Objectives of the exercise:
- to strengthen participants’ sense of agency and self-efficacy,
- to build a positive and realistic self-image,
- to increase awareness of personal strengths, skills, and resources,
- to encourage self-reflection and recognition of achievements,
- to foster mutual support and positive feedback within the group.
Procedure:
Each participant receives a sheet of paper and is asked to individually reflect on situations in which they experienced success. Participants write down three examples of personal successes from any area of their lives.
The instructor emphasizes that success can be defined broadly and does not need to involve major achievements. Examples may include:
- completing a difficult task,
- helping another person,
- overcoming a personal challenge,
- learning a new skill,
- achieving a personal goal,
- handling a stressful situation effectively.
Participants are given several minutes to think and write. They are encouraged to focus on situations that they personally consider successful, regardless of how others might evaluate them.
Participants then form groups of four. One at a time, each person shares their three success stories with the group.
While listening, the other group members pay attention to the qualities, strengths, and skills demonstrated in each story. Examples may include:
- perseverance,
- responsibility,
- creativity,
- empathy,
- courage,
- organization,
- problem-solving,
- communication skills.
After each participant shares their successes, the group identifies and names the strengths and abilities that contributed to those achievements. Group members provide constructive observations and positive feedback based on what they heard.
The participant writes these identified qualities on a separate sheet of paper titled “My Strengths.” Participants are encouraged to include both the strengths they recognized themselves and those highlighted by the group.
Once everyone has completed the activity, participants may take a few moments to review their list of strengths and reflect on any new insights they gained about themselves.
The exercise may conclude with a voluntary group discussion about the experience of recognizing personal achievements and receiving feedback from others.
Methodological guidelines:
- Emphasize that success can be very small, personal, and subjective.
- Avoid comparing participants’ achievements or evaluating their significance.
- Do not judge the realism, importance, or value of any reported success.
- Encourage participants to focus on concrete experiences rather than abstract qualities.
- Create a supportive and non-competitive atmosphere.
- Group feedback should remain respectful, specific, and focused on strengths rather than weaknesses.
- Some participants may find it difficult to identify their own successes; the instructor may offer examples or guiding questions without suggesting answers.
- Any activity involving more personal sharing, such as presenting successes to the whole group or participating in a “hot seat” format, should remain entirely voluntary.
- Respect participants’ right to share only as much information as they feel comfortable disclosing.