FAST (self-respect effectiveness)
Fair, no Apologies, Stick to values, Truthful — skills for keeping your self-respect in interactions.
FAST skills help you maintain self-respect during interpersonal interactions. Use FAST when your goal is to walk away feeling good about yourself.
The FAST Acronym
- Fair — Be fair to yourself AND the other person. Don't bend so far you break.
- no Apologies — Don't apologize for making a request, having an opinion, or disagreeing. Apologize only when it's truly warranted.
- Stick to values — Don't sell out your values or integrity to get what you want or to please someone else.
- Truthful — Don't lie, exaggerate, or act helpless when you're not. Be honest about your position.
Self-respect erodes slowly when we over-apologize, abandon our values, or pretend to agree. FAST helps you notice and stop that pattern.
When to Use FAST
- When you feel pressured to say yes against your values
- When you catch yourself over-apologizing
- When someone asks you to compromise your integrity
- After any interaction where you want to feel proud of how you showed up