The Worthy Dozen: Essential Self-development Tools

Jesse Pappas
Aug 6, 2019
15 min read

Updated: Aug 9, 2019

The twelve essential skills outlined below (along with the theories here) form the backbone of the Fast Change approach to accelerated self-development. Each tool is rooted in evidence from the social sciences, and, once learned and practiced during The Fast Change Project, can be used for a lifetime.

Core Fast Change Tools

This is an overview of eleven evidence-based tools that drive intentional self-development. All are based on the work of psychological and behavioral scientists. We will learn much more about these strategies in class.

PREPARE TO SUCCEED
ENGAGE THE GROWTH MINDSET
STRATEGIC SELF-DISCOVERY (It’s all inside)
DO GOOD, BE GOOD
THINK SLOW (Not fast)
IMMERSE THYSELF
SOCIAL CAPITAL (Tell someone, but not everyone)
MINDFULNESS (Be here now)
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE
MOTIVATION MAINTENANCE
EFFECTIVE GOAL PURSUIT
VALUE AUDIT

1) PREPARE TO SUCCEED

Before beginning any concerted self-development project, one must prepare for the challenges ahead. Fortunately, social and sports psychologists have your back.

Grit

Angelea Duckworth (2016), the "queen of grit," defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance for a singularly important goal. Other characteristics include resilience and motivation to work for a goal, as well as courage, resolve, and strength of character. In a study that included over 66,000 subjects, Credé, Tynan, and Harms (2017) found that increased levels of grit were very strongly correlated with conscientiousness and perseverance in adults. This means individuals who are self-aware and self-motivating will find themselves with higher levels of grit. The reverse is also true. We will help you identify ways to draw upon the grit within and even become grittier.

Resilience

In her recent New York Times bestseller, Rising Strong, social worker Brené Brown (2017) examines and discusses the common characteristics people have that make them resilient. Dr. Brown believes that “vulnerability – the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome – is the only path to more love, belonging, and joy.”

In a study of resilience training for young adults, Masten et al. (2004) saw an increase in competence and resilience following targeted instruction, especially in “adaptive resources that included planfulness/future motivation, autonomy…and coping skills” (p. 1071).

Mental Preparedness

Mental Preparedness is a way of getting your mind ready for a challenging experience. Athletes use mental preparedness, as do lawyers, managers, and others who successfully work in high-stress situations. Make a deal with yourself to take this course and its activities very seriously. Ultimately, being prepared helps determine the nature and breadth of the changes you make during the next month.

Visualization: In a study of behavior change affecting energy and resource use, Bartram et al. (2010) found that visualization had an important role in helping individuals understand and reduce their energy use. In this study, participants got real-time feedback on energy use which encouraged them to further their conservations efforts. Similar positive findings for environmental behavioral change through visualization were found in a study by Grevet, Mankoff, and Anderson (2010).

Self-talk: Tod et al. (2011) present a review of 47 studies of the relationship between self-talk and performance. “Results indicated beneficial effects of positive, instructional, and motivational self-talk for performance” (p. 666), according to the authors. The factors most often benefitted by self-talk were cognitive and behavioral. Self-talk, especially what we might consider “inner speech,” has been effective as a tool for self-regulation (Fahy 2014). The author found that motivation towards a goal affected the value of self-talk.

The Mayo Clinic website (see below) offers a good, but brief, overview of the value and limitations of positive and negative self-talk on a wide variety of behavioral and psychological issues.

Bartram, L., Rogers, J., & Muise, K. Kevin Muise (2010). Chasing the negawatt: Visualization for sustainable living. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, Vol.30 (3).

Brown, R. (2017). Rising strong. New York: Random House.

Credé, M., Tynan, M., & Harms, P. (2017). Much ado about grit: A meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 113(3).

Duckworth, A. (2016). Grit: The power of passion and perseverance. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Fahy, J. (2014). Language and executive functions: Self-talk for self-regulation. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, Vol. 21(2) p.61-71.

Grevet, C., Mankoff, J. & Anderson, S. (2010). Design and evaluation of a social visualization aimed at encouraging sustainable behavior. 43rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

Masten, A., Burt, K., Roisman, G., Obradovic, J. & Long, J. (2004). Resources and resilience in the transition to adulthood: Continuity and change. Development and Psychopathology, Vol. 16(4).

Mayo Clinic. (2017). Positive Thinking: Stop Negative Self-talk to Reduce Stress.

Department of Communications Disorders and Sciences, Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950.

