Self-Authoring Isn’t Enough. You Need a Self-Offering.

Self-authoring won’t change your life—unless you learn how to offer your whole self first.

You won’t build the future you want until you’re willing to offer your current self to get there.

Let me be clear: I’m a big fan of the Self-Authoring Suite by Jordan Peterson and the gang, and I love the structure in Immunity to Change. But there’s one thing I believe they miss: transformation isn’t just about writing the story you want to live.

It's about the offering you’re willing to make in order to live it.

Your future doesn’t just require you to dream and write. It requires you to sacrifice, commit, and act.

That’s why I developed a simple, practical process I use with leaders in coaching sessions, on stage at keynotes, and in my own quarterly planning.

I call it the Past–Present–Future Self-Offering Process.

Step 1: Analyze Your Past (with brutal honesty)

We can’t write a meaningful future if we don’t fully own our past. Too many people try to skip this step. It feels uncomfortable. But if we avoid the past, we’ll author a future that’s just a more optimistic version of our avoidance.

My tool of choice? The Life Chart. It’s the most effective way I’ve found to map key events, seasons, and inflection points across your life—month by month, year by year. It reveals the patterns we’ve lived, the values we’ve ignored, and the meaning we’ve made. You can read more on my post here.

Step 2: Clarify Who You Are Right Now

Self-awareness is the meta-skill of modern leadership. If you can’t see yourself clearly, you can’t lead others clearly.

Start with your values—your subconscious decision fuel. I’ve spent years building a framework to help you identify what motivates you, even when you’re not paying attention.

Also: pay attention to your personality. I use Predictive Index in my coaching because it makes things simple. And let’s not forget about fear.

Ask yourself:

Want to go deeper? Do shadow work. Face the parts of yourself you pretend aren’t there. I wrote about that process here.

Step 3: Identify Two Futures

This is where your Self-Authoring kicks in. But we’re going beyond “here’s what I want” and into “here’s what I’m willing to risk to make it happen.”

Start with two clear paths:

Future 1: Your Ideal Self

Who do you want to become? Use the 10/10/10 exercise. Ask:

Build a vivid, multi-layered vision. Personal. Professional. Emotional. Spiritual. Physical.

Future 2: The Do-Nothing Path

What happens if nothing changes? If you stay stuck? If you keep playing small?
Write this out in brutal detail. Get specific. I’ve seen this part spark more change than any New Year’s resolution ever has.

I outline parts of this method in my post on goal setting.

What Happens After You Offer Your Self?

You set goals. You make commitments. You build a support system that doesn’t let you backslide. You stop trying to control outcomes and start focusing on consistent input.

Write it down. Share it with your crew.
Keep it visible. Accessible. Alive.
Refine it with time.

Use CLEAR Goals and SMART Goals to build momentum, but never forget: strategy without self-awareness is just an expensive form of procrastination.

You don’t need another self-help program. You need a Self-Offering.

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Adam Kreek is on a mission to positively impact organizational cultures and leaders who make things happen.

He authored the bestselling business book, The Responsibility Ethic: 12 Strategies Exceptional People Use to Do the Work and Make Success Happen. 

Want to increase your leadership achievement? Learn more about Kreek’s coaching here.

Want to book a keynote that leaves a lasting impact? Learn more about Kreek’s live event service here.