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Time Management

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This workbook is a companion to the video training available at http://ncu.attackyourday.net.

You will need at least 30 minutes a day for 5 consecutive days to complete this workbook. The entire workbook, including viewing the video, will take you approximately 10 hours to complete, so plan accordingly.

You will upload this entire workbook for your Mentor. Your content grade will be based on evidence that you completed the training; there are no right or wrong answers.

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Before you get started, please answer these questions. Be honest with yourself.

1. Have you completed a formal time management training course in the past? Yes No If yes, what program?

2. Do you have a plan for scheduling the 10-15 hours per week you will need to engage in learning activities? Yes No Maybe

3. On a scale from 1-7, how effective do you think you are at managing your time, with 1 being not at all effective, 3 somewhat effective, and 7 completely effective? Select the choice that is closest to where you are now.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Not at all-------------------------------------Somewhat------------------------------------Completely

4. Thinking about the last 30 days, how frequently have you experienced anxiety or stress due to not having enough time to get everything done?

1-never 2-occasionally 3-frequently 4-most days 5-every day

If you have not yet watched the Welcome! video, please do so now.

Introduction Section

Watch the Introduction Video (Duration 9:15) Completed

1. This workshop will teach you 5 skills: Choosing, Arranging, Flexicuting, Tracking and Focus. Which skill are you most interested in learning and why?

FOCUS is the skill that I am most interested in. This is due to the fact that I have a large extended family and my house is usually full of family members despite the fact that I do not have children of my own. These family members tend to overstay and it makes it a bit difficult for me to focus on my work at home and entertain them at the same time.

2. What time management tools do you currently use?

At the moment, I use my cell phone and laptop computer in combination with Google.

3. Do you consider yourself a multi-tasker?

Yes No Sometimes

4. Do you currently start each day with an action list or to-do list?

Yes No Sometimes

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Track Your Time

Track your time for two days Day One Day Two

Once you have watched the introductory video, track your time for two consecutive days. Do this before watching the next video. You will find the time tracking worksheets at the back of this workbook in the Appendix: Track Your Investment of Time (note that you cannot type information into these sheets). Please print them and carry them with you filling them in throughout your day. You will not turn these into your Mentor, but the exercise does need to be completed in order to answer other questions in the workbook.

Choosing

Watch the Skill of Choosing Video (Duration 10:51) Completed

This video focuses on the skill of choosing. You will be asked to write down events that fit in different categories (red, green, yellow, and gray). The video asks you to consider work and personal domains. If you are not in the workforce, then focus on the personal domain (after all, continuing your education is a personal goal!).

1. Write down as many RED activities (true urgencies) that you can imagine in 3 minutes.

Homework, Chinese Embassy, packing for China, Driver’s License renewal.

2. Write down as many GREEN activities (go here) that you can imagine in 3 minutes.

Movie with my best friend Ure, family dinner, walking, date, reading, exercising.

3. Write down as many YELLOW activities (caution - reschedule) that you can imagine in 3 minutes.

Text goodbye notes, email goodbye notes, Messenger chats of goodbyes, routine dental checkup.

4. Write down at least 3 GRAY activities (time wasters) that you can remove from your life and free up more time for your course work.

Candy crash, TV, internet surfing, gossiping with my female friends.

5. Refer to your time tracking sheets and designate each activity you tracked as red, green, yellow or gray. Add up the amount of time you spent in each color for both days and then divide by 2 to get an “average” over the 2 days. Input your results in hours:

RED - 5 hours
GREEN – 3 hours
YELLOW - 2 hours
GRAY - 2 hours

6. How do you think coloring your choices will help free up the time you will need for pursuing your degree?

I will definitely focus on RED choices instead of wasting my time on GRAY choices, for example. I used to rationalize and say things like, Candy Crash relaxes me. But I realize now that instead of that kind of relaxation, I can easily relax by reading one of my books for my program.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Arranging

Watch the Skill of Arranging Video (Duration 8:33) Completed

This video focuses on the skill of arranging. You might want to download and print the handout (Interruptions Filter Question) in the downloads tab and hang it in a few visible places.

