In today’s world, you’ll find a plethora of advice and suggestions from motivational speakers who would keep on encouraging you to set some goals for the future and give your best to achieve them. What such motivation sessions lack is a well-described process to go about achieving your goals. Self-Authoring is a practice that also talks about the same i.e. setting future goals and chalking down a plan to achieve those goals.
If you are wondering whether Self-Authoring programs are beneficial or have some utility, then our research has shown that it does. It is a highly effective tool to become self-aware, feel happier, and less stressed. If you’re planning to achieve something in the future and considering enrolling in any Self-Authoring program like Dr. Jordan B. Peterson’s Future Authoring Program, then we do recommend reading on the benefits.
- What does Self-Authoring mean?
- What’s the science behind it and does Self-Authoring actually work?
- How do Self-Authoring and future authoring programs help?
What does Self-Authoring mean?
The self-Authoring program encourages people to write about their past, present, and future to become happy, goal-oriented, productive, and less anxious. There are different parts of the program each focuses on writing about some part of your life. It’s like a roadmap about how you reached where you are right now and where you would prefer to go in the future.
In the first part of self-authoring programs, you are to recall all the major events from your pasts that have made you who you are. It includes all the important events like some traumas, heartbreaks, achievements, depressive episodes, successful ventures etc. It’s more like writing your autobiography but only including the events that shaped your personality.
In the second and third stages of a self-authoring program, you’re to write about your present. What are you doing today, how happy/sad some of your actions make you, how satisfied are you with life, and where do you currently stand in terms of personal and professional achievements? In these stages, you’ll also have to take a personality quiz, because after all if you are unaware of your good or bad habits, you can’t change them. And if you change nothing, then nothing changes.
Once you’ve completed all the steps, then you’ll have to write your plan. The typical question you might have heard during an interview like “where do you want to see yourself in five years.” And this plan writing is a form of future authoring program which Dr Jordan B. Peterson also advocates. But unlike the unrealistic expectations or external goals set by others, in such future authoring programs you are writing your destiny without any pressure. You can be as realistic as possible and your goals don’t have to include becoming a millionaire.
Your goal can be as simple as getting a decent paying job so you can afford to travel to your favourite place or buying something that has a special place in your heart. Remember, you are in charge and you don’t have to get influenced by anyone. You have to set your goals in a manner that makes you happy – not to please anyone or society.
What’s the science behind it and does Self-Authoring actually work?
A research carried out by The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario revealed that Self-Authoring helped people in several ways. The researchers took a random sample of students from Mohawk University. Half of the participants were asked to participate in a Self-Authoring program and the other half of the students were asked to continue with their normal routines. After the students completed their first year and gave exams, the researchers identified that all those who were part of their Self-Authoring program performed quite well and achieved higher numbers compared to those who did not take the program.
Many studies like these prove that Self-Authoring works and can help people work towards a goal. Another study by Palgrave Communications proved that minority students who took part in the Self-Authoring program managed to come at par with the majority of students and reduce the educational gap.
In simple terms, it means that when people have clear directions about where they want to go, they can easily reach their destination.
How do Self-Authoring and future authoring programs help?
There are more than one ways Self-Authoring and future authoring programs help you in your future. Even if you experienced any traumatic event in the past or may encounter any unpleasant situation that makes you depressed, you’ll have some goals to stick to. Having goals about your future would not let you fall into depression and you’ll stay motivated, excited and happy.
When you start making progress towards the goals you have set through future authoring programs, your dopamine will get triggered and it will surely make you excited. When people don’t know what they want to achieve and only have an abstract idea, in such cases, they don’t feel quite satisfied with their life. On the contrary, with clear milestones and plans, you’ll slowly make progress and each achievement will make you happy.
When you have some set goals, you’ll realize that you get better at problem-solving. As much as we don’t want to admit it, but there are times when life happens and in such situations continuing your journey towards a specific objective seems difficult unless you have a plan. Because then you find out ways to make things work and eventually get better at solving problems.
Bottom line
Self-Authoring and future authoring are brilliant ways to stay happy, relaxed, and motivated. So if you are planning to participate in such plans, then we do recommend it. This will surely help you achieve whatever you want.