You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 8

Workshop 1

You Are Successful This workshop is based on one developed by Earl McAllister and field tested with

learners in Truro and Halifax. Earl says, “Sometimes you have to stop and sharpen the

axe.” That is, sometimes before you can do the work, you have to make sure your tools

are in working order. Sharpening the axe makes chopping the wood faster, cleaner and

safer.

The workshop invites learners to sharpen their own axes, in this case, to increase their

personal skills in areas of confidence, self esteem and motivation.

Learners will think of what success means to them, in these aspects of their lives:

peace of mind, health, loving relationships, and money.

They will have a chance to consider actions that can increase their success in one

of these areas.

They will explore some ideas on how to motivate themselves to take those actions.

EEsssseennttiiaall SSkkiillllss This workshop focuses on the following essential skills:

This workshop also involves practice in these essential skills:

Continuous learning

Working with others

Thinking

Oral communications

Reading

Numeracy

Writing

Document use

You Are Successful

9 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

PPrreeppaarraattiioonn

DVD

The DVD for this workshop shows highlights of the

workshop as presented by Earl McAllister. You may want to

watch it all before you give the workshop. In addition you

may want to share parts of the DVD with learners; for

example, you might show clips of learners talking about the

value of the workshop in the days before you give the

workshop, as a way of encouraging participation;

alternatively, you might show those same clips at the end of

the workshop, as a way of beginning a discussion with your

participants about what they got out of it. You could use

clips of Earl McAllister in similar ways, or use it as part of the introduction to the

workshop.

Supplies

Each participant will need:

A name tag or a tent card with their name

A note pad

A pen

A folder for handouts

Handouts

The handouts for this workshop start on page 15.

MMaakkiinngg aa SSaaffee SSppaaccee See page 1.

IInnttrroodduuccttiioonnss If you are giving this workshop to a group of learners who already

know you, then introduce yourself in relation to this workshop:

what is your own definition of success? Tell a brief story about a

time when you had to make a change in yourself in order to

achieve success.

If you are giving this workshop to a group of learners who do not

know you, begin by introducing yourself. In addition to who you

are, where you work, etc., include telling a brief story or two that shows you also have

struggled in your life to define success for yourself, and had to learn new skills in order to

become more successful.

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 10

Ask learners to introduce themselves, or choose a warm-up that will give them a chance

to get to know each other.

WWaarrmm--UUpp Choose a warm-up activity from the introduction, page 2. Your

choice will depend on how well your group of learners knows each

other, and the type of space you have available.

Since much of this workshop is sitting and talking, you may want to

choose a warm-up that asks people to move around the room.

AAccttiivviittyy 11.. YYoouurr IIddeeaall TTrraaiinniinngg

Scenario: Training

Present the following scenario to the group:

Someone (maybe from the government or from the College) calls you

and tells you they are going to give a training session at your learning

centre. They will give you training on anything that you think would

really help you in your life; it could be in your home life, in your

community, with your education or looking for work. What do you need

help with? What training would you ask for?

Use a flip chart or white board to list all the ideas that the group comes up with.

Encourage them to think about many areas of life—school, family, work, etc.

Look at the list and point out any that particularly reflect the agenda for today’s

workshop. Say that many of the items on the list seem very different, but they rely on the

same set of soft skills or personal skills, such as confidence, self esteem and motivation.

And when we think about the items on the list, the same kinds of things get in our way:

fear, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of being criticized, and fear of messing up.

Explain that this session we are going to look at some of the soft skills and learn some

ways to enhance these skills.

AAccttiivviittyy 22.. WWhhaatt IIss SSuucccceessss??

Brainstorm: Success

Write the word “success” on a flip chart or whiteboard. Ask participants

to define the word, and record their answers.

When the group has come up with all the ideas they have, take a

You Are Successful

11 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

moment to discuss them. What do the definitions have in common? Which seem to

resonate with most people? What are people looking for when they talk about success?

You can expect such ideas as:

Achieving your goal

Working hard

Having a career

Getting what you want

Happy family life.

Explain that today we are going to learn a few things that can help us be more successful

in all these areas.

AAccttiivviittyy 33.. WWhhaatt DDooeess SSuucccceessss LLooookk LLiikkee??