1. List 5 activities currently on your to-do list and color them.

Activity: Return to the PRC Embassy Priority Color: Red
Activity: Laundry Priority Color: Red
Activity: Packing Priority Color: Yellow
Activity: Movies Priority Color: Green
Activity: Facebook Priority Color: Gray

2. Commit to planning your day. What is your plan? (Include the time management tool you will use, when you will plan your day, etc). Using my Google Calendar on my cell phone, this is my plan:
7:00 am – 9:00 am Chinese Embassy
10:00 am – 12:00 pm Laundry
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Packing
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm movies
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm facebook

3. Plan your day for the next 3 days. You can use the Activity Game available as a PDF download under the Arranging video and Downloads tab, or any time management tool you already use. You will not turn this into your Mentor. Once you have planned your day for 3 consecutive days using your new time management skills, write a short reflection on this exercise for your Mentor here.

I can already tell the difference in outcomes when I prioritize my activities. I am very happy to be using this new tool of color coordination because I am able to dismiss gray activities and not miss the latter at all. As a result, I am ready for my trip to China, scheduled for September 9, 2015. My homework is definitely RED and top priority for me. To avoid family disruptions, I have been doing my homework 2 – 4 am. Once in China, I will adjust since I will be alone. Because of my prioritizing and putting my school work first, even though I lost my assignment by thinking I saved it on PDF, I was able to redo everything on WORDS on time. Otherwise, things would have not worked out.

4. Now, look over for the next month and write down the due dates and corresponding dates and times you will be preparing for the next 3 activities. Submit your plan here.
Assignment # 6 – Due Oct. 4 – Plan: work two hours daily 9/28, 29, 30, 10/1, 10/2.
Assignment # 7 – Due Oct.11– Plan: work two hours daily 10/3/2015 – 10/7/15 Assignment # 8 – Due Oct.18 – Plan: work two hours daily 10/9/2015 -10/14/15

NOTE: you do not need to wait until you have tracked your time for 3 days before moving onto the next videos.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Flexicute

Watch the Skill of Flexicute Video (Duration 8:45) Completed

This video focuses on the skill of flexicuting: being willing to leave your activity list.
The video will instruct you to download and fill out a time management style worksheet. That worksheet appears below for your convenience.

Time Management Styles: Are you polychronic, monochronic, or a combination? and how you plan your academic activities depends upon necessity, practicality, efficiency, and spontaneity discussed in the Skill of Arranging, as well as your personal style of doing things. These styles range from highly structured (monochronic) to highly unstructured (polychronic).

Instructions: Check one choice below for each numbered pair that represents your dominant style, even though you may do both on occasion. Then add the number of checks in each column and enter the number at the bottom of each column.
Monochronic Style Polychronic Style Task oriented Relationship oriented Do activities in a linear manner Do several activities simultaneously Socially reserved Socially expressive Limited expression of feeling Open expression of feelings & emotions & emotions Focus on structure & systems Focus on trust, communication, respect Individually oriented Group oriented Formal Informal Direct Indirect Fixed Flexible Focused on the goal Focused on the process

Total: 4 Total: 9

1. Beware of multi-tasking! This video introduces the concept of time contamination. It will be difficult, if not impossible; to complete your program if you allow yourself to contaminate the time you spend on your learning activities. You must be 100% present and fully engaged while you are working on your course activities. Write a reflection on the concept of time contamination.

For the longest time, although the choice of words was not time contamination, I have expressed to my nephews and nieces who live with me that I would prefer they do not side track me from my objectives. The decision to move to China and live alone comes at a perfect time for me to concentrate and focus on my degree one hundred percent and not, for example, watch some African movie with family while I am attempting to do my work. Or even at three in the morning, try to do my work and have a nephew or niece carry a conversation with me.
I must be very firm and not engage in long distance conversations with the U.S.A in the midst of my doctoral work for this kind of time contamination will not help me achieve my initial goal of becoming DR. BYWATERS.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Tracking

Watch the Skill of Tracking Video (Duration 10:19) Completed

This video explains the need for “buckets”.

