Centuries before the self-help movements began, people already understood the basic need to better themselves.  Benjamin Franklin created what we would call a “to-do” list of 13 areas of his life he wanted to improve; he even charted his progress weekly.  I think everyone will find at least a few of these familiar. It’s heartening to learn that even the best of us are human — we all struggle against some of the same tendencies as those of our ancestors.

Ben Franklin’s Thirteen Virtues (quoted from Franklin’s autobiography)