Tod, D., Hardy, J., & Oliver, E. (2011). Effects of self-talk: A systematic review. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 33 (5).

2) ENGAGE THE GROWTH MINDSET

Carol Dweck (2008) of Stanford University coined the term “growth mindset” as one that thrives on challenge and considers failure a springboard to growth and change (stated briefly). Those who adopt a growth mindset tend to take more chances in their own evolution and are generally more successful than those with a “fixed mindset” (one that focuses on success and avoiding failure at all costs).

For some, adopting a new mindset is, in itself, a challenge. Too many of us see failure and struggle with change as undermining our sense of being continually smart and successful. Actually, the opposite is true. Those individuals who take chances—and fail sometimes—often learn from these failures, are more successful in life, and end up with a greater sense of well-being. Whatever the case, it’s worth a try…

Abraham Maslow (1968) also discussed intentional self-development—self-actualization—as the key to individual growth and change; he described the “self as a project” (pg. 12) in which intentional change processes allowed the increasingly self-actualized individual to “…make himself into anything he decided to be” (p. 12).

Dweck, Carol S. (2008) Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York : Ballantine Books.

Maslow, A. (1968). Toward a psychology of being. New York, N.Y.: Van Nostrand Company.

3) STRATEGIC SELF-DISCOVERY (It’s All Inside)

Authentic self-development is rarely about developing a new self. Everything you’d like become is already a part of you. It’s all inside. You’ve already lived up to your potential – according to your values – been your ideal self – in particular situations. The goal is to walk that walk on a more regular basis – to bring out the best in yourself at will.

During The Fast Change Project, you will utilize modern self-development technology (Personality Pad) as well as proven self-insight strategies (such as structured self-reflection) to discover what lies within and elucidate your ideal self. This level of preparation is essential to successful long-term change.

Our approach to strategic self-discovery is rooted in the fascinating (yet under-appreciated) theories of adaptive multiplicity and the plural self. As Walt Whitman might say, you are large, you contain multitudes.

Adaptive Multiplicity

This theory details the useful proposition that our minds are naturally modular, routinely producing a range of subselves or subpersonalities that we experience as one “me.” One profound implication is that within each of us is a group of role-based identities that interact in complex ways we’re only vaguely conscious of.

From The Plural Self (Rowan & Cooper, 1998): “It is our contention that in the post-modern era, simultaneous pluralism will become widely acknowledged: that is, it will be generally understood that people can benefit by maintaining a dynamic portfolio of alternative self-concepts as they move through the life-span.”

The Plural Self

McReynolds, Altrocchi, and House (2000) designed the Self‐Pluralism Scale to determine the effects of the Plural Self in life. The authors found that plurality is positively related to “long‐term real‐life variability,” meaning that higher scores for plurality supported changes and variations in one’s life.

Schmind (2014) takes the concept a step further, and argues that the plural self also applies to thinking, claiming the validity of the singular first person point of view doesn’t measure up to the plural person perspective, which represents a wider spectrum of thinking than the singular self.

“Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes,” - Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

McReynolds, P., Altrocchi, J., & House, C. (2000). Self‐Pluralism: Assessment and relations to adjustment, life changes, and age. Journal of Personality, Vol. 68(2), 347-381.

Rowan, J. & Cooper, M. (eds.) (1998) The Plural Self: Multiplicity in everyday life.

London: Sage Publishers

Schmid, H. (2014). Plural self-awareness. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences. Vol. 13(1), 7–24.

4) DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Tim Wilson is a psychology professor at University of Virginia and one of Jesse Pappas’ doctoral advisors. In Redirect, Wilson encourages us to change our behaviors first. Changes in our character will follow changes in our behavior...Do Good, Be Good. Practicing self-controlling behavior and just action will lead to positive individual change.

Aristotle was likely the first to discuss behavior and change, but Wilson’s successful research in this area has encouraged us to include it in our Fast Change approach. In his most popular and lengthy work, Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle maintains that the goal of an individual’s life is the live thoughtfully and develop both intellectual and moral virtues. The key to “personal flourishing” according to Aristotle, involves the intentional application of one’s abilities and talents to develop life-long values and goals. Summing up his philosophy on this behavior phenomenon, Aristotle claimed: “We become just by the practice of just actions, self-controlling by exercising self-control, and courageous by performing acts of courage.”

Eliot Aronson and J. Merrill Carlsmith (1963) conducted an experiment with children to determine whether their behaviors might help determine their attitudes. The authors discovered that if we demonstrate a behavior other than we might normally display, our attitudes and feelings toward that particular behavior might change.

