Personal Resolution to Spend More Time on Schoolwork H B Virginia Beach, VA Team member: F M, husband

Problem Statement  I do not spend enough time completing schoolwork assignments due to procrastination and distractions. I need to dedicate more concentrated time to completing my assignments to the best of my ability.

List of Routines Affecting the Time I Spend on my Schoolwork  Daily Routines –Waking up at various time –Exercising –Doing housework –Watching TV –Checking /Surfing the Web –Talking on the phone –Doing schoolwork while sitting on couch or watching TV –Making Dinner –Socializing –Spending time with my husband

List of Routines Affecting the Time I Spend on my Schoolwork  Weekly Routines –Cleaning the house –Washing clothes –Going grocery shopping –Attending classes (online and in person) –Taking weekends off from schoolwork –Traveling on the weekends

List of Routines Affecting the Time I Spend on my Schoolwork  Monthly Routines –Attending meetings as a volunteer for the Consortium for Infant and Child Health –Attending medical and other appointments –Going to the movies or other socializing

Possible Solutions to Help Me Spend More Time on Schoolwork Given my daily, weekly, and monthly routines, these are some possible solutions for my personal improvement:  Wake up at the same time everyday  Create a weekly schedule each week and post it on the refrigerator  Save housework for weekends  Study at the dining room table with the TV off instead of on the couch

Possible Solutions to Help Me Spend More Time on Schoolwork Possible solutions (cont’d.)  Ask friends and relatives not to call during certain times of the day  Post a calendar on the refrigerator and acknowledge each day studying is accomplished  Spend less time with my husband in the evenings  Skip traveling on the weekends

Structural Improvements I Chose to Help Me Spend More Time on Schoolwork  Create a weekly schedule each week and post it on the refrigerator  Save housework for weekends and share the duties with my husband  Post a calendar on the refrigerator and acknowledge each day studying is accomplished by adding stars to the calendar  Ask friends and relatives not to call between 1:00PM and 4:30PM each day

How will I know the changes have caused true improvement?  I will accomplish more schoolwork on time and to the best of my ability – it will show through my grades  I will feel less stressed about the work I have to do  The time between control chart will show fewer points above the Post-intervention Upper Control Limit

Time Between Control Chart Changes Implemented on Day 8

Did I make an improvement?  I successfully accomplished all of my assignments in a timely manner and achieved the grades I wanted  I felt less stressed about my schoolwork when I had a set schedule to follow  My control chart demonstrated fewer consecutive points above the Post-intervention UCL, indicating true improvement due to structural changes rather than chance events –True improvement was defined as fewer consecutive unsuccessful days –An unsuccessful day was defined as a day on which I did not study for at least 70% of the time for which I was scheduled to study

Conclusions  The changes I made in order to achieve my personal improvement were successful, not only according to how I felt about my accomplishments but also according to my control chart  I can continue to make changes in order to engage in further change cycles, however, I have now completed my graduate degree!  Since I will not be implementing what I learned with respect to further schoolwork, I will use what I learned to engage in change cycles in other areas of my life!