HUSV 301: Assignment 6

This assignment has multiple parts, be sure to read all the way through the instructions to ensure you

submit everything required. The amount of thought put into this (demonstrated by the depth and

quality of your answers) will be a significant part of the grade.

▪ Use the hyperlinks (in blue font) for links, explanations, and further resources

▪ At the end of the instructions you will find a checklist of what to submit for this assignment.

1. Complete the Character Strengths Survey

Click on the following link to take the VIA Character Strengths Survey

You will be asked to log in and create an account. There is no fee for this.

Once logged in, there are 240 questions, but this should only take about 10-15 minutes to complete

(seriously – this is quick to do).

Submit: Your character strengths profile, listing your top character strengths.

▪ Save your profile as a pdf document.

For more information, access the Character Strength Fact Sheets HERE

1. Reflect

1. Reflect on your character strengths. Did any of your character strengths surprise you? Why or why not?
(~1 paragraph)

2. Reflect on what you discovered about yourself that you didn’t already know?

(~1 paragraph)

3. Using the PAR method, formulate and write down a brief, positive, action-oriented statement that

summarizes your strengths.

PAR method, incorporating Action Verbs:

Problem: Identify your strengths

Action: Synthesize these strengths into a single action

Results: The positive outcome resulting from that action
Word-mine your statement (edit and compress to a single statement) and ensure you are using active,

rather than passive voice. Further information on the next page.

Submit:
1. Reflection on character strengths
2. Reflection on self-discovery
3. Word-mined action statement

Please note: there IS a cost to generate the FULL character strengths report – you DO NOT need to

do this, the character profile generated will provide sufficient information. You can save the report

as a pdf from your screen, it will also be emailed to the address you entered when you created

your account.

HUSV 301: Assignment 6

Further information to consider when writing your action statement:

How often do we focus on the things we don’t do so well? How much time do we waste worrying

about what we don’t have, can’t do, or haven’t achieved?

A growing body of research is finding that people who use their strengths more at work tend to exhibit

the following traits:

1. Are happier. Studies report lower levels of depression, higher levels of vitality, and good mental health.

2. Experience higher levels of positivity. In particular the character strengths of Kindness, Social

Intelligence, Self-regulation, and Perspective appear to create a buffer against the negative effects

of stress and trauma.

3. Feel healthier and have more energy. Studies have found that greater endorsement of character

strengths is associated with a number of healthy behaviors including leading an active life, pursuing

enjoyable activities, and eating well.

4. Feel more satisfied with their lives. Studies have found individuals who are satisfied with life

are good problems-solvers, show better work performance, tend to be more resistant to stress

and experience better physical health.

5. Are more confident. Studies have found that both strengths knowledge and

strengths-use are significantly associated with self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-

acceptance, and self-confidence.

6. Experience faster growth and development. Studies have found that positive self-monitoring and

strengths building are particularly suited to circumstances when you’re learning something new,

something difficult, or something perceived as difficult.

7. Are more creative and agile at work. Studies have found that the feelings of authenticity, vitality

and concentration created by developing strengths help people to better adapt to change, engage

in more creative and proactive behaviors, pay more attention to detail, and work harder.

8. Feel more satisfied and experience more meaning in their work. Studies have found that people

who use four or more of their top character strengths at work are more likely to experience job

satisfaction, pleasure, engagement, and meaning in their work.

9. Are more engaged in their work. Studies have found that employees who have the opportunity

to regularly use their strengths at work each day are up to six times more engaged in what they’re

doing.

3. Creating a Mission Statement
Your mission statement defines what you believe to be your purpose, as a human being.

▪ Why are you here?

▪ What unique talents and perspectives do you bring to this life?

▪ What would make your life truly worthwhile, not only for yourself but for those around you?

