Objectives:Anchors keep a boat steady,while oars propel a boat forward.All individuals have some personal characteristics that remain constant over time and some characteristics that change.This exercise will help you identify some of your personal characteristics that are most important to your own self image,both in the way you see yourself and in the way others see you.
Directions-Part 1: Respond to statements 1a,1b,and 1c,once at a time.Once you have started on your response to 1b and ic,don’t go back to change any of your previous responses.
1.Do the following:
(a)Write down 10 or more adjectives and nouns that describe who you are now.Examples of nouns that describe you might be son/daughter,student,manager,musician,and so on.Examples of adjectives that describe you might be adventurous,introverted,physically active,well –organised,and so on.Think of as many adjectives and nouns as you can:include phrases if you find this helpful.
(b)Now write down 10 or more adjectives and nouns that describe who you were 5 to 10 years ago.Again,write down as many ideas as you have.
(c) Now write down 10 or more adjectives and nouns that describe who you expect to be 5 to 10 years from now.Again,write down as many ideas as you have.
2. Analyze your lists by doing the following:
(a). Underline or circle the adjectives or nouns that appear in all three lists. These represent your anchors, the ideas that you perceive to be constant across your life. Place a check mark next to those that are most important to you. Write a brief statement that describe why these top ideas are an essential part of your self-perception.
(b). Next, compare the remaining adjectives or nouns from each list. These represent your oars, your perception of changes that have occurred in your self-perception over time or that you expect to change over time. What are the most important changes in your self-perception as you grow older? Write a brief description to answer this question. In your description, pay particular attention to which themes have changed from 5 to 10 years ago and which you expect to change over the next 5 to 10 years.