Chapter 2

Life Skills

Pages 12 - 24

What is Success?Divide into small groups of three.

Brainstorm about how you define success.

Designate a leader to record your definitions & will later tell the class.

What does success mean to you?

Guidelines for Success

Build self-esteemTrust your ability & learn to feel good about yourself, both personally & professionally.

VisualizeSee yourself as a success: confident, competent, mature, well dressed, professional, respected.

Build on your strengths

Whatever your do well, DO IT !!!Doing something well makes

you feel better about yourselfThis helps you maintain a

positive self image.

Be kind to Yourself

Eliminate self-criticism and negativity.There are enough other people out

there that will be rude and insensitive to you without you doing that to yourself.

Forgive yourself for mistakes & try to do better next time.

Define success for Yourself

Aspire to success as you see it – not as someone else views it.

See yourself as successful and you will become successful.

Practice new Behaviors

You can develop success by practicing new behaviors such as speaking confidently, standing tall and proud, using correct grammar.

Separate personal from work

Being self-centered at school or work creates a second-rate team spirit.

Use the strategy of “compartmentalization” to separate the two areas.

Keep your energy up

Rest & pace yourself.Create a healthy balance or work,

play, family, friends, exercise & maintain a healthy diet.

A clear head & fit body are crucial to achieving success.

Respect Others

Use good manners (remember “please”, “thank you” etc…)

Avoid interrupting.When you treat people well,

they will treat you well.

Stay Productive

Eliminate the bad habits that prevent peak performanceProcrastination – this robs you of self-

esteem!Perfectionism – No one is perfect and

if someone does something perfect every time, he/she is probably not stretching his/her ability.

Remember – Thomas Edison made over 1000 attempts to invent the light bulb. Thankfully, he did not view those attempts as failures, but opportunities to get it right eventually. He did and we have light!

Lack of Plan

You must consciously develop a plan for your life.

Your game plan should be developed in chunks of time from daily, to weekly, to monthly and then one, two, five and ten years down the road.

Motivation & Self-Management

Motivate: To provide with a reason to act; to propel. Think of it like this.. Motivation is the ignition for success… self management is the fuel that keeps you going after ignition.

Self-Management

Motivation is NOT a life skill, self-management is. Self-management means relying on yourself, which is done by meeting five basic human needs and stimulating your creative capability.

Satisfying Human Needs

Physical – you must have adequate nutrition, rest & exercise.

EmotionalWe must feel self-love & self-acceptance.

We must love our selves for who we are becoming.

SocialDevelop sound relationships with

friends, family, pets.We all need to feel we belong to

something larger than ourselves.

MentalWe need to use our brains to do

good work and contribute to society.

We also need appreciation and recognition for that work.

Spiritual

Usually, the first four needs must be met before this one can be addressed.

The spiritual need is the feeling that there is a higher truth, a pattern that gives meaning to life.

Accessing Creative Capability

You may think you are not born with creativity & that is wrong. We are all born with creativity.

To prove the point, give any four year old boy a stick & watch what happens. What does the stick become???

If you need to enhance your creativity, keep these guidelines in mind.

Stop criticizing yourself – criticism blocks the creative mind from exploring ideas & discovering solutions to challenges.

Recent studies show that only negative behaviors are habit forming.

Concentrate on positive aspects rather than negative ones.

Stop asking others what to do

Take advantage of mentors, yes, but don’t rely totally on them for all decisions.

Motivate yourself to find solutions.

Change Your Vocabulary

Build a positive vocabulary of active, problem-solving words like explore, analyze, determine, judge, assess, etc…

Don’t try to go it alone

This does not contradict step #2. What we mean here is develop a team of family, friends, mentors & peers that can help stimulate your creativity.

Managing Your Career

Where Do

You

Begin?!?

Design A Mission Statement

A statement that sets forth the values that the business plans to live by & that establishes future goals.

We all need a sense of purpose, a reason for being, and that becomes validated when we have a personal, written mission statement.

ActivityConsider your own personal

philosophy or mission statement and write it down.

Write one or two sentences that communicates who you are and what you want for your life.

Example Mission Statement

“I am dedicated to pursuing a successful life with dignity, honesty and integrity”.

“I am committed to loyalty before all else except honor and integrity”.

Goal SettingWhen you enrolled in this

course you set a key goal for yourself.

You can compare goal setting and achieving success to a road trip. If you set out on a trip without a destination in mind, it is likely you never get to where you want to be.

Conversely, if you know where you want to go, you need that map or action plan to ensure that you will reach the goal or destination of your choosing.

How goal setting works

Think of your goal you listed in Chapter 1 – What you want to do after this class.

List the general things you need to learn to achieve your goals.

Did your list fall into 2 categories?Short and long term goals.

Short Term Goals

Something completed within the next 12 months. It might be passing the next test, graduating from the course, or obtaining licensure upon course completion or all 3.