1. Take time to decide how you are going to track your time, or how you might modify the method you already use (i.e. electronic application or paper and pencil method, or a combination of both). Decide how many buckets you need and name them.
I would be needing four buckets and would track my time electronically with my cell phone and laptop.
BUCKET #1 - Monthly Calendar
BUCKET #2 - Weekly Calendar
BUCKET #3 - Daily Calendar
BUCKET #4 - MISC Calendar

2. Explain your tracking system here.

BUCKET #1 - Monthly Calendar – For monthly activities such as meetings, rent, birthdays…
BUCKET #2 - Weekly Calendar – For weekly events such as homework, happy hour, church…
BUCKET #3 - Daily Calendar – Daily events such as school activities, important phone calls
BUCKET #4 - MISC Calendar – Miscellaneous unscheduled reminders, electronic purging…

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Focus

Watch the Skill of Focus Video (Duration 7:56) Completed

This video focuses on the skill of knowing when to say “No.” The video asks you to download the Focus Breakers exercise. It has been included here in your workbook for your convenience.

Focus Breakers

Self-Imposed, Internally Motivated Focus Breakers

Start learning to focus by taking a personal inventory of the negative activities that cause you to break your focus.
Instructions: Look carefully over the following list of self-imposed, internally-motivated focus breakers, and put a check mark by the ones you do that break your ability to stay focused. Insufficient planning Socializing Surfing the net Attempting to do too much Getting lost in details Preoccupation Ineffective delegation Unwillingness to say “no” Arguing Lack of self-discipline Procrastination Failure to prioritize Your own errors Failure to listen carefully Your need to over-control Unrealistic time estimates Poorly defined goals Misplacing or losing items Failure to anticipate events or changes Responding to counterfeit urgency

Have some focus breakers not on the list? Add additional focus breakers below.

Being everyone’s Problem Solver

Spending too much time at the Music Studio

Talking too much to Church Choir Members on social media

External Focus Breakers

Now, what about all the focus breaker activities that are externally motivated? These are the activities we are often sucked into that cause us to break our focus as well as make us feel irritated and frustrated.
Can we say no to all of those? Not really, but to many of them we can. First, complete the following assessment. Check the Externally Motivated Focus Breakers you encounter most often.

Meetings Delayed work Delayed decisions Inappropriate use of email, voicemail, etc. Computer problems Poor communication Errors by others Telephone calls Frequent visits (drop-ins) Lengthy visits Poor definition of tasks or problems Unclear lines of authority Understaffing Lack of feedback Unclear roles Ongoing incompetence Conflicting priorities Emotional conflicts Changing instructions, priorities

Have some focus breakers not on the list? Add additional focus breakers below.
African monthly parties
African Traditional weddings
Wedding Performances
Choir/Church home visits

1. List three internally imposed focus breakers and then revise them to make them focus makers; which one will you focus on first?

Being everyone’s Problem Solver – I cannot solve the entire world’s problems, focus on me first for once in CHINA, this is my number one priority.

Spending too much time at the Music Studio - I will limit my recording sessions to once a month versus several times a week.

Talking too much to church choir members on social media – I will not waste unnecessary time on social media with choir member, instead, I will set aside the weekend to tackle their issues.

2. Pick three external focus breakers that you will need to resolve while you are working on your degree. List all three and then pick one and explain your plan for resolving it.

African monthly parties – As I move to Beijing, finding African parties will not be my priority African Traditional weddings – I will have to put attending these on hold for a long time Wedding Performances – I will not volunteer to sing at weddings as usual unless contacted Choir/Church home visits – Even in Beijing, as a new comer, I will not be among visiting members yet. Once I become one, I will limit to one visit a month versus weekly visits.

3. The video offers strategies for exercising your “no” muscle: Refusal statement, delay tactic, helping hand approach. Think of a situation that will likely occur in the next month that may interrupt your coursework time and how you can say no. Explain the situation and your plan here.

