Subject(s): Other Grades(s): Grades 6-7, Junior High/High School, Grades 4-5
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Title – Goals – Measuring Your Progress Message from LessonPlansPage.com:
Goal Setting for Students , with the input of over twenty-five professionals with advanced degrees in teaching and curriculum development. He is sharing this free sample chapter with us and of course, he hopes you will invest in his book. If you are so interested, more information about his book follows this useful chapter/lesson on measuring your progress as you reach for your goals . Introduction:
So far, we have learned that there are many definitions for success. We have discussed how to set a goal, what action steps are, and the importance of setting a target date for completing your goal(s). Also, we have learned about the importance of investing in yourself with positive messages. As you begin to use goal setting as a valuable tool in your life, it is important to Reality Time:
Take a couple of minutes to stop the day’s activities and answer two important questions:
It is important to be honest. Sure, you can make excuses or blame others for not Checking Your Self-image: In the last chapter we discussed the importance of investing in yourself with positive messages. To reach your goals, it is very important to have a positive mental attitude. One good way to check your progress toward reaching your goals is by checking your attitude. Do you have a positive attitude? Are you using more of the positive “I’ll Make it Happen” words and less of the “Bummer” words? Words that can hold you back? (Author’s note: The Bummer Words are no, never, can’t, won’t, maybe and if .) Let’s say that you have set a goal to get a “B” on the report. You were given two As the pressure increases to get the report completed you start using the negative “Bummer Words” as excuses. And, if you answered the two key reality time questions, you would have to say no that you had not given your effort. What to do? Change your inner voice messages and get busy. You can still reach your goal, but this measurement check suggests that you need to make some changes to get there. Take a couple of minutes to write down a plan for completing the report on time and done correctly. Eliminate the “Bummer” words. Use the positive “I’ll Make it Happen” words ( Taking Responsibility:
do that?” It’s maddening sometimes, isn’t it? But, have you ever stopped to think about why your parents, teachers, and other adults are always “after you?” Is it possible they are trying to help you? How can that be? You will find that in reality there are very few people who are looking for ways to specifically “nag you.” More often they are trying to teach you important lessons that will help you later in your life. How does taking the trash out, studying for a test, or doing homework help you learn about life? It’s called responsibility. Taking responsibility is doing something without being asked because you know it needs to get done. As you get older, you will be asked to take on more and more responsibility, and it is important to learn how to do it. If you know you have to take out the trash, practice your piano lesson, or do your homework, and you don’t – you are not taking responsibility. Don’t wait to be asked over and over again. See what has to be done, or how you can help someone else, and do it. One way to tell you are growing up is when you start to take responsibility for yourself without being asked fifteen times. Want to stop “people hassling you all the time?” That’s easy – show them you are growing up by remembering to do something without being asked over and over again. Completing Your Action Steps:
Completing each of the action steps is an excellent way to measure your progress toward reaching your goal. Let’s say your goal is to earn $100 to buy a new bike. You may decide that your action steps will include finding three neighbors’ lawns to mow per week, putting an ad in the paper for babysitting jobs, and washing the family car each week. You have set a target date to complete your goal to earn $100 by July 15th. By the end of June, if you have not put the ad in the paper and are mowing only one neighbor’s lawn, you are going to have problems reaching your goal. As you complete your Action Steps, you will be able to check your progress toward reaching your goal. Helping Others:
It is important for you to help others. Successful people set goals. Successful people measure their progress toward reaching those goals. Successful people enjoy their success, they have many friends, they have a good self-image, and they know the importance of helping others. Help others for a richer, fuller life. Let’s review the important components to measuring your progress. Real World Example:
Some of her negative inner voice messages included: “I won’t be able to get them to like me,” “I can’t,” “I’m afraid,” “I’ve never done that before,” and “if only I could.” These negative thoughts were holding Anita back from reaching her goal of fitting in at the new school. She was letting her fears stop her from trying. Anita realized that she needed to take some responsibility for not fitting in. During her reality time she realized that she needed to make some changes. In those quiet moments she had to be honest with herself that she was not giving a 100% effort to meet new kids and that she was spending too much time thinking negatively. She talked to a school counselor who told her that she was a really neat person that the other kids would like. The counselor reminded Anita that she was good at computers, a good student, and that she was probably one of the best girls soccer players in the school. Anita realized that the counselor was right and that she had a lot going for herself. When she thought about it she realized that she was too focused on the negative thoughts. Further, she realized that she should have been thinking about all the positive things she had going for her, like being good at computers and soccer. Anita decided to take the responsibility to change her self-image. She decided on several action steps. First, she decided to minimize the “Bummer Words”. Each day she kept a count of the negative words she used. Anita made a point to use at least one less “Bummer Word” each day. Also, she replaced them with positive up-beat “I’ll Make It Happen” words – yes, I will, and I can. Her second action step was to meet at least one new person at school a day. Once she started to meet more kids she found several students who shared her interest in computers. She also learned that the kids liked her a lot more than she thought they did. Third, Anita realized that one of the best ways to improve her self-image was by helping others. If she was helping others, Anita realized she would be too busy to worry about whether she was fitting in. Anita’s fourth action step was to join one of the school organizations. She chose the drama club. After a couple of weeks Anita had met a lot of new students and was helping the Points for Discussion:
Message from the Author:
The book, Previously, your read a sample chapter entitled: Measure Your Progress. I hope you enjoyed it. Following this section, you will find the book’s table of contents. If you have any questions, please contact me at: John Bishop Table of Contents Chapter Highlights:
2. Principles of Goal Setting 3. Samples & Practice 4. Investing in Yourself
5. 6. Meeting the Challenges 7. How to Get Started 8. Book Summary
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