How Actively Do You Work on Yourself?
Wanting to change is the easy part - this measures the rest
Almost everyone wants to become a slightly better version of themselves. Far fewer people know when they are ready to change, turn the wish into steps, look for help and then actually do it. A counselling psychologist in Texas spent two decades measuring this set of skills, which she called personal growth initiative, and found it splits into four parts. Most people are strong on one or two and stuck on another - and the stuck one is usually where good intentions go to die.
Before you start There are no right answers. Pick what is usually true for you, not what sounds best.
Think about the last few times you tried to change something about yourself - a habit, a skill, a way of reacting - and answer about what you actually did.
What it measures
The four parts of personal growth initiative in the PGIS-II: readiness for change, planfulness, using resources and intentional behaviour. It differs from a growth mindset, which is the belief that abilities can change - here the question is whether you actively and deliberately change them. It also differs from resilience, which is about recovering from hardship rather than growing on purpose.
Based on: Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II (Robitschek et al., 2012)
Possible results
Readiness for change
Knowing when and where you are ready to change.
Planfulness
Turning a wish to grow into concrete steps.
Using resources
Seeking out people, knowledge and help to grow faster.
Intentional behaviour
Actually doing the things that make you grow.
Common questions
Is personal growth initiative the same as a growth mindset?
No. A growth mindset is a belief - that abilities can be developed. Personal growth initiative is a set of skills and behaviours - noticing what to change, planning, getting help and acting. You can believe firmly that people change and never start, which is exactly the gap this test looks at. Quinthea has a separate mindset test.
Can personal growth initiative be learned?
It is described in the research as a set of skills rather than a fixed trait, and skills respond to practice. The practical version is simple: pick one change, write the first step and when you will take it, find one person or resource who can help, and review after a month.
Which of the four parts matters most?
The one where you are weakest, because growth works like a chain. In practice, the most common weak link is the move from planning to behaviour: people know what to do and when, and the doing still slips. If that is you, shrink the first step until it feels almost too easy.
Sources
- Robitschek, C., Ashton, M. W., Spering, C. C., Geiger, N., Byers, D., Schotts, G. C., & Thoen, M. A. (2012). Development and psychometric evaluation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II. Journal of Counseling Psychology. doi:10.1037/a0027310
- Robitschek, C. (1998). Personal growth initiative: The construct and its measure. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. doi:10.1080/07481756.1998.12068941
An honest note The statements are Quinthea's own wording, adapted from the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II, so scores are not comparable with its published norms. The scale was developed mainly with American university students; translations exist, but evidence from other cultures and age groups is thinner, and the four parts are strongly correlated. It describes your habits of self-change, not your worth. If what you want to change is persistent distress, a professional will help more than a questionnaire.
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