Once in Beijing and a member of my newfound church, my new Pastor may request that I join the choir once they learn that I led my church choir here in Houston. I will politely turn the offer down and say that I would like to become familiar with my surrounding first and that I am in the process of visiting several churches, thus, have not decided yet which church to attend.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Conclusion

Watch the Conclusion Video (Duration 4:27) Completed

This program introduced you to 5 skills related to time management. But, these skills are skills you will need to practice to truly tame the time management beast! Consider signing up for weekly productivity strategies. You can do this by clicking on the “Subscribe to Productivity Strategies” link under the Productivity Strategies tab. These are emails that will remind you to practice the skills of Choosing, Arranging, Flexicuting, Tracking, and Focus.

READ THE PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIES IN THE PRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES TAB

1. Pick three strategies you will likely use while completing your degree and list their numbers here.
STRATEGY # 26 – Avoid time debt, meaning avoid saying “yes” to many future commitments.
STRATEGY # 30 – Saying “no” is an instant time-saver.
STRATERY # 34 – How often do you make appointments with yourself? I will focus on me.
Personal comments: In the United States, I am the family member that everyone comes to for advice or any other need. At times, I have found it difficult to say no too many family members.
As I settle in Beijing, a place where I have no family member, this is the time to focus on my Doctoral Program and not a time to look for family replacement members. This is the time to avoid saying yes to future activities that will take time away from my program homework. This is the time to focus on me and my highest degree. I have served my family, now I am going to serve me.

You have decided to aim high and complete a higher degree. You will need the support and understanding of your family, friends, and co-workers to eventually cross that finish line.

2. Draft an email to people that will be impacted by your new time management techniques (family, friends, co-workers) explaining your new time management strategies. You might want to explain that there will times, that unless something is a RED, you might not be able to attend to it. You might want to share a productivity strategy with them as well. It would also be prudent to thank them in advanced for supporting you during this journey (which will last years).

Hello family, friends, and co-workers. This is Emilia Mpwo Bywaters. I have some exciting news to share with you. Effective August 24, 2015, I started to work on my Doctorate in Leadership Administration with Northcentral University. This program is intense and will be accomplished online for a duration of approximately five years. During this time of study, I will be using a color coded system to organize my priorities: red (urgent), green (nurturing), yellow (flexible), and gray (time wasters). Please note that the urgency for this period pertain to anything that has to do with my degree program and the latter will take precedence over other activities. I need your support during this crucial time as I might be as available as I have been in the past. If you call me and I do not answer your call, please be patient with me and I will eventually get back to you when the time in my busy schedule permits. It would be best to email me for non-urgent issues. Please note that you may also write me messages on VIBER, IMO, MESSENGER by FACEBOOK, or SKYPE in lieu of the normal video conference features we are used to using. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Sincerely,

Future DR. EMILIA MPWO BYWATERS

Now that you have completed formal time management training, please answer these questions.

1. Do you have a plan for scheduling the 10-15 hours per week you will need to engage in learning activities?

Yes No Maybe

2. On a scale from 1-7, how effective do you think you are at managing your time, with 1 being not at all effective, 3 somewhat effective, and 7 completely effective? Select the choice that is closest to where you are now.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Not at all--------------------------------Somewhat------------------------------------Completely

3. Since completing the program, how frequently do you think you will experience anxiety or stress due to not having enough time to get everything done?

1-never 2-occasionally 3-frequently 4-most days 5-every day

4. Did you learn new skills that you think will be beneficial to you as you integrate going back to school into your life?

Yes No Too soon to tell

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Activities can easily be tracked using the Activity Record. This tool is unique in its simplicity.

Instructions:
Put a mark next to the time you begin the first activity of the day. Do not write in the description until you have completed it and you are ready to move on to the next one.

As you transition from one activity to the next, simply put another mark on the line next to the time your completed the activity and, in the space provided, describe in a word or two what the activity was. At the end of the day you’ll have an accurate history of which type of activities consumed your time and energy throughout the day.

Do this for two days. Once you have viewed the Skill of Choosing Video, you will be instructed to color code the activity– RED, GREEN, YELLOW, or GRAY.

