Taking Responsibility: Sentence Completion Program

by Nathaniel Branden, Ph.D. (NathanielBranden@compuserve.com)
Copyright (C) 1996, Nathaniel Branden, All Rights Reserved
The following thirty-week sentence completion program, from Dr. Branden's latest book Taking Responsibility: Self-Reliance and the Accountable Life, is designed to help you take more responsibility in all areas of your life. Also available on line are instructions for sentence completion programs.

WEEK 1
  • Self-responsibility to me means---
  • Independence to me means---
  • Thinking for myself means---
  • Trusting my own mind means---

    • WEEK 2
  • If I operate five percent more self-responsibly today---
  • If I think for myself today---
  • If I bring five percent more awareness to my deepest needs and wants---
  • If I bring five percent more awareness to what I truly think and feel---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 3
  • If I am more straightforward about what I think and feel today---
  • If I operate five percent more self-assertively today---
  • If I treat my wants and needs with more respect today---
  • If I express myself calmly and with dignity today---
  • If I want to translate these ideas into action---

    • WEEK 4
  • If I pay more attention to my inner signals today---
  • If I am more truthful in my dealings with people today---
  • If I am five percent more self-accepting today---
  • If I am self-accepting even when I make mistakes---
  • If these ideas start working in my subconscious mind---

    • WEEK 5
  • If I disown what I am thinking and feeling---
  • If I place other people's thoughts above my own---
  • When I look at what I do to impress people---
  • If I fake who I am to make myself "likable"---
  • I am beginning to suspect---

    • WEEK 6
  • If I am more accepting of my feelings today---
  • If I deny and disown my feelings---
  • If I am more accepting of my thoughts---
  • If I deny and disown my thoughts---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 7
  • If I am more accepting of my fears---
  • If I deny and disown my fears---
  • If I am more accepting of my pain---
  • If I deny and disown my pain---
  • Right now it seems obvious that---

    • WEEK 8
  • If I am more accepting of my desire to be liked---
  • If I deny and disown my desire to be liked---
  • If I learn to manage my desire for approval---
  • If I can acknowledge my desire for approval without being controlled by it---
  • If I want to translate these ideas into action---

    • WEEK 9
  • If I am more accepting of my deepest self---
  • If I deny and disown my deepest self---
  • If I am more accepting of my intelligence---
  • If I deny and disown my intelligence---
  • If I allow myself understand what I am writing---

    • WEEK 10
  • If I am more accepting of my thoughts and feelings, whether or not anyone shares them---
  • If I deny and disown thoughts and feelings others do not share---
  • If I betray my thoughts and feelings in action---
  • If I honor my thoughts and feelings in action---
  • I am beginning to suspect---

    • WEEK 11
  • If I imagine being more self-responsible---
  • If I imagine being more independent---
  • If I imagine looking at things through my own eyes---
  • If I take five percent more responsibility for the ideas I live by---
  • If these ideas start working in my subconscious mind---

    • WEEK 12
  • If I honor my judgment today---
  • Sometimes I keep myself passive when I---
  • Sometimes I make myself helpless when I---
  • If I pretend to be less than I am---
  • If I allow myself to absorb what I am writing---

    • WEEK 13
  • If I bring five percent more integrity into my relationships---
  • If I take five percent more responsibility for my choice of companions---
  • If I take five percent more responsibility for my personal happiness---
  • I take five percent more responsibility for the level of my self-esteem---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 14
  • If I lived five percent more authentically today---
  • If I treat my thoughts and feelings with respect today---
  • If I experiment with being more self-assertive today---
  • If I am willing to see what I see and know what I know---
  • If I fully face the meaning of what I am writing---

    • WEEK 15
  • If I hold myself accountable for my promises and commitments---
  • If stop all excuse-making and alibiing---
  • If I refuse to surrender to helplessness---
  • If I were willing to say "yes" when I want to say "yes" and "no" when I want to say "no"---
  • I am beginning to suspect---

    • WEEK 16
  • If I were willing to let people see who I am---
  • If I took more responsibility for delivering on my commitments---
  • If I operate five percent more self-responsibly at work---
  • If I operate five percent more self-responsibly in my relationships---
  • If I choose to translate these ideas into action---


    • WEEK 17
  • If I stay connected with what I truly think and feel---
  • If I take more responsibility for fulfilling my wants---
  • If I refuse to blame anyone---
  • If I make my happiness a conscious goal---
  • Right now it seems clear---

    • WEEK 18
  • If I look people in the eyes and tell the truth today---
  • If I refuse to be ruled by fear of disapproval---
  • If I refuse to hide who I am---
  • If I am simple, honest, and straightforward today---
  • If I allow what I am writing to fully penetrate---

    • WEEK 19
  • If I bring five percent more integrity to my relationships---
  • If I remain loyal to the values I believe are right---
  • If I refuse to live by values I do not respect---
  • If I treat my self-respect as a high priority---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 20
  • If I accept responsibility for my life and well-being---
  • If I accept responsibility for my choices and decisions---
  • If I accept responsibility for my actions---
  • If I accept responsibility for how I deal with people---
  • If I choose to translate these ideas into action---

    • WEEK 21
  • If I want to grow in independence, I will need to---
  • If I want to grow in self-esteem, I will need to---
  • If I want to be more authentic, I will need to---
  • If I want to outgrow dependency, I will need to---
  • If I am willing to experiment with these ideas in action---

    • WEEK 22
  • If I look at things through my own eyes today---
  • If I am willing to see what I see and know what I know---
  • If I am truthful today, even if it's difficult---
  • I grow in self-respect when I---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 23
  • If I operate five percent more self-responsibly today---
  • If I operate five percent more self-assertively today---
  • If I operate five percent more authentically today---
  • If I operate five percent more honestly today---
  • Right now it seems clear that---

    • WEEK 24
  • As I grow in self-responsibility---
  • As I grow in independence---
  • As I learn to say what I truly think and feel---
  • As I learn to look at things through my own eyes---
  • If these ideas start working in my subconscious mind---

    • WEEK 25
  • Sometimes when I am afraid of self-responsibility I---
  • Sometimes when I am afraid of independence I---
  • If I want to outgrow any fear I have of self-responsibility---
  • If I want to outgrow any fear I have of independence---
  • I am beginning to suspect---

    • WEEK 26
  • One of things I've been learning through this program is---
  • As I notice when I am being self-responsible and when I am not fully---
  • As I notice when I am being authentic and when I am not fully---
  • As I notice how I feel when I am honest---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 27
  • I feel most proud of myself when I---
  • I feel least proud of myself when I---
  • If I give myself credit for my willingness to struggle---
  • If I give myself credit for my dedication to personal growth---
  • If I allow myself to understand what I am writing---

    • WEEK 28
  • As I learn to translate what I am learning into action---
  • As I continue the struggle, even when it's difficult---
  • If I choose to persevere, no matter how long it takes---
  • One of the ways I am changing is---
  • I am beginning to suspect---

    • WEEK 29
  • As my understanding of self-responsibility deepens---
  • As my understanding of independence deepens---
  • As I learn to be more authentic when dealing with people---
  • As everything I am learning takes root in my subconscious mind---
  • I am becoming aware---

    • WEEK 30
  • As I learn to operate at a higher level of self-responsibility---
  • As I learn to operate at a higher level of independence---
  • As I learn to pay more attention to what I truly think and feel---
  • As I learn to treat myself with more respect---
  • As I go on translating these learnings into action---
    • Return to the Objectivism home page.