Self-image is the perception we have of ourselves. People set different, individual priorities for basic existential needs. We have an individual way of orienting ourselves in the world and are focused on issues that are important to us. That’s okay. We are okay the way we are.

The command form, the imperative, wants to determine how we should be.

It manifests as complacency when we take good care of ourselves, or as a guilty conscience when we disagree with our behavior. Sometimes internalized parental instincts from childhood hide behind appeals that we should change.

But, as adults, we are allowed to judge ourselves and give our lives their own meaning. This leads to an inner value system: What am I like when I live meaningfully? What behavior suits me then, when I am in agreement with myself?

It is against this self-given imperative self-image that we can align our decisions and reflect on our actions.

The Imperative Self-Image Analysis: We can work through the TwentyFive questionnaire again. But now we sort, task by task, according to the question: how should I be so that I agree with myself? Alternatively, we can use text analysis when we have described our ideal image of ourselves.

Profile comparison: We have created the original motivation profile under the mode: ‘What do I like more or less?’. We can now compare this ‘actual profile’ with the new ’target profile’. Smaller deviations, up to 10 points to each expression, are usual, because our moods fluctuate occasionally. In the case of larger differences, we can check whether we could perhaps change the demands on ourselves, i.e. the Imperative Self-Image, to a level where we are more satisfied with our behavior.

Wishes for change: If we want to change, then we focus on those expressions that have a value greater than 100 points in our profile. In the book on our motivation type [see method knowledge] there are many hints on how to take good care of our basic needs and a checklist for important decisions. In addition, we can ask a TwentyFive coach to discuss our wishes for change together.