Brainworks® - Life Changing Behavior Series - Part 1: Six Steps to Perseverance
Life Changing Behavior Series
Part 1 of 6: Six Steps to Perseverance
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."
- Albert Einstein
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Personal Expectation
- What do you want the end result to be?
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Strategy
- Break major tasks down into daily goals.
- Follow the assignment directions.
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Sense of Time Management
- Pace yourself along the way.
- Do not wait until the last minute.
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Internal Speech - Self-talk
- Say, "Yes, I can do this!"
- Bribe your Brain - ex: "When I finish this today, I am coke float or get on Facebook for 15 minutes."
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Ask for Help
- You need to know when to ask for help.
- Delayed action can damage the outcome.
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Internal Joy of "I did it!"
- Joy at crossing the finish line IS the reward.
This plan works in ANY life crisis.
| ASK THE EXPERT |
Question
My son had a meltdown with every long-term assignment given to him last year. His English teacher just assigned the class to read To Kill A Mockingbird and to write a compare and contrast paper. How do I help him without our usual fighting and emotional outbursts?
Answer
Let's Follow the Six Steps to Perseverance.
- I would ask your son what grade he want wants.The higher the grade desired,
the more effort is required. He needs a goal.
- What are the steps involved? First, know the teacher's requirements.
(Most teachers hand out a rubric with specifics.) Be sure he understands
each part of what is expected.
- Get a calendar. Mark the due date. Mark how many days it will take him
to read the book. (How many pages can be read in 30 minutes?) Mark
daily goals: deadlines for reading, brainstorming, organizing material,
rough draft, edit, and final copy.
- As soon as he finishes his task each day, he should reward himself with
guilt-free fun.
- If he feels confused, he needs to contact the teacher immediately. Try having
him email the teacher if he is shy.
- Celebrate!! He crossed the finish line.
- When he gets the paper back, ask him if he had the same assignment again,
what would he change to improve his grade?
Next topic: Learn How To Overcome Fear