Self-perception Theory suggests that people, by interpreting the meaning of their own behavior, define their attitudes and preferences. Bem (1972) defined the theory as when we use our own behaviors to help shape our thinking and preferences.

Aristotle. (340 BC /1999). Nichomachean ethics. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company.

Aronson, E., & Carlsmith, J. M. (1963). Effect of the severity of threat on the devaluation of forbidden behavior. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 66(6), 584-588.

Bem, D. (1972). Self-perception Theory. Psychology, Vol.6, 1-62.

Wilson, T. (2011). Redirect: A new way to think about psychological change. New York, Little, Brown and Company.

5) THINK SLOW (not fast)

Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman’s (2011) popular book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, characterizes human thought processes into two categories:

System 1 (Fast Thinking): This pattern of thinking is unconsciousness and might be described as impulsive, automatic and intuitive. System 1 thinking might be described as devoid of conscious reasoning.
System 2 (Slow Thinking): This system is based on intentional individual reasoning— thoughtful, deliberate, and calculating.

These systems play off each other in our minds, and the relationship between the two systems determines how we think and behave. What this means is that intentional and deliberate thinking (reflection and mindfulness would be included here) is a potentially powerful tool for individual change. When we slow down, we are increasingly aware of how we are thinking (System 1 vs. System 2), and we can focus on exploring our intentional selves and trying to stay more in the present.

Slow thinking underlies numerous valuable self-development strategies, including:

Opportunity Awareness: Be aware of “in situ” opportunities to apply your skills for change. As you know, there are some situations that are easier than others in which to demonstrate changes. Don’t miss the opportunities, especially early in your long-term change process.
The Compliment Audit: Recognizing positive feedback and attributing it productively. While you are making changes during (and after) the project, take note of the times others comment on or compliment changes they see in you. Sometimes the compliments are subtle, maybe stated as recognizing something is different with you.

Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux.

6) IMMERSE THYSELF

Jackson & Campbell (2014) conducted two studies into the nature of immersion and the transformational effect immersion can have on one’s sense of self and identity. They found that immersive experiences are an excellent foundation for achieving self-development goals, in particular, fast changes to the self-concept. A partial list of effects immersive experiences may have follows:

Immersive experiences often relay a sense of personal change, growth, and gain.
Immersive situations often stimulate and require reflection and discovery of self.
People gain new insights on complex lives, and these insights may well connect with or change a person’s identity.
People in immersive situations often change their value systems and become more humble.
People become more self-aware and gain confidence in their own capability, often through the support of others and reflection leading to recognition of one’s ability. (Jackson & Campbell 2014)

Among the research studies conducted on behavioral and cognitive immersion, Giambatista and Hoover’s (2014) research focused on cognitive and emotional skills, and found that behavioral immersion environments are “likely to generate improved behavioral skill acquisition of executive skills” (p. 36). Additional studies have indicated that immersion clinical experiences have resulted in dramatic affective changes in students’ values and attitudes (Neander & Markle 2005).

Jackson, N. & Campbell, S. (2014). Chapter D6: The Nature of Immersive Experience Learning to be Professional through a Higher Education e-book.

http://learningtobeprofessional.pbworks.com/f/JACKSON%20AND%20CAMPBELL%20D6.pdf

Giambatista, R. C., & Hoover, J. D. (2014). An empirical test of behavioral immersion in experiential learning. Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, 36.

Neander, W., & Markle, D. (2005). Improving the cultural competence of nursing students: Results of integrating cultural content in the curriculum and an international immersion. Journal of Nursing Education, Vol. 44(5).

7) SOCIAL CAPITAL (Tell someone, but not everyone)

Social capital is “an individual’s personal social network, and all the resources he or she is in a position to mobilize through this network” (Flap & De Graaf, 1986). There is a large body of work on how social relationships affect health and well-being, both at the individual and community level. Several terms such as social support, social networks, social ties, social activity and social integration are used to explain this phenomena. Social support influences human health by reducing stress levels (e.g., Kaplan et al., 1977), and by enhancing health in general as the degree of embeddedness in a social network (e.g., Blazer, 1982). In terms of personal character, Greene, Derlega, & Mathews (2006) showed that “openness in at least one significant relationship was a prerequisite for a healthy personality” (p. 410).