Guidelines:

• Carry the activity record with you and fill it out as soon as you complete an activity (note: you will not input your notes into your workbook, but will need to complete this activity to answer questions in the workbook). • Be honest with yourself. Making up details won’t serve your purpose. • List interruptions and assign them a color, too. • Do not rely on your memory; mark the activity record at the completion of every activity.

Average:

After completing this activity for two days, add up the amount of time (in minutes) you spent in each color. Then average these times over the 2 days and round your average to the nearest hour. You will enter this data into your workbook.

Day 1: Red __6____ Green __2____ Yellow ____2__ Gray ____2__

Day 2: Red ___4___ Green ___4___ Yellow ___2___ Gray ____2__

Total Time: Red ____10__ Green ___6___ Yellow ____4__ Gray ___4___

Track Your Investment of Time DATE: _________________

|Event / Activity |R |G |Y |GY | |Event / Activity |R |G |Y |GY | |5:00 | | | | | |3:00 | | | | | | |5:15 | | | | | |3:15 | | | | | | |5:30 | | | | | |3:30 | | | | | | |5:45 | | | | | |3:45 | | | | | | |6:00 | | | | | |4:00 | | | | | | |6:15 | | | | | |4:15 | | | | | | |6:30 | | | | | |4:30 | | | | | | |6:45 | | | | | |4:45 | | | | | | |7:00 | | | | | |5:00 | | | | | | |7:15 | | | | | |5:15 | | | | | | |7:30 | | | | | |5:30 | | | | | | |7:45 | | | | | |5:45 | | | | | | |8:00 | | | | | |6:00 | | | | | | |8:15 | | | | | |6:15 | | | | | | |8:30 | | | | | |6:30 | | | | | | |8:45 | | | | | |6:45 | | | | | | |9:00 | | | | | |7:00 | | | | | | |9:15 | | | | | |7:15 | | | | | | |9:30 | | | | | |7:30 | | | | | | |9:45 | | | | | |7:45 | | | | | | |10:00 | | | | | |8:00 | | | | | | |10:15 | | | | | |8:15 | | | | | | |10:30 | | | | | |8:30 | | | | | | |10:45 | | | | | |8:45 | | | | | | |11:00 | | | | | |9:00 | | | | | | |11:15 | | | | | |9:15 | | | | | | |11:30 | | | | | |9:30 | | | | | | |11:45 | | | | | |9:45 | | | | | | |12:00 | | | | | |10:00 | | | | | | |12:15 | | | | | |10:15 | | | | | | |12:30 | | | | | |10:30 | | | | | | |12:45 | | | | | |10:45 | | | | | | |1:00 | | | | | |11:00 | | | | | | |1:15 | | | | | |11:15 | | | | | | |1:30 | | | | | |11:30 | | | | | | |1:45 | | | | | |11:45 | | | | | | |2:00 | | | | | |12:00 | | | | | | |2:15 | | | | | |12:15 | | | | | | |2:30 | | | | | |12:30 | | | | | | |2:45 | | | | | |12:45 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |STOP | | | | | |

