己

ji

攵

pu

改

gai

change

to hit oneself to change yourself

已 巳 己

yi

already;

to stop, to cease

this shape of self is already familiar, but this t because  strong self 

记

ji

to remember,

to record, to note, 

word [yan] + self (ji)

the words inside yourself should be record so that it could be remembered

纟

si

thread; silk

纪

ji

discipline, century

thread/silk (si) + self (ji)

a self of "silk" could be disciplined but because of its softness it takes a century

走

zou

to walk/run/leave

soil () + foot/stop (zhi)

foot likes to walk on the soil

起

qi

to rise/stand up 

to begin/initiate

run/walk (zou) + body/self (ji)

to walk makes your own self rised in spirit