Target areas for improvement. Respecting yourself does not mean thinking that you are perfect and that there is absolutely nothing that you need to work on and improve. It means being able to accept the things that you cannot change about yourself, while working to address the things that you need to work on. Take some time to really think about yourself and to consider the areas you'd like to work on the most; maybe you would like to improve your listening skills, or you would love to handle life's daily little stresses a lot better, or you would like to have a more balanced approach when making the people around you happy without sacrificing your own needs.