Long Term Goals

These are measured around larger sections of time:

3, 5, 10 years or even MORE

Reexamine goals often

This will help ensure that you stay on track.

As you progress, continue to make new goals, evaluate them and make more as you achieve each one.

Remember, goal setting is a key ingredient of self-management and that is the fuel that keeps you going.

Evaluate Your Plan

If you are not sure that your goal setting plan is a good one, ask these questions.Are there specific skills I will need

to learn in order to meet my goals?

Is the information I need to reach my goals readily available?

Evaluate You Plan cont….

Am I comfortable asking for help?Would I be willing to seek out a mentor

or a coach to enhance my learning?What is the best method or approach

that will lead me to accomplish my goals?

Am I always open to finding better ways of putting my plan into practice?

If the answer is “NO” to any of these questions, re-evaluation of your commitment and of the goals may be needed.

Time Management

Each of us has an inner organizer

Tips from experts who have studied time management.

Prioritize- place a value of importance on each task.

Design personal system-for example, if you need flexibility, build in blocks of unstructured time.

Avoid stress – Stress is counterproductive to time management

Learn to say NO – Don’t take on more than you can handle.

Learn problem solving – The faster you find a solution, the more productive your time can be.

Take time outs – If you feel frustrated, overwhelmed, irritated, worried or guilty, take a time-out. Do something you enjoy, even if only for a half-hour.

Keep notes –

carry a notepad with you to write down good ideas- saves time trying to remember things.

Make & keep schedules – Plan daily, weekly & monthly activities & don’t forget to include study time – you are a student!!!

Identify “peak” & “valleys” – Plan demanding activities around your “peak” or high-energy time & vice versa.

Reward your self – When you have had a well-managed day, reward yourself with the “goodie” of your choice.

Get exercise & recreation – Both stimulate clear thinking & planning.

Schedule free time daily – This is your edge against events that come up unexpectedly.

Develop “to do” list – Not only do these help you organize your time, but they give you a feeling of accomplishment when you can mark things off as completed.

Make time management a habit

Remember what we said about negative & positive behavior. Time management is a positive behavior & will take effort & commitment on your part to be accomplished.

Study Skills

It is essential that you are able to apply what we cover in the classroom & clinic while you are in school.

There is no way you can do that unless you bring a sense of discipline to your studies.

Learning Styles

There are 4 basic styles of learning.

Can you figure out which one best fits you?

Interactive Learners

Also known as imaginative learners. They learn by watching, listening and sharing ideas; are highly imaginative; caring listeners; committed to making the world a better place.

They like discussions & study well with groups. They as, “WHY?”

Reader/Listener Learners Also known as analytical learners. They learn by

reading and hearing new ideas & then mulling over the information.

They reflect on their experiences, analyze them & then think about them.

They are organized, at home with details & date; great planners; concerned about structure; committed to making the world more understandable. They ask, “What?”

Systematic LearnersAlso known as common sense learners.They learn by connecting information they

are studying to real-live situations; they study best alone; they are good problem-solvers; highly productive; at home with task and deadlines; believers in their ability to get the job done; concerned about productivity; committed to making the world work better. They ask “HOW?”

Intuitive Learners Also known as dynamic learners. They want to try out what they are reading about.

They embrace their experiences and act to extend and enrich them. They are outstanding entrepreneurs; highly energetic; at home with ambiguity & change; they believe in their ability to influence what happens; great risk takers; concerned about growth & renewal; committed to challenging boundaries

They ask, “IF or WHAT IF?”

Good Study Habits

Where do you usually study?What time do you usually

study?In what type of

environment do you study?

WHEN?Determine time neededStudy when energized &

motivatedUse “odd” times to study – like

while you are waiting in the dentist’s office.

WHERE?Quiet location – so you will not be

disturbed.Sit – in a chair rather than lie down;

head will stay clearerUse same place – Develop a

routine for time & location.

HOW? Focus on reason for study – Keep goals in mind Resist distractions Be persistent & disciplined Tackle the tough first – Take on something

simple first, when you have mastered that, you feel a sense of accomplishment. Often when studying however, it is best to tackle the tough subjects first while your head is clearer & you are more alert.

Use brief time spans & take breaks

This helps keep you fresh & saves time.

Take time to play – Remember balance. Take time to be with family & friends.

Rest, exercise, nutrition – Remember, these things keep the brain & the body in good working order.

Ethics

Ethics are the principles of good character, proper conduct, and moral judgment, expressed through personality, human relation skill and professional image ..the moral principles we live and work by.

Ethical Characteristics

HonestyCompassionAttentivenessPunctualityCooperativenessPleasant, agreeable personalityCommitment

Other qualities of Ethical People

Self – CareTake the self – care test on

page 22.How did you do?