Effectively leveraging social capital can facilitate self-development, but the underlying dynamics are something of a contradiction in terms. Support from friends and family is certainly important to personal development (see last paragraph), but research also indicates that going public with your goals can actually work against you. The reason for this counterintuitive outcome is that when other people take notice of an individual's identity-related behavioral intention, this gives the individual a premature sense of possessing the aspired-to identity and demotivates efforts toward real change (Gollwitzer et al., 2009).

So, the solution is to identify one or two key confidants (we like to call these people Personal Change Agents) who know you well and truly want you to thrive. Bring these individuals into your circle of trust, keep them updated on your progress during the course, and allow them to help you stay motivated. Beyond these key confidants, however, it’s best, as Art Markman (2009) says, “it is best to let your actions express your intentions louder than your words.”

Blazer, D.G. (1982). Social support and mortality in an elderly community population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 115(5). 684–694.

Flap, H.D., & De Graaf, N.D. (1986). Social capital and attained occupational Status. The Netherlands Journal of Sociology, 22. 145–161.

Gollwitzer P., Sheeran, P., Michalski, V, & Seifert A. (2009). When intentions go public: Does social reality widen the intention-behavior gap? Psychological Science, 20(5), 612-8.

Greene, K., Derlega, V. J., & Mathews, A. (2006). Self-disclosure in personal relationships. In A. L. Vangelisti & D. Perlman (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (pp. 409-427). New York, NY, US: Cambridge University Press.

Kaplan, B.H., Cassel, J.C., & Gore, S. (1977). Social Support and Health. Medical Care,15 (5). 47–58.

Markman, A. (2009). If you want to succeed, don’t tell anyone. Psychology Today. May 28, 2009). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/200905/if-you-want-succeed-don-t-tell-anyone

8) MINDFULNESS (Be Here Now)

Mindfulness has become significantly more popular in the past decade. This has been accompanied by increased practice as well as a surge in university research. From an obscure 2000 year old Buddhist concept to a mainstream psychotherapy construct today, mindfulness research and practice are finding new converts everyday.

At the center of the “mindfulness movement, is John Kabat Zinn, Ph.D., author of Full Catastrophe Living and the founding Executive Director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The author stresses that while the primary point of mindfulness is thinking, “We practice mindfulness by remembering to be present all our waking moments (p. 29). Further, he notes: “Mindfulness is more than a meditation practice that can have profound medical and psychological benefits” (p. xvii)

The Miracle of Mindfulness, written by popular Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh, outlines the basics of mindfulness from a more Eastern point of view: “We must be conscious of each breath, each movement, every thought and feeling, everything which has any relation to ourselves” (p. 7).

Self-regulation practices are at the center of mindfulness, bringing awareness and other mental processes into the realm of individual control and application. These practices foster greater general physical and mental well-being as well as greater calmness and focus (Walsh & Shapiro, 2006). In addition, mindfulness practices increase information processing speed (Moore & Malinowski, 2009), as well as decrease task effort and increase focus on the subject or task at hand (Lutz et al., 2009).

In research conducted by Moore and Malinowski (2009), mindfulness practices were positively correlated with cognitive flexibility and increased attention.

Hanh, T. (1975). The miracle of mindfulness. Boston: Beacon Press.

Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full catastrophe living. New York: Dell Publishing.

Lutz A., Greischar L., Perlman D., & Davidson R. (2009). BOLD signal in insula is differentially related to cardiac function during compassion meditation in experts vs. novices. Neuroimage, 47:1038–1046.

Moore, A. & Malinowski, P. (2009). Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility. Consciousness and Cognition, Volume 18(1), 176-186.

Walsh, R. & Shapiro, S. (2006). The meeting of meditative disciplines and Western psychology: A mutually enriching dialogue. American Psychologist, 61(3).

9) REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Reflective practice is the ability to reflect on a thought or action as to engage the process of learning (Schon, 1983). Reflection has been considered a central practice for human beings throughout history and authors such as John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, Jean Piaget, William James, and Carl Jung (among many others) have developed theories of human learning and growth. Certainly, it is the skill that has yielded our best creativity, problem solving, and idea generation throughout history.

As Boud et al. (2013) state: “Reflection is an important human activity in which people recapture their experience, think about it, mull it over, and evaluate it. It is this working with experience that is important in learning” (p. 19).

David Walker (2013), in his book, Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning, focuses most specifically on writing as a tool for thinking, stating that “each particular use of writing needs to be examined in its own context” (p. 52). He and other writers on reflection further note that reflection (of any sort) needs to be practiced, as does any new skill, to begin to be truly effective.

In study of teachers, McIntosh (2010) found that reflection practices in education, healthcare, and other social sciences enhance perception and understanding of events, identity, and self.

Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (2013) Reflection: Turning experience into learning. London: Routledge.

McIntosh, P. (2010). Action research and reflective practice: Creative and visual methods to facilitate reflection and learning. London: Routledge.

Schon, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.

10) MOTIVATION MAINTENANCE

Self-Determination Theory (SDT) is “an approach to human motivation and personality…that highlights the importance of humans’ evolved inner resources for personality development and behavioral self-regulation” (Ryan and Deci 2000, p. 68). At the center of SDT is intrinsic motivation…the tools people use move themselves to accomplish specific goals. Most of us struggle with how to motivate ourselves to accomplish tasks associated with life and work.

According to Ryan and Deci (2002), the approach to SDT is a dialectic, that is, it assumes people are active beings with natural tendencies toward survival and growth…moving towards a greater understanding of the self. These natural tendencies do not operate alone, however, and are affected and molded by ongoing social events and influences .

Of course, motivation is at the center of Intentional Self-development, for individual changes are under our control, whether or not we agree to this or not. Most of us complain about not being motivated enough to realize our personal or professional goals, at least at times.

Intrinsic Motivation Theory states that “the rewards for intrinsically motivated activity is ‘the activity itself’” (Dienstbier 1991, p. 241). This, of course, means that in order for individuals to make successful personal changes, they should enjoy the activity desired, which, as we all know, is not always the case.

Deci, E. & Ryan, R. (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. Rochester: University of Rochester Press.

Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2000). Self-Determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, Vol. 55, No. 1, 68-78.

Dienstbier, R. (ed.) (1991). Perspectives on motivation. University of Nebraska Press.

11) EFFECTIVE GOAL PURSUIT

Peter Gollwitzer (2009) wrote that “The various processes that are assumed to promote self-regulation and self-control pertain to fostering the wanted over the unwanted” (p. 128), meaning that setting reasonable goals, and ways to reach those goals…in addition to setting a time line for it, increases one’s chances of attaining the goal. In addition, he suggests that for “distinct cognitive procedures or strategies needed to meet their goals, [individuals] need to set goals framed in a way that influences goal attainment (p. 129). Gollwitzer et al. continues: “For example, goals with a proximal reasonable time frame (Bandura & Schunk 1981) are more likely to be achieved, and that goals with specific rather than I-will-do-my-best standards lead to better performances” (Locke & Latham 1990) (p.129).

Harkin et al. (2015) note that monitoring goal progress is critical in attaining a goal…and making sure the goals are translated into action. The authors note that “progress monitoring has an important role in shaping goal attainment” (p. 219). Additionally, Harkin found that this extensive review of literature clearly indicates “that progress monitoring constitutes a key component of Control Theory and other leading models of goal-directed behavior, and is a crucial process that intervenes between intention formation and goal attainment” (p. 203).

Bandura, A., & Schunk, D. H. (1981). Cultivating competence, self-efficacy, and intrinsic interest through proximal self-motivation. Journal of Personality and Social

Psychology, 41, 586-598.

Harkin, B., Webb, T., Chang, B., Benn, Y., Prestwich, A., Conner, M., Kellar, I. and Sheeran, P. (2015). Does monitoring goal progress promote goal attainment? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence, Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 142, No. 2, 198 –229.

Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (1990). A theory of goal setting & task performance.

Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Oettingen, G. & Gollwitzer, P. (2009). Making goal pursuit effective: Expectancy-dependent goal setting and planned goal striving. First publ. in: Psychology of self-regulation : cognitive, affective, and motivational processes / eds.: Joseph P. Forgas ... New York: Psychology Press, pp. 127-146.

12) VALUE AUDIT

If you made it this far, you're in luck, because the coveted last spot on The Worthy Dozen was inspired by a provocateur and non-scientist whose creative use of vocabulary and surprisingly insightful self-development advice has sold more than eight million books in less than five years. In The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson beseeches us to stop caring about everything so much. We simply don't have the bandwidth available, and we risk driving ourselves crazy. During The Fast Change Project, you'll spend an immersive week being your ideal self, but this practice isn't sustainable in the long term, so you'll have to decide which values to continue pursuing with vigor and which to let go.

As Manson puts it: "The question, then, is, What do we give a f*ck about? What are we choosing tho give a fu*k about? And how can we not give a f*ck about the things that do not matter?" The Value Audit will help you answer these important questions.

Manson, M. (2016). The subtle art of not giving a fu*k. New York, New York: Harper Collins.