Track Your Investment of Time DATE: _________________

|Event / Activity |R |G |Y |GY | |Event / Activity |R |G |Y |GY | |5:00 | | | | | |3:00 | | | | | | |5:15 | | | | | |3:15 | | | | | | |5:30 | | | | | |3:30 | | | | | | |5:45 | | | | | |3:45 | | | | | | |6:00 | | | | | |4:00 | | | | | | |6:15 | | | | | |4:15 | | | | | | |6:30 | | | | | |4:30 | | | | | | |6:45 | | | | | |4:45 | | | | | | |7:00 | | | | | |5:00 | | | | | | |7:15 | | | | | |5:15 | | | | | | |7:30 | | | | | |5:30 | | | | | | |7:45 | | | | | |5:45 | | | | | | |8:00 | | | | | |6:00 | | | | | | |8:15 | | | | | |6:15 | | | | | | |8:30 | | | | | |6:30 | | | | | | |8:45 | | | | | |6:45 | | | | | | |9:00 | | | | | |7:00 | | | | | | |9:15 | | | | | |7:15 | | | | | | |9:30 | | | | | |7:30 | | | | | | |9:45 | | | | | |7:45 | | | | | | |10:00 | | | | | |8:00 | | | | | | |10:15 | | | | | |8:15 | | | | | | |10:30 | | | | | |8:30 | | | | | | |10:45 | | | | | |8:45 | | | | | | |11:00 | | | | | |9:00 | | | | | | |11:15 | | | | | |9:15 | | | | | | |11:30 | | | | | |9:30 | | | | | | |11:45 | | | | | |9:45 | | | | | | |12:00 | | | | | |10:00 | | | | | | |12:15 | | | | | |10:15 | | | | | | |12:30 | | | | | |10:30 | | | | | | |12:45 | | | | | |10:45 | | | | | | |1:00 | | | | | |11:00 | | | | | | |1:15 | | | | | |11:15 | | | | | | |1:30 | | | | | |11:30 | | | | | | |1:45 | | | | | |11:45 | | | | | | |2:00 | | | | | |12:00 | | | | | | |2:15 | | | | | |12:15 | | | | | | |2:30 | | | | | |12:30 | | | | | | |2:45 | | | | | |12:45 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |STOP | | | | | |

Welcome to the Northcentral Goals Writing Workbook.

This workshop will teach you a system for writing goals. Goals will provide a roadmap for reaching your targets. Obtaining a degree will take time. To maintain motivation it will be important to break this large task (long range goal) into smaller ones (immediate goals).

Note: in this workbook you are asked to focus on the goal of getting your degree, you are encouraged to use your new skills to write goals in domains of self, family, work, service.

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Introduction

Watch the Introduction Video (approximately 4 minutes) Completed

This workshop will help you be a goal getter and not just a goal setter; it all starts here.

1. Have you ever written down specific goals? Yes No

a. If yes, what was your experience; do you believe writing down your goals down helped you achieve them? Why or why not? If no, do you agree with Mr. Woods that having a system for defining your goals can be life changing? Why or why not?

In 1986, my very first year teaching, I wrote down my five year long term goal as follows: I will be involved with the Travel Industry; I will be married or have a boyfriend; I will not be teaching anymore. Surely enough, five years later, I was leading my first group of students, teachers, and parents on my first ever European Educational Tour of Paris, France, a tradition I kept for twenty two years while still teaching.

The Foundation

Watch The Foundation Video (approximately 5 minutes) Completed

The foundation for effective goal setting relies on unifying principles; these are core principles we all live by. This video also introduces the idea of self-unification; a state of aligning your performance with your highest priorities in life, you will experience the highest form of productivity.

1. Clearly you value intellectual growth (unifying principle). Going back to school is a goal that brings your performance circle closer to your value circle (self-unification). Did you have a wake-up call related to starting a degree program? What motivated you to go back to school?

Having a Doctorate Degree has always been a childhood dream of mine. However, I woke up one day and reminded myself that I would be sixty five years old in ten more years and that if I wanted to achieve that childhood dream, this had to be the time to get started. In 2012, I finished my second Masters in Leadership Administration and realized it was not too bad going back to school after several years of teaching. That is why, three years later, I have now immersed myself in this Doctoral Program, with all confidence that I know I can do it again, just like I did in 2012.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Unifying Principles

Watch the Unifying Principles Video (approximately 10 minutes) Completed

Unifying principles are course values; learn what yours are so that you can set your priorities.

Please read the exercises below before starting this video. You should complete these exercises while watching the video. Thus, please allow 30 minutes for the viewing of this video.

1. Prepare a list of your highest priorities in life. List as many singular key words (e.g. Honesty, Leadership, etc.) you can think of in 3-4 minutes.

Friendship, love, flexibility, honesty, intelligence, leadership, and loyalty.

2. Choose 4 of the priorities you wrote above, ensuring you choose one related to intellectual growth, and turn them into action statements.

Friendship – be a friend; Love – always offer love; Flexibility – be flexible; Leadership – be a leader, not a follower.