You will find examples of mission statements HERE

HUSV 301: Assignment 6

Crafting Your Mission Statement

A. Come up with 5 answers to EACH of the following questions

1. Why are you alive? What is your purpose on this planet?

2. What do you want to be when you grow up?

3. What dreams do you have for yourself, that are as yet unfulfilled?

4. What is REALLY important to you?

5. What are your greatest strengths?

Read over what you have written, and circle 5 statements you feel are most accurate and meaningful to you.
Submit these final 5 statements

B: Spend one minute completing each of the following prompts

1. It is my mission to live:

2. It is my mission to work:

3. It is my mission to continue:

4. It is my mission to love:

5. It is my mission to be:

6. It is my mission to become:

7. It is my mission to believe:

8. It is my mission to promote:

9. It is my mission to strive:

10. It is my mission to seek:

Submit these 10 completed phrases

C. Mission Statement

Now read over everything you have written in parts A and B, think about them. What do they tell you about
yourself? How well does your current life match up with the mission you’d formulate for the future you?

Write your final mission statement.

Submit:

A. 5 statements you feel are most accurate and meaningful to you and reflection

B. 10 completed phrases

C. Your mission statement

4. Creating a Vision Statement

This describes the outcomes and payoff of your ‘mission’. When you fulfill your mission, what will have changed in
your life? Who will you be? What will you be doing personally and professionally?

Your vision statement must be vivid and compelling, this is what will energize and sustain you throughout the
processes of self-regulation and intentionality in your daily life.

Examples of vision statements can be found HERE

Crafting Your Vision Statement
Close your eyes and picture yourself at your retirement party. What is each guest saying about you? What

qualities & accomplishments are they praising you for? Note these down.

HUSV 301: Assignment 6

Your vision statement should:

1. Consist of 2 – 5 sentences, written in the present tense (I am, I will ….)

2. State an overarching objective, rather than a specific one

3. Be compelling enough to keep you motivated when you encounter setbacks

4. Challenge you to think deeply about what you want out of life

5. Be bold. Don’t limit your vision to what you could accomplish now. Consider who you could become, and what
that person could accomplish if they no longer experienced stress.

To Submit: Your finished vision statement

5. Creating Your Code of Honor

This articulates the fundamental moral and ethical principles that will guide your behavior from this point forward.
What constitutes right action? How should you choose between two actions when they appear to be morally
equivalent? Your code of honor banishes all ambiguity and rationalizations, delineating clear guidelines for you to
follow as you make sense of the world and your place in it.

Crafting Your Code of Honor
Start by choosing 10 – 12 words from the list below, that most accurately reflect your moral and ethical
convictions.

A Leader Active Approach Avoidance Assertive Challenging

Commitment Creative Conservative Courageous Compassionate Detailed

Effective Efficient Ethical Facilitative Faithful Farsighted

Fearless Frugal Greedy Honest Hopeful Humorous

Joyful Just Liberal Loving Moderate Optimistic

Outspoken Parenting Passionate Peaceful Powerful Productive

Resilient Responsible Scientific Secure Self-confident Service

Strong Tolerant Truthful Warm Wholehearted Worldly

Then write a declarative statement for each word chosen, that states your aspiration to abide by these

rules, without fail. The goal is to set as high a bar as possible for future behavior.

Overtime, our code of honor and modes of behavior will increasingly converge until we are consistently

living with our deepest beliefs.

HUSV 301: Assignment 6

To Submit:

1. 10 – 12 words from the list with declarative statements for each

2. Your completed final code of honor statement.

Collectively, your mission, vision, and code of honor statements comprise your moral compass

6. What is Self-Care?

▪ Engaging in activities and practices that give you energy, lower your stress and contribute to your
wellbeing; e.g. exercising regularly, eating well, relaxation exercises (meditation, yoga etc…) and
fostering positive relationships. Self-care activities will be different for everyone.

▪ Committing to these activities regularly before the crisis hits.

▪ Noticing when you are stressed and acting on this knowledge to keep stress at manageable levels, to
enhance and maintain your physical and emotional wellbeing.

▪ Making a commitment to your health and well-being for today and into the future.

