mission statement for your life., Maintain a dedication to your values.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Live with honesty and keep your promises.
Honesty is one of the most important aspects of integrity.
If you are dishonest or misleading with others, you cannot live a life of integrity.
Part of being honest with others also includes keeping any promises that you make.
A broken promise is effectively a lie, and lying is inconsistent with living with integrity.Always be truthful with others, even when it lands you in trouble.
Lying is almost always the wrong thing to do, especially when you lie for your own gain.
If you're worried honesty might hurt someone's feelings, it may be best to say nothing at all.
Excuse yourself by saying something like, "I don't think I'm the best person to give an opinion on _____." Living honestly includes being honest with yourself at all times.
Check in with your thoughts/feelings, acknowledge how you feel, and be aware of how those feelings influence your behavior. -
Step 2: Show compassion and sympathy/empathy towards others.
You cannot live a life of integrity without being mindful of and concerned for others.
A lack of compassion or sympathy for others can often result in poor judgment, acts of selfishness, and ultimately a damaged relationship with someone you care about.Try to be understanding of how others feel.
If someone did a poor job at work, for example, consider that they might be having an exceptionally bad day.
Be kind to other people, even in minor ways.
For example, when you go to the store, ask the hard-working cashier how their day is going, and wish them a good rest of the day.
Help others whenever possible.
You can do this through acts of charity, or by simply offering a helping hand to someone in need at work or on the street. , A good way to ensure that you're living a life of integrity is to lay out a roadmap for yourself.
Assess where you are now in life and consider where you want to be in the future in terms of your personal integrity and moral character.Write out your goals and your values.
Think hard about what kind of person you want to be and what you hope to achieve in your lifetime.
Commit to developing yourself in meaningful ways.
Remember that personal transformation takes a lot of work and dedication.
The goal of your mission statement should be to provide you with guidance on a day-to-day basis.
Whenever you feel lost or uncertain, your mission statement should help ground you.
These statements should not be something you have to make up on the spot.
Even if you've never articulated them, you should have a clear understanding of what guides you in life.
Keep this list hung in a place you'll see every day.
Stop and take a moment each day to ask yourself whether you're behaving in a way that will help you live out your statement. , Your values are what guide you through life.
They're often shaped by your formative experiences, but your values may change as you grow and adapt to new stages of life.
This is normal, but it's important to maintain a commitment to your values, no matter what they happen to be at a given stage in your life.Focus on what matters most to you.
Let the things that are important to you determine how you treat others and how you live your life.Never compromise your values.
Anything that is truly a personal value to you will not be compromised because it's convenient. -
Step 3: Create a personal mission statement for your life.
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Step 4: Maintain a dedication to your values.
Detailed Guide
Honesty is one of the most important aspects of integrity.
If you are dishonest or misleading with others, you cannot live a life of integrity.
Part of being honest with others also includes keeping any promises that you make.
A broken promise is effectively a lie, and lying is inconsistent with living with integrity.Always be truthful with others, even when it lands you in trouble.
Lying is almost always the wrong thing to do, especially when you lie for your own gain.
If you're worried honesty might hurt someone's feelings, it may be best to say nothing at all.
Excuse yourself by saying something like, "I don't think I'm the best person to give an opinion on _____." Living honestly includes being honest with yourself at all times.
Check in with your thoughts/feelings, acknowledge how you feel, and be aware of how those feelings influence your behavior.
You cannot live a life of integrity without being mindful of and concerned for others.
A lack of compassion or sympathy for others can often result in poor judgment, acts of selfishness, and ultimately a damaged relationship with someone you care about.Try to be understanding of how others feel.
If someone did a poor job at work, for example, consider that they might be having an exceptionally bad day.
Be kind to other people, even in minor ways.
For example, when you go to the store, ask the hard-working cashier how their day is going, and wish them a good rest of the day.
Help others whenever possible.
You can do this through acts of charity, or by simply offering a helping hand to someone in need at work or on the street. , A good way to ensure that you're living a life of integrity is to lay out a roadmap for yourself.
Assess where you are now in life and consider where you want to be in the future in terms of your personal integrity and moral character.Write out your goals and your values.
Think hard about what kind of person you want to be and what you hope to achieve in your lifetime.
Commit to developing yourself in meaningful ways.
Remember that personal transformation takes a lot of work and dedication.
The goal of your mission statement should be to provide you with guidance on a day-to-day basis.
Whenever you feel lost or uncertain, your mission statement should help ground you.
These statements should not be something you have to make up on the spot.
Even if you've never articulated them, you should have a clear understanding of what guides you in life.
Keep this list hung in a place you'll see every day.
Stop and take a moment each day to ask yourself whether you're behaving in a way that will help you live out your statement. , Your values are what guide you through life.
They're often shaped by your formative experiences, but your values may change as you grow and adapt to new stages of life.
This is normal, but it's important to maintain a commitment to your values, no matter what they happen to be at a given stage in your life.Focus on what matters most to you.
Let the things that are important to you determine how you treat others and how you live your life.Never compromise your values.
Anything that is truly a personal value to you will not be compromised because it's convenient.
About the Author
Nathan Young
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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