StrategiesforSuccessSelf-Management

DevelopingSelf-Discipline

OnceI acceptresponsibilityforchoosingandcreatingthelifeI want,thenextstepistakingpurposefulactions thatwillturnmydesiresintoreality.I amtakingalloftheactionsnecessarytoachievemygoalsanddreams

Chapter4:MasteringSelf-Management

SuccessfulStudents… / StrugglingStudents…
actonpurpose,choosingdeedsthatmovethemon coursetotheirgoalsanddreams. / waitpassivelyorwanderfromoneunpurposeful activitytoanother.
employself-managementtools,regularlyplanning andcarryingoutpurposefulactions. / livedisorganized,unplannedlives,constantly respondingtowhimsofthemoment.
developself-discipline,showingcommitment,focus, andpersistenceinpursuingtheirgoalsanddreams. / quitorchangecoursewhentheiractionsdon’tlead toimmediatesuccess.

DevelopingSelf-Discipline:

Inaword,successtakesdiscipline–thewillingnesstodowhateverhastobedone,whetheryoufeellike itornot,untilyoureachyourgoalsanddreams.EveryJanuary,athleticclubsarefilledwithpeoplewho madeNewYear’sresolutionstogetinshape.Youknowwhathappens.Amonthlater,thecrowdsare

gone,remindingusthatgettingandstayinginshapetakescommitment,focus,andpersistence.

Ouractionsrevealwhetherwehavetheself-disciplinetostayoncourseonthefaceoftempting alternatives.Moststudentswanttobesuccessful,butwantinganddoingareworldsapart.Partyingwith friendsiseasierthangoingtoclass…dayafterday.Talkingonthephoneiseasierthanreadinga challengingtextbook…hourafterhour.Watchingtelevisioniseasierthandoingresearchatthelibrary... nightafternight.

Manypeoplechooseinstantgratification.Fewchoosethefaroffrewardsofpersistentandpurposeful actions.Manybeganthejourneytotheirdreams;fewfinish.Yetallweneedtodoisputonefootin frontofanother…againandagainandagainandagain.Ajourneyofathousandmilesbeginswithasingle step,butmanymoremustfollow.

Self-disciplinehasthreeessentialingredients:commitment,focus,andpersistence.Inthisactivityyou explorehowtostrengthenyourcommitment.

[32daycommitmentActivity]

32-DayCommitment(I)

Purpose:Motivatestudentstoconsistentlyimprovetheirexamperformanceandstrivetowards astandardofexcellenceinallareasofstudy.

Materials:Testanalysisactivityand32-daycommitmentform

TotalTime10minutesforinitialexplanation. Timevariesafterthatdependingonthenumberof timestheassignmentiscollected.

Semestertiming:Performthisactivityafterthesecondorthirdexam,butbeforetherearelessthan

32daysleftinthesemester.

Procedure:Introducestudentstotheideathatinsanityisdoingthesamethingoveroveragain

expectingdifferentresults. Explaintostudentsthatchanginganaction/behavior canhelpthembemoresuccessful. Explainsteponeon32-daycommitmentform(see

32-daycommitmentform)givestudentstimetofillintheblanks. Afterstudents

completestep1,explainstep2(see32-daycommitmentform).

Assessment:Eithercollectthe32-daycommitmentformattheendofthe32days,periodically,or both. Collectthereflectionquestionsandtrackingsheetattheendofthe32-days.

Sources:CoursePacketforHumanDevelopment10,Dr.K.Daniel-DiGregorioasadaptedby

9LauraHinckley

The32-DayCommitmentgivesyouanopportunityto:

…makeoneSMALLchangethatwillmakeaBIGimpactonyourprogresstowardyourgoals.

…experienceasmallsuccessEVERYDAY.

…rememberthatweALWAYShaveachoice.

Step1:Reviewyourexamanalysissheetsfromthelastexamandrecordthefollowinginformation below.

1.Whataretwothingsyouwilldonexttimetopreventcarelesserrors?

a.

b.

2.Listtwostepsyouwilltaketoremedybeingunprepared.

a.

b.

Step2:Chooseoneoftheabovechoices. WritedowntheONEchoiceyouhavecommittedtomaking everydayontheworksheet“BeingPersistent:A32-DayCommitment,”whichfollowsthe“32- Suggestionsfor32-DayCommitments.”

Nextto“Day1,”writetoday’sdate.

Recordtheactionyoutooktocompletethecommitmentandcheckthatyou’vecompleted theaction.

Repeatdaily.

Note:Ifyouprefer,youcantrackyourprogressinyourplanneroronaseparatesheetof paper. Chooseanapproachthatwillworkforyou.

WhatifImissaday?

Chancesare,youwill. Thesolutionissimple:beginagainwithanewworksheet. Becausethe assignmentiscompletedwhenyou’vecompleted32daysinarow,youneedtobeginagainat Day1.

Ibelievethattheonedailyactionthatwillmakethebiggestdifferenceinmyabilitytoreachmy goalsis(writeyour32-daycommitmenthere):______

The32DayCommitment

IfImissaday,Iwillbeginanew32-dayCommitmentuntilIcomplete32daysinarow.

Day / Date / ActionTaken / Completed
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32 / 

Youdidit! Remembertoanswerreflectionquestionsonthenextpageandsubmitwithchecklist

forfullcredit.

Step3:Answerthefollowingquestionsbelowaftercompletingthe32daycommitmentandsubmitthe

completedassignment.

1.Whydidyouchoosethecommitmentthatyoudid?

2.Whatdifferencediditmakeinyourexperiences,outcomesorprogresstowardyourgoals?

3. Whatstrategywillyouusetocontinuetoexperiencethebenefitsofthe32-Day Commitment? Manystudentsbeginanother32-DayCommitment–eitherthesameoneora differentone–aftertheycompletethisassignment.