George Mason University

Life Style Management and Personal Improvement

Lifestyle Management
through System Analysis

 

Think Through Your Resolution

Complete this think-it-through exercise by copying the content of this page into your email and answering the questions asked within your email.  Then send the email to your instructor. 

This exercise helps you select a personal improvement project.  We use the theory of Continuous Self Improvement to help you with your personal improvement project.   In choosing a personal improvement project, please keep these rules in mind:

  • Don't work on a socially acceptable problem that you do not care for. For example, do not work on stopping smoking if you do not personally want to do so.
  • Don't try to change everything at once. Change is difficult. Making large changes is even more difficult. "A big stone is a sign that the person is not planning to throw it."
  • Involve others in your decision. It is your life, but data shows that you will be able to do what you want better if you involve others.  You need to involve a process owner and not just a friend.  A process owner is a person whose activities affect your life style.  If you are trying to lose weight, a process owner might be your spouse.
  • Don't select a problem that cannot be addressed in less than 12-15 weeks.
  • Stay with the recommended problem solving steps. One purpose of the exercise is to learn about Continuous Quality Improvement / Total Quality Management. If you do not follow these steps, you will not learn them.
  • Choose something that you care about enough to keep at it for many weeks.
  • Choose a habit that you have not been able to change in the past. 

1. What habit you want to change?

What is the habit that you would like to change?  A habit (e.g., over eating) is a repetitive behavior that you have tried to maintain or tried to avoid and not succeeded in the past.  Select something that repeats itself and you must keep up with on a daily or near daily basis.

 

 

2. Who will help?

Who will help you in thinking through this behavior and making the necessary changes in the environment so that you will succeed?  Please note that we are not asking for a buddy who will share the activity with you but a person who can help you adjust your environment.  It could be your friend, your family member or your work partners; but who ever you choose must be a significant player in adjusting your environment.  For example, if you are trying to lose weigh you need to include the person who cooks or shops for you as your process owner.  

 

 

3. How would you measure your success?

We need one single measure that will tell you how you are proceeding and how well you are doing.  We need to use it daily or at least 2 to 3 times a week.  The measure could be as simple as checking to see if you have done something.  It could measure your effort or it could measure the outcome you are seeking.  It should be something that you and your partner agree best represents your success in what you are trying to accomplish.  Do not provide a vague response regarding what you will measure.  Give details. 

 

 

4. When will you start collecting data? 

You need data on the extent of the habit before you make any changes to improve.   So start as soon as possible and collect data that you are planning, then when you introduce the change you are planning you will be able to see the change in your data.  Please enter a date by which you will start collecting data, always before the date in which you will change your routines to improve chances of success.

 

5. How often will you measure your progress?

You need to think of a measure that can be collected daily or near daily so that you will have sufficient data points when it comes to analyzing your data set.  For example, indicate every day, three times a week, on weekdays and weekends, etc.  The more often you will collect data the faster you can see evidence of improvement.

 

6. When will you start your storyboard?

A storyboard is a place where you tell your progress.  As soon as you choose the problem, we want you to select a public place where you and your partner can both review the progress to date.  Here we want you to first post the the habit you are working on. Over time you will also display here what elements in the environment affect the habit and how you are doing in changing the habit.  Enter a date when you will start your storyboard, this date should be before the start of data collection. 

 

Thanks

This ends the exercise of selecting a personal improvement.  Email this think-it-through exercise so your instructor is aware of your plans.    

This page is part of the course on Lifestyle Management.  For more information contact Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.  Copyright © 1996. Created on Friday, September 20, 1996. Most recent revision 06/06/2017.