1. Define one change you would like to make to your self-perception (how you think about yourself). It might be a behavior, a self-fulfilling prophecy, or anything about yourself you would like to alter related to how you think about the person you are.
2. Where did you place your statement so you could see it every day? What statement did you use? Clearly write the change you want to make. Use strong, affirmative language to motivate yourself, such as “I will start speaking up in class,” or “I will share my opinions in meetings.”
3. Refine your general goal by making sure it is realistic and fair. Write out your refined goal using specific language from the text: “I want to show my two best friends that I am paying attention when they talk to me,” or “I want to make one comment in each meeting of one class this week,” for example, and format in APA.
4. It is important to place this statement in a place you can see it every day so that you can repeat the message out loud to yourself and use it to encourage the change you desire. Where can you best place this statement?
5. Observe others who are models for what you want to be. Write down what they do. Use specific language to describe how they communicate: “Tracy nods a lot and repeats back what others say so they know she is listening,” or “James provides examples of concepts in class so that the ideas are more concrete,” for example.36+
6. Select contexts that assist you in reaching your goal: “I will talk with my friends in private settings where there are no distractions that interfere with listening well,” or “I will begin speaking up in my Communication course, both because it is the most discussion-oriented and because other students make a lot of comments there. Later, I will speak up in my sociology course, which combines lecture and discussion.”