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Setting Up for Success 1. A Weekly Plan That Works. A Personal Achievement Plan. First, let’s agree on some things: we could all do with a little more time there is a lot of work to do non-working time is important too it’s better to work smarter than work harder
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Setting Up for Success 1 A Weekly Plan That Works
A Personal Achievement Plan • First, let’s agree on some things: • we could all do with a little more time • there is a lot of work to do • non-working time is important too • it’s better to work smarter than work harder • accumulation of deadlines can be stressful • we often have doubts and may lose direction and purpose • rigid timetables don’t work
A Personal Achievement Plan • So, what we want from 2010? • academic success ? • friendships to be rewarding ? • health to be good (fitness) ? • avoid poverty ? • a sense of achievement, purpose & recognition ? • a path to 2011 – with choices to be available ?
A Personal Achievement Plan • The only way one can achieve these things is to have: • a realistic purpose - a set of goals • a plan of attack to achieve those goals • flexibility and adaptability • physical, mental & spiritual resilience • a “trusted and honest friend” to travel with during your journey to meet your goals
A Personal Achievement Plan If you make a PLAN, it usually is full of GUNNA’S. “Gunna do this”; “gunna do that”. It’s usually the intention. Often our response is to make up a RIGID TIMETABLE, and a tough one at that. After all we really mean it don’t we? Well, within a few days, it fails. We decide that timetables and organising charts do not work. Death to a plan of attack. “I’ll just do the work and hand it in when it’s due.” “I will cope.”
NO YOU WON’T ! ALL YOU WILL DO IS TRY TO MANAGE THE COMPETING NEEDS OF THE MOMENT. YOU MAY COPE. BUT IS COPING SUCCESS? OR IS IT A FORMULA FOR UNDER-ACHIEVING, ANXIETY, STRESS, TENSION, MAYBE FAILURE?
Developing a Personal Achievement Plan SOME COMMON GOALS. I WANT: • Time for RECREATION and RELAXATION • Skills for EFFECTIVE STUDY • Achieve GREAT GRADES • CHOICES are mine
A Personal Achievement Plan • HOW ? • To manage your time better, you need a TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN • To manage yourself better, you need a PERSONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN • One leads to the other. Mutual inclusivity.
A Personal Achievement Plan • HOW ? • Stop and check over a normal week. Was it good? • Could it have been better? • Evaluatethe use of that week • Reflect on how you might design next week to be better. • What are the imperatives ?
A Personal Achievement Plan • RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION • 1ST DECISION TIME: • Arrival at home. Take some R&R for approximately 30 - 45 minutes. • In that 45 mins. Stop & Check on the weekly tasks & goals. • Evaluate the evening’s tasks. • Reflect on a plan of attack. • Make some realistic decisions: • physically set out the work you decide to do • lay it out from hardest task to easiest task
A Personal Achievement Plan TARGET THE TOPIC or TASK TO BE MASTERED, NOT THE SUBJECT. ‘Targeted Work’ is selected by topic. For example, “Tonight I will master knowledge about the adversarial system of criminal trials!” Not, “Oh, I’ll have a go at Legal Studies.”
A Personal Achievement Plan • Develop a System: • record what you have done • allocate time • weekly • daily • allow a review of the week • for example………………………………...
Your Personal Achievement Plan • RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION • AT WORK IN EACH HOUR: • work with 100% concentration, no distractions • work by writing, not just by reading, active learning • keep notes, plans, diagrams, summaries in topic folders • keep topic folders in subject files • break down notes into key headings and point form TAKE A BREAK: • leave the room • no TV/ Computer - do not concentrate on something else • some exercise is smart; b/ball, walk, pets • refreshment is good; not too much caffeine
Your Personal Achievement Plan RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION • 2nd DECISION TIME: • you may be tired by now; stop ! • do you need to go on • reading a novel may be a good way to wind down • light exercise may stop the brain from ‘running on’ MUST Dos FOR SUCCESS: • check your diary before you go to bed • check your diary before you leave for school • check your diary before you leave for home WRITE EVERYTHING IN YOUR DIARY !