You have read guidelines to help improve your self-concept in the text. Now it is time to apply these to your own life! To do that, you need to set a goal for yourself and then apply the guidelines from the text to help you reach your goal.

For this Journal you are being asked to reflect on improving your self-concept by journaling your responses to the following six questions. Responses are intended to be in a Q&A format and the total assignment should be 500-600 words while incorporating relevant course concepts and terms from the text and citing in APA format.

1. Define one change you would like to make to your self-perception (how you think about yourself). It might be a behavior or a self-fulfilling prophecy or anything about yourself you would like to alter.

2. Write down the change you want to make on a card or paper so that you can see it every day. Use strong, affirmative language to motivate yourself: "I will listen more carefully to friends," or "I will start speaking up in classes," for example and be prepared to include this statement in your Journal submission.

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. Place the card or paper where you will see it often. Each time you see it, repeat the message out loud to yourself. This should help sustain your commitment to making the change.

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.

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 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."