If I become 5% better...

Unlock self-discovery through powerful sentence starters

Have you ever wished you understood yourself better? Nathaniel Branden created a fun way to explore your thoughts and feelings: the sentence stem completion exercise. It’s a bit like a daily journal but with a twist!

Here’s how it works: each day, you start with a list of open-ended sentences, like “If I believe in myself…” or “If I am kind to others…”. You must finish each sentence with as many ideas as possible—aim for at least six! You don’t have to worry about perfecting it; write down whatever comes to mind.

Each day, you’ll complete the same set of sentences. Doing this daily for about a week, you’ll notice patterns in your answers. For example, you might see that you’re always saying things like, “I feel happy when I help others,” which can show you what matters to you deep down.

This exercise helps you discover thoughts you might not even realize you have. It’s like getting clues to unlock different parts of your personality. And after a week, you can look back at your answers to see what you’ve learned. You may find ideas about what makes you happy, what worries you, or your goals.

This simple daily exercise can help you grow, feel more confident, and better understand yourself. So grab a notebook, try finishing some sentence starters, and see what you discover about yourself!

My favorite sentence stem is, “If I become 5% better at _______.” 

For example, explore this in your first attempt and write 6 sentences in your journal.

If I become 5% better at time management...

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." ~ Nathaniel Branden

Go beyond your limits!