A Weekly Plan That Works Setting Up for Success 1

2 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

3 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 ?

4 A Personal Achievement Plan The only way one can achieve these things is to have: realistic purposea realistic purpose - a set of goals plan of attacka plan of attack to achieve those goals flexibilityadaptabilityflexibility and adaptability resiliencephysical, mental & spiritual resilience “trusted and honest friend”a “trusted and honest friend” to travel with during your journey to meet your goals

5 A Personal Achievement Plan PLAN If you make a PLAN, it usually is full of GUNNA’S. “Gunna do this”; “gunna do that”. It’s usually the intention. TIMETABLE 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.”

6 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?

7 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

8 A Personal Achievement Plan HOW ? TIME MANAGEMENT PLANTo manage your time better, you need a TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN PERSONAL MANAGEMENT PLANTo manage yourself better, you need a PERSONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN One leads to the other. Mutual inclusivity.

9 A Personal Achievement Plan HOW ? Stop and check Stop and check over a normal week. Was it good? Could it have been better? Evaluate Evaluate the use of that week Reflect Reflect on how you might design next week to be better. What are the imperatives ?

10 My Personal Achievement Plan

11 A Personal Achievement Plan RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION 1ST DECISION TIME: Arrival at home. Take some R&R for approximately minutes. In that 45 mins. Stop & Check on the weekly tasks & goals. Evaluate the evening’s tasks. Reflect on a plan of attack. realistic Make some realistic decisions: physically set out the work you decide to do lay it out from hardest task to easiest task

12 A Personal Achievement Plan TARGET THE TOPIC or TASK TO BE MASTERED, NOT THE SUBJECT. ‘Targeted Work’ ‘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.”

13 A Personal Achievement Plan Develop a System: have done record what you have done allocate time weekly daily allow a review allow a review of the week for example………………………………...

14 My Personal Achievement Plan

15 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

16 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 !

17 My Personal Achievement Plan