3. In the video you are asked to write a paragraph of clarification for one Unifying Principle. Choose your principle related to intellectual growth and write your paragraph in the box below (note: you are encouraged to do this with your other unifying principles, but do not need to for this workbook).

Intelligence does not appear at random, it takes repetition of skills to achieve it, once you make the decision to keep pushing your skills, your intellect will grow and you will gain the new knowledge needed for personal and professional growth.

4. In the video you are asked to write 4 unifying principles on paper for an exercise. Make sure one of the principles you write down is related to intellectual growth. During your degree program it is very likely you will be asked to manage your time and life on fewer than 4 principles.

a. Think of a situation where the intellectual growth paper would remain and one would get “thrown away”. These situations do occur and articulating your priorities now will help you manage difficult decisions later.

A situation where the intellectual growth paper would remain could be when dealing with a group of math teachers and selecting one of them to teach Calculus A/B.

b. Think of a situation where the intellectual growth paper would be “thrown away” and one would remain. These situations do occur and articulating your priorities now will help you manage difficult decisions later.

A situation where the intellectual growth would be thrown away could be at a family gathering where the “family” paper might take precedence.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Writing Goals

Watch the Writing Goals Video (approximately 8 minutes) Completed

In this video you will learn a formula for writing all types of goals. In the video you are asked to practice the goal writing formula. For this workbook, we are providing you with an example related to the goal of degree completion.

Goal Writing Guidelines:

• Prepare your goals within a written framework of your unifying principles • Write each goal down! • Make your goals specific • Ask “Am I willing to pay the price?”

Guide Terms: Self, Family, Work, Service

Goal writing formula: What? How will I measure it? By when?

Practice writing goals

Unifying Principle: Intellectual Growth

Sample Long-Range Goal

Beginning August 24, 2015, I will enroll in a degree program, completing all requirements for graduation by August 2020.

Sample Intermediate Goals • I will become proficient in using the library this year. • I will complete a minimum of 5 courses this year. • I will choose a software program to assist with my APA formatting within 2 months.

Sample Immediate Goals • I will visit the library, explore upcoming tutorials, and pencil in at least 1 webinar and 1 tutorial on my schedule this week. • I will schedule, within the next 2 weeks, the most important skills building tutorial or webinar that my Advisor suggests. • I will visit the Writing Center and research two APA formatting software programs each week until I choose the software program right for me.

Now write at least three intermediate goals that will support the long-range goal of completing your degree by your stated graduation date.

a. I will read several APA style papers weekly from today to assist me with the format

b. I will complete a minimum of six courses this year, taking no brakes during the summer c. I will take part in online workshops on how to become a better writer within 3 months.

Now write at least three immediate goals that will support the long-range goal of completing your degree by your stated graduation date.

a. I will visit Normal University in Beijing, China, within one week of my arrival, in search of writing resources. b. I will read those resources suggested by my teachers within this week c. I will schedule an appointment with my English teacher friend in Beijing so she can be one of my resource persons one week after my arrival on September 11, 2015.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

Conclusion

Watch the Conclusion Video (approximately 3 minutes) Completed

You are on your way, but it will be important to keep the momentum going and not lose sight of your goal of obtaining your degree through the inevitable fog that will roll in. Choose something that will serve to motivate you, in the case of fog. You will be asked to share this strategy as part of your Signature Assignment, so plan for it now.

Write some thoughts about your motivational project here:

I have made a decision that, no matter what it takes, no matter my location on this earth, 2015 is the year that I am starting my Doctoral Program and I plan to finish it by the fifth year, 2020 or earlier. I am committed to working on my degree work every single day of my life from this day forward. Some days I will spend more time than others, but this will become my DAILY BREAD. When I am not writing my assignment, I will make sure that I am involved in some kind of reading or watching a video regarding my classes. By the end of my five year program, I will finally become DR. EMILIA MPWO BYWATERS, a “doc” will be born.

TIP: Consider writing goals for obtaining your degree for this next year. Type them out and review them every morning before you plan your day. Having your goals in black and white and at the forefront of your mind will help your color your choices.

MENTOR’S COMMENTS/FEEDBACK

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