Sentence completion survey

[twinklingwinter]

Hi, I'm doing a project with a few other FDR compatriots (Thread link here). It's about sentence completion. We'd like to know more about the people who do sentence completion exercises.

 

For those who do sentence completion exercises: It would help us a lot if you could tell us the specifics of your exercises (How many sentences do you complete a day? What's the frequency of your sessions? Do you focus your sessions on a certain issue about yourself? Whatever you could tell us, it would help). Also, would you be interested in using a free program that stores your answers, provides you with stems, and provides other features of that sort?

 

For those who don't do sentence completion exercises: Why don't you do it? Are you aware of its benefits?

 

Answering any of these questions would help us a lot.

 

Thanks!

[Kevin Beal]

I do it every week day when I arrive at my office. I usually complete 2 or 3 sentences per stem. On Saturdays I intend to do 6-10 completions of the stems "if anything I wrote this week were true, it might be helpful if I...", as suggested in 6 Pillars, but I often forget to do it.

 

I tend to complete stems in the context of particular thoughts that I've been mulling over recently – if they are abstract enough. I try not to think very much because the more I think, the longer it takes exponentially, it seems; plus a lot of thought is not necessary. If you find your rhythm and answer them quickly, good stuff comes out. I like having a time constraint, pushing me to finish them quickly so I don't get too lost in thought.

 

I complete them whether they are good completions or not, even if it's just a random association or trivial answer. But it's almost always about my relationships and my goals.

 

I sometimes find it especially difficult with stems that require context from Nathaniel's books. For instance, he talks about making friends with your child and teenage selves, how there is a lack of trust and how one might reconnect with those parts of themselves, but I don't remember the dynamics from the books without re-reading, so I find it difficult to even start in those cases. I find the more abstract stems easier in that respect.

 

The stems I found most stimulating have to do with my relationship to my own fears, insecurities, irritations, etc. Things that make me more conscious of my own behavioral patterns.

 

It would be nice if, when I'm looking at less abstract stems, there was some kind of refresher, in the form of recommended reading, examples and the like. Definitions of each of the 6 Pillars would be helpful too so as to better keep in my mind how I want to define success: self esteem.

 

New stems would be great too, since I've gone through all of the ones from his books multiple times. I've tried to come up with my own, though, and had a tough time of it. My own stems had less to do with self esteem, and more to do with my own curiosities, and perhaps that's the reason. I found them boring in that format. My own curiosities are better explored in journals and creative writing, I think.

 

Seeing my previous completions for a stem are helpful too so that I remind myself of the connections I make and expand on previous considerations. A reminder would be nice too, since it takes a couple weeks for the habit to form again after stopping.