Testimonials

The Fast Change Project:  Survey Quotes

 

 

Two months after completing the project, students are asked to anonymously respond to a series of open-ended survey questions.

 

Here are some of their responses:

 

 

Did the Fast Change Project help you develop a vision for yourself?

​

This project, and this class as a whole, has made me realize that I have so much more potential than I ever thought I had. I realized that I was not happy with who I was; I was living an extremely reactive life when I wished to be living a proactive life.  This project essentially woke me out of a deep and somber place of complacency.  Before, I was settling for whatever came my way and not going for the things I truly want in life.  I had fallen into a deep rut of having no passion for anything and I was just doing the bare minimum to get by.  I had forgotten about the value of hard work and being challenged, the value of making positive changes for myself and others.  Most importantly, I had forgotten to do things that made me truly happy and be unapologetic in doing so.  This project helped me to discover that…my true passion lies in social work.  I now know that my life will be so much more fulfilling, and I can thank this project for teaching me to decide to make a change if I really want something.

​

It allowed me to see myself in a better view.  I found that after the experiment that I am more open to change and feel less complacent with my life.

​

This project helped me to be the version of myself that I have always wanted to be.  It made me step outside of my comfort zone and do things that made me nervous, but once I did them I felt so much better about myself.   It also made me realize that I wanted to be my better self all the time, not just for a week-long period.  It made me realize that life is so short that you have to take all the chances you can get, and by being your ideal self, you will live your life to the fullest.  This project showed me that reaching my goals was pretty simple and do-able if I just stayed focused and dedicated to working towards accomplishing them.

 

-

 

Are you still doing the Fast Change Project? 

​

For the most part, I have continued to be the best version of myself that I can be.  I have kept the same values and actions that I showed during the project.

 

I am 100% still doing this project.  It was one of the best experiences I have had this entire academic year.  I learned so much about myself and about why other people are the way they are. I loved having a way to organize changing the way I lived; before this project, I wouldn't have known where to even start (and that was one of the main reasons I never took any steps towards improvement).  I continue doing this project by coming up with new goals I want to work towards.  I will write down anything that comes to mind throughout my days that I want to get better at or stop doing; from there I will choose 2 or 3 things to work on each day.  When I become sick of those, I try other ones and then I go back and forth.

​

I am still doing the project, but it is much more of a daily routine for me rather than something I am required to do.

 

-

​

How do you feel about yourself since completing the Fast Change Project?

 

I liked how busy I was throughout the week, and it made me feel good about myself that I was able to accomplish something in such a short amount of time.

 

After completing this project, I truly felt great about myself and really enjoyed doing it.  I can finally say I am happy with the way that my body looks after changing my diet for the physical aspect.  This change also brought me more energy, and I plan on staying vegetarian for those reasons and more.  I also liked the way I was acting more because I believe I was more positive, which led to being a nicer person overall.  I additionally feel like I have been able to get more work done by simply putting my phone away, which also makes me feel a lot better.

 

Throughout each aspect of the project, I found myself being content with the person I was turning into.

 

I finally felt like myself.

 

It made me feel that I can do anything if I put my mind to it because I feel I have drive and ambition.

 

-

​

What are some of the changes you made?

 

I started going to the gym more, put my phone away from me at night, ate breakfast more often and went to sleep earlier.  These changes made me feel healthier and more awake during the day.

​

I made many changes regarding my mental health, such as getting to bed early, having “me time,” and doing face masks or something calming at the end of the day.  I also made sure to go to the gym and keep up with my physical ideal self.  In addition, I put my school work first and ensured I wasn't procrastinating and waiting till the last minute to do my assignments.  I also maintained my pescatarian diet and looked at my values and tried to act in a way that supported what I believe in.

 

Some behavioral changes I made during this project included working out more, eating healthier foods, finding time to socialize with friends, seeking to listen and understand versus listening to speak, asking more questions, and being more confident in myself.

​

See a lot more successful changes here.

 

-

​

Overall, how do you feel about the Fast Change Experience?

 

I felt like it was a very good experience to have, and it made me realize changes that I wanted to make were easier than expected.

 

I am very pleased with the experience.  I think it's a one of a kind project and truly shows you how your life would look if you actively try to be your ideal self.  I believe we commonly convince ourselves that our better selves are completely out of reach and, therefore, we should stop reaching for it at all, an idea which I think this project really tries to combat.  I was very excited to do the project when it was announced, and I was even more satisfied with the experience at the end of the week.

 

I really liked it and my eyes are open now.  I was skeptical about being able to change overnight and be my ideal self for a week, but when it came down to it, it wasn't as challenging as I thought, but there were times I almost forgot and reverted back to my normal self.

 

I couldn't have been more happy with it.  I was who I wanted to be and that alone was all that I could have wanted.

 

I felt it was a very productive week of my life and important project for me to complete.  It showed me that change was possible, even within things I've been stressing about for years.

​

​

​