Take Stock: A Picture of Your Success

Give everyone a copy of the hand-out “What Does Success Look Like?”

Explain that you will not ask people to share their answers from this

sheet.

Read the hand-out together, explaining and discussing the items, and ask

learners to rate themselves on each item on a scale from 1 – 10, where 1

is low and 10 is high. They should rate themselves on where they think

they are right now.

Draw the diagram from the back of the sheet on the

board and show people how they should fill it out. On

each line, put a dot at the number they gave themselves.

Then ask them to connect the dots, to make a graphic

image of where they are most and least successful.

Where the web is nearest the outside of the circle, they

experience most success.

Ask them to notice the two lowest scores from the

sheet. If there is a tie, choose the one that is most

important to them.

Get Ready for Action

What do we do to move the dots along? Take action.

Give learners the hand-out “Take Action.”

Ask them to write the two lowest categories from the previous exercise on the “Take

Action” sheet, and for each category, think of three actions that they could do to help the

situation. It may be a new action—something they have never done before; or it maybe

something they already do, but could do more of. These actions will bring their score up

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 12

and will help them achieve success in these areas.

Ask if any learners would like to share the actions they plan to take.

AAccttiivviittyy 44.. MMoottiivvaattiioonn

Discussion

Discuss how finding actions for the two categories didn’t take a lot of

research to come up with. They all knew things they could start to do, or

do more of.

Explain that most times knowing what to do isn’t the challenge or the

problem; the challenge or problem is getting ourselves to do it. We all

know there are things we need to do to reach our goals, but for some

reason we are not doing it. Could be we are afraid to fail, we don’t have

time, or we have trouble finding time. The challenge is getting motivated. We don’t have

the motivation.

Define “Motivation”

Break the word into two parts, “motiv” and “ation” Ask what “motive” means, as in

crime shows, “What was the motive for the crime?” You should hear the word “reason.”

Show how placing a “c” into “ation” turns it into “action.” So motivation means the

reason to take action.

Scenario: Facilitator tells these stories, acting them out. Let’s suppose it’s getting a little

stuffy in here. I ask a participant (name someone) to open the door to let a little air in.

She goes to the door and tries, but the knob is a little stuck, and she says she can’t open

it. I say, “Oh well, never mind.”

Then my phone rings and I get the news that a tornado is on its way to (our town) and

particularly to (our building.) I say to the same person, “Could you open the door? If we

don’t get out, we’re going to die.” Do you think she could open it?

The action is the same, but the motivation is different.

Make a Promise to Act

Ask learners to choose ONE action out of their list of all the actions, and make the

promise today to start to do it, or do more of it.

Ask them to put a star beside that one action.

Ask if any learners would like to share the one action they chose.

You Are Successful

13 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

AAccttiivviittyy 55.. OOppttiiccaall IIlllluussiioonnss

Pair Work: Exploring the Illusions

Ask participants to work with the person next to them, and give out the

handout “Tricky Pictures.” Give each pair only one copy between them,

to increase the chance that they will each see something different.

(Learners often like to take these home to show their friends and

families, so make enough copies that everyone can have some later.)

Ask them to consider the question on each sheet, and to see if they agree

or disagree about the answer.

After a few minutes, go over the illusions one by one. Ask the group to talk about their

experience. What happened if they disagreed on the answer? How did they come to

discover the illusion in each one? How did they feel when they suddenly saw what they

had been missing?

What’s the lesson to apply to our lives? Sometimes we don’t see what’s there, and we

miss opportunities.

AAccttiivviittyy 66.. OOppttiioonnaall IInntteerrvviieeww In this activity, participants interview each other, using the handout “A Closer

Look at Yourself.” It requires that participants be able to write down the

answers their partners give them, and asks participants to reveal a lot of personal

information to each other, which may not be safe for all. If some participants in

your group cannot write well enough, or would not feel safe divulging such personal

information, do not use the activity.

AAccttiivviittyy 77.. RReeaassoonnss aanndd EExxccuusseess

Pair Work: I’ve Always Wanted to…

Instructions: Think of one thing that you’ve always wanted to do. Share

it with your partner. Your partner will write it down. Then your partner

will say “Tell me all the reasons why you haven’t done that.” They will

write down the reasons why you haven’t done it.