A) Complete the Self Care Assessment (linked separately on D2L)

B) Based on the results of this assessment, what (currently) are the most critical aspects to include in your self-
care plan? (you do not need to submit your survey results – these are for your personal information only)

C) How does defining your ‘moral compass’ support the development of a self-care plan?

D) Taking into account your Self-Care Assessment, and components of your Moral Compass (mission
statement, vision statement, code of honor) use the template provided (separate pdf file) and sketch out your
self-care plan. Review these resources to help you.

E) Write a 1-2 paragraph statement, reflecting on your self-care plan. Find and cite at least THREE further
sources to support the inclusions in your self-care reflection. One source may be your textbook, one source
may be a website, and the third source must come from the published literature (use google scholar, Pubmed,
or any of the databases available via the UA library). The resources you refer to here should not include
websites and resources already provided.

HUSV 301: Assignment 6

Submission Checklist

1. Character strengths profile. Submit as a pdf document.

2. Reflect

1. Reflection on character strengths

2. Reflection on self-discovery

3. Word-mined action statement

3. Your Mission

1. 3 – 5 statements you feel are most accurate and meaningful to you and reflection.

2. 10 completed phrases

3. Your mission statement

4. Your worked on, final vision statement

5. Code of Honor
1. 10 – 12 words from the list with declarative statements for each.
2. Your final code of honor

6. Self-Care

1. List the most critical aspects to include in your self-care plan.

2. How does your ‘moral compass’ support the development of a self-care plan?

3. Use the template provided and sketch out your self-care plan.

4. Reflection statement including the 3 required sources, as listed

Arnoldo Barreda
VIA Character Strengths Profile
02/24/2022

©2022 VIA Institute on Character. All Rights Reserved.

1. Kindness
HUMANITY

Doing favors and good deeds for others; helping them; taking care of them.

2. Love
HUMANITY

Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing & caring are reciprocated; being close
to people.

3. Love of Learning
WISDOM

Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally; related to the
strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows.

4. Teamwork
JUSTICE

Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one’s share.

5. Hope
TRANSCENDENCE

Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be
brought about.

6. Honesty
COURAGE

Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way and acting in a sincere way; being
without pretense; taking responsibility for one’s feelings and actions.

7. Judgment
WISDOM

Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change
one’s mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairly.

8. Gratitude
TRANSCENDENCE

Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.

9. Fairness
JUSTICE

Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting feelings bias decisions
about others; giving everyone a fair chance.

Arnoldo Barreda
VIA Character Strengths Profile
02/24/2022

©2022 VIA Institute on Character. All Rights Reserved.

10. Bravery
COURAGE

Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what’s right even if there’s
opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular; includes physical bravery but is not limited to it.

11. Social Intelligence
HUMANITY

Being aware of the motives/feelings of others and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social
situations; knowing what makes other people tick.

12. Creativity
WISDOM

Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic achievement but is not
limited to it.

13. Perseverance
COURAGE

Finishing what one starts; persevering in a course of action in spite of obstacles; “getting it out the door”;
taking pleasure in completing tasks.

14. Perspective
WISDOM

Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to
oneself/others.

15. Zest
COURAGE

Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an
adventure; feeling alive and activated.

16. Spirituality
TRANSCENDENCE

Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within
the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort.

17. Forgiveness
TEMPERANCE

Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting others’ shortcomings; giving people a second chance; not
being vengeful.

18. Appreciation of Beauty & Excellence
TRANSCENDENCE

Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life, from
nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Arnoldo Barreda
VIA Character Strengths Profile
02/24/2022

©2022 VIA Institute on Character. All Rights Reserved.

19. Prudence
TEMPERANCE

Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be
regretted.

20. Humor
TRANSCENDENCE

Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily
telling) jokes.

21. Curiosity
WISDOM

Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring
and discovering.

22. Humility
TEMPERANCE

Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not regarding oneself as more special than one is.

23. Self-Regulation
TEMPERANCE

Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions.

24. Leadership
JUSTICE

Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations
within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.

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