NextActionList

Purpose:ProvideyourstudentswithaframeworkrelatedtoImportantActions(QuadrantIII)sotheycan recordtheactionstheyneedtotakeinordertoachievetheirgoals. TheNextActionList encouragesstudentstolistactionsaccordingtotheirimportanceandurgencysotheydon’twaste timeonunimportantactivities.

Duration:Approximately10minutes

Timing:Firstthreeweeksofthesemesterafterthequadrantlessonplan

Description: TheNextActionListisalistofeverythingyouneedtodonextwheneveryouhavesparetimethat mayotherwisebewasted. ItgoesverynaturallywithStephenCovey’sQuadrantIITime ManagementSystem,andshouldbeassignedafterthequadrantsareunderstood. Theimportant andurgentactionsarelistedfirst,andthentheimportantbutnoturgentactionsarelisted. The goalofthenextactionlististoavoidhabituallyslippingbackintoQuadrantIIIandIVactivities thatwastetimeandpreventstudentsfromevergettingaroundtodoingQuadrantIIactivities.

Objective:Studentswillbeabletoidentifyandrecordthoseactionswhicharemostimportantforachieving theirgoals.

Materials:*CopiesoftheNextActionList(attached)foreachstudent.

Procedure/Directions:

1.PassouttheNextActionList,andexplainthehandouttostudents.Definetheseterms:

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Roles:ALifeRoleisanactivitywithcertainsocialexpectationstowhichyouregularlydevote largeamountsoftimeandenergy. Examples:teacher,student,parent,sister,brother,supervisor, employee.

Goals:Whatyouhopetoaccomplishinthevariousrolesofyourlife. Effectivegoalsneedfive qualities:Dated,Achievable,Personal,Positive,andSpecific. Thesequalitiesarediscussedinthe Self-MotivationsectionoftheTitleVGraduationProject.

2.ThesearethethreestepstocompletingtheNextActionList:

•Writeyourliferolesandacorrespondingimportantgoalyouwillaccomplishineachoftheseroles atthetopoftheNextActionList.

•ListyourQuadrantI,ImportantandUrgent,actionsyouneedtoaccomplishforeachofthese

rolesandgoals. Bespecificabouttheactionsyoulist. Forexample,“Study”isnotspecific,but

“Study2hoursformyMath40examcomingupthisThursday”isspecific.

•ContinueyourlistwiththeQuadrantII,ImportantbutNoturgentactionsforeachoftheroles andgoals.

3.SeethefollowingtableforhowtheNextActionListshouldlookwhencompleted

NextActionList

Role:Math40student
Goal:PassMath40 withagradeofBor higherthissemester / Role:ECCstudent Goal:Achievea3.5 cumulativeGPAthis semester. / Role:Parent
Goal:AssistPaige gettingreadyforher firstAYSOsoccer gamethisweekend / Role:Daughter
Goal:Assistmymomin gettingtoherDoctor andphysicaltherapy appointments
Reviewchapters5and
6fortheupcoming testthisThursday. / Studyatleast20 hoursperweekinall classesthissemester. MoreinMath40if necessary. / GetPaigeapairof soccershoestoday (practicefrom4:00to
6:00p.m.this afternoon) / Givemymomacopyof myclassscheduleso shedoesn’tschedule appointmentswhenI’m supposedtobeinclass
.Reviewmypast quizzes onchapters5 and6andmynotes / Attendandbeontime toallofmyclasses thissemester / Do laundryso shecan get her jersey,shorts andgearareready / Drivehertoandhome fromanyappointments shemakesthatdonot interferewithmy schedule
Readchapter7anddo problems1–10onpage
153duenextTuesday. / BeginallassignmentsI listedonthesyllabus orgiveninclassat leastoneweekbefore itisdue,orwithinone dayifitisnotonthe syllabusandgiven orally. / Gethertopractice from4:00to6:00p.m. onMonday,Wednesday andFriday. / Callheronceaweekto seehowsheisdoing.
Makeanappointment withthemathtutorto assistmewith problemsinchapters7 / Schedulean appointmentwitheach ofmyinstructorsat midsemesterto
reviewmygrades. / Takehertothefield atBixbyParkthis Saturdayanhour beforethegame,orby
12:00p.m. / Visitherorinviteher overwhenevertime permits.
Makeanappointment withmymath40 instructortodiscuss mygradessofarby midsemester. / Gotothewriting centertogethelpona midtermpaperin English1C. / Buybottledwaterfor teamtodrinkatthe gameonSaturday.
Miscellaneous / TelephoneCalls
Watertheherbgarden / CallMom
Emptythedishwasher / MakeadentistappointmentformeandPaige

4.InstructstudentstousetheNextActionListforoneweek

Assessment: Havestudentsturncompletetheirnextactionlist

Name:NextActionListDate

Role:
Goal: / Role:
Goal: / Role:
Goal: / Role:
Goal:
Date done: / Date done: / Date done: / Date done:
Date done: / Date done: / Date done: / Date done:
Date done: / Date done: / Date done: / Date done:
Date done: / Date done: / Date done: / Date done:
Date done: / Date done: / Date done: / Date done:
Date done: / Date done: / Date done: / Date done:
Miscellaneous / TelephoneCalls

Sources:

OnCourse:StrategiesforSuccessinCollegeandinLife:SkipDowning,WadsworthCengageLearning,Boston,MA.

2011

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