Try to keep it in the present—something you still want to do, and the

reasons that exist now for why you don’t.

Discussion

After the partners have had time to ask and write for each other, the facilitator asks: What

is the difference between a reason why you didn’t do something, and an excuse?

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 14

Reason: obstacle, or something you have no control over; Excuse: made up; something

that can be overcome.

Pair Work

Each partner takes a turn to look at the answers they gave about why they have not done

the thing they always wanted to do and considers whether they are reasons or excuses,

and, if the latter, how they might get the thing done.

When the group is back together, ask if anyone wants to share their thinking.

CClloossiinngg//EEvvaalluuaattiioonn Use one of the evaluation/wrap-up activities from the

introduction, page 5, or use the summary below.

What did we talk about today?

What do we need help with—confidence, facing

fears,

What is success? (Go back to the original definition,

and see if it has changed or expanded.)

We improve by taking actions

How do we motivate ourselves to take action? Make the reasons we want something

real and powerful.

Key is to first find out what to do, then dwell on the reasons why we want to do it.

Planning is important. If you want it, what are the steps?

Note: The handouts for this workshop are on the following pages. Make one for

each participant.

You Are Successful

15 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

What Does Success Look Like?

Give yourself a score from 1 to 10 on each of these things that make up

success.

1 is low, 10 is high.

__________ I have peace of mind.

__________ I have good health and energy.

__________ I have loving relationships in my life.

__________ I don’t have money worries.

__________ I have goals and values that are worth working for.

__________ I know myself.

__________ I feel happy and satisfied with who I am and what I do.

__________ I am willing to learn and to take action.

Turn over the page and put a dot on each

line to show your score for each thing.

Then join the dots to make a picture of

your success.

You feel most successful where your line

is closest to the outside of the circle.

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 16

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Peace of mind

Loving

relationships

No money

worries

Goals and values

I know myself

Happy with

who I am

Willing

to learn

Health and

energy

You Are Successful

17 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

Take Action

Choose the two lowest scores from your wheel. If there is a tie, choose the

one that is more important to you.

Write them on the lines below.

Underneath each one, write down 3 things you can do to help you to bring

up that score. Write down things you can do, not thoughts or feelings.

You do not have to share this sheet with anyone, unless you want to.

_______________________________

I can be more successful if I do the following actions:

1.

2.

3.

________________________________________

I can be more successful if I do the following actions:

1.

2.

3.

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 18

Tricky Pictures

Is this a bunny or a duck? http://feelhouse.tistory.com/22

Is this a rabbit or a duck? http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/illusions/illusion_07.htm

You Are Successful

19 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

Is the person on the left a man or a

woman?

http://www.spoki.lv/foto-izlases/Optiskas-

iluzijas-2/333182

Are you looking at the front or back of the person

on the right? http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/illusions/illusion_09.htm

Is this person telling the truth? How do you

know?

(Turn the picture on its side.) http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/illusions/illusion_14.htm

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 20

A Closer Look at Yourself

Peace of Mind

When and where do you feel most at peace with yourself and the world?

Think about the past and the present.

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

When and where do you feel least at peace?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What positive changes could you make right now to increase your peace of

mind?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Health and Energy

What do you do now to increase your health and energy?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What things do you do now that might be hurting your health and energy?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What one change could you make starting today to be healthier?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

You Are Successful

21 Learners: Use Tools that Work for You!

Loving Relationships

Whose company do you enjoy the most and why?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Whose company do you enjoy the least and why?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What positive changes could you make in yourself in regard to your

relationships starting today?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

No Money Worries

What steps could you take starting today to move towards your goal of

having no money worries?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Goals and Values

What is your most important goal in life right now?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What steps are you taking, or could you take, to move toward this goal?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What is the biggest thing that gets in the way of making your goal?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

You Are Successful

Literacy Nova Scotia 22

Knowing Yourself

Think about your strengths. Name one strength that made you successful so

far in your life.

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What one personal weakness do you think might be holding you back from

greater success?

_____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

If you were to make a movie of your life, what would you choose as the

title?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Being Happy with Who I Am

What do you mean by “happy with who you are”?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

In what area(s) of your life are you the most content and happy?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

What change or changes could you make today to improve the quality of

your life?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________