7 Steps of Self-Determined Change

GOAL SETTING ANY TIME OF THE YEAR

Does anyone remember the book?The Little Engine That Could? It was written by Watty Piper and published way back in 1930. As the story goes, the Little Engine thought of the good little boys and girls on the other side of the mountain who would not have any toys or food unless she helped. So, as she made her way over a mountain she had never before traveled, she said to herself, I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.?And she did.

Some of the most powerful truths are the simplest. In this case, believing you can accomplish something is one of the essential ingredients in the recipe for success.

Since Albert Bandura’s publication about self-efficacy in 1977 (Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change.), the term has become ubiquitous in psychology and related fields. Simply put, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in a particular situation through their actions. Bandura stated that self-efficacy is the most crucial determinant of human behavior and how much they persevere in facing obstacles and challenges.

Self-efficacy has a powerful impact on us. People with high self-efficacy set higher-level goals, sustain efforts to achieve them, persist more in the face of obstacles, bounce back from setbacks quicker, and enjoy better physical health because of reduced stress effects.

We develop self-efficacy in several ways, such as through role models, mental rehearsal, constructive feedback from trusted sources, a network of supporters, and performance experiences. More specifically, achieving these goals enhances competency and confidence through performance experiences and incremental goal setting.

If you want to be highly responsive to change and handle shifts in life with creativity and resilience, adopting a positive mindset and focusing on progress is beneficial. By making this a habit, despite the challenge, you will develop an upbeat, innovative, and adaptable mindset that will allow you to make thoughtful decisions, take action, and take risks.

7 STEPS TO SELF-DETERMINED CHANGE

In our individual best interests, searching for what is going well and recognizing achievements is the first step toward switching our mindset from surviving to thriving. If you follow the 7 Steps to Self-Determined Change and focus on possibilities, you will discover and shine a spotlight on the best of “what is” about yourself and propel yourself toward “what might be.”

1) Write down an achievement that deserves to be in the spotlight from the past day, week, quarter, or year.

2) Write down the reason this achievement is significant to you.

3) What are the next steps you can take with this achievement?

The first three steps ignite self-reflection and emphasize a significant achievement you can expand upon or an achievement that lays the foundation for what is next. What are the opportunities and possibilities to build on the achievement?

4) What strengths have you leveraged to accomplish similar goals in the past?

Next, do more self-reflection. The strengths—character traits, skills, experience, and knowledge—you used to accomplish similar goals draw upon self-efficacy, the belief that you can achieve your goals through your actions. Believing that you can is a critical element in achieving a successful outcome.

It is worth mentioning that self-efficacy is commonly confused with self-confidence. Self-confidence refers to believing in one’s self-worth and the likelihood of succeeding. You can be confident that you will fail or succeed, right? So, confidence is more of a general term – you can have a strong positive or negative belief in anything. Self-efficacy is a strong, positive belief that you have the capacity and the skills to achieve a particular goal.

5)?????What specific action will move you forward right away?

A way to build self-efficacy is to establish incremental goals. The most minor, attainable action to move forward is better than no action. Think progress over perfection. When achieving mini goals, you build competency. Increased competency leads to enhanced confidence, and improved confidence leads to the desire to increase competency further. Thus, you can create a self-perpetuating cycle of forward movement. Have you heard of the phrase "success leads to more success"?

6)?????What resources or support will you need to act?

The next step is considering the resources or support you need to move toward your next achievement. Do you need a mentor? Will a new skill be required, and how will you learn it? What support system do you have in place? Whom do you trust to share the goal you are trying to achieve, and can they provide feedback?

7)?????How will you hold yourself accountable?

How will you persevere through setbacks and around obstacles to reframe and think of them as learning opportunities on your journey toward goal attainment? When working to create a positive mindset, it is critical to be aware of the danger of perfectionism. Talking about, thinking of, or striving for perfection is a trap – you want to aim for progress. As stated before, small wins enhance confidence and build your competence and capabilities – you are building self-efficacy.

Think about the genesis of the steps – you are building on prior achievements and leveraging your strengths. So, as you move forward with incremental goals, the ultimate goal does not have to be finished to recognize achievements. When things do not go as planned, look at the situation differently – what can you learn from the experience or situation? Think of setbacks as opportunities for growth. Ask yourself, “What did I learn, and what will I do differently next time?”

As you use The 7 Steps for Self-Determined Change, you will begin to stretch yourself, set higher-level goals, and develop new strategies to sustain efforts in achieving the goals. You will find that perseverance in the face of obstacles is not the same challenge as before. Instead, you will bounce back from setbacks more quickly and experience reduced stress.

? 2023 Todd Brown, 7 Steps to Self-Determined Change

?