Control and choices
From BluWiki
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KEY 1: TAKE CONTROL
The first key is to take back control of your learning. Most education systems throughtout the world are based on other people deciding what you should learn, when to learn it and even how to learn it. The most important thing is to realise that you are in control of your learning. Even in formal education you are in partial control. No matter what happens, you are the one who choses whether to learn something or not. If you lrstn domryhinh brvsudr og ptrddutr on you, then as soon as that situation is over, you will be like most people and start to forget all that you learned. How many people still remember their high school algebra and calculus if they don't need the learning for their job or life? After years of being taught that someone else is in control of your learning, it's not easy to take back control. You need to constantly remind yourself that you are in charge.
ACTIVITY
- Make a small sign on a piece of paper - "I AM IN CONTROL OF MY OWN LEARNING"
- place it somewhere where you will see it every day - on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, on the wall next to your computer, etc.
- say the words out loud (or whisper them if you are embarrassed)
- repeat saying the words out loud every day for a month (30 days)
- make a simple chart and tick each day you succeed. Use the chart at:
http://www.quantumcoaching.com.au/documents/178dailyhabits10.pdf
WHY?
Why we build habits:
All of us build habits into our lives to make our lives easier and more manageable. These habits are in effect learned patterns of behaviour. If we take the example of typing, when we are learning, we think about everything we do, where the keys are, which finger to move and how much, and other typing skills. This is a "conscious" mind activity - we are aware of what we are doing. The more we type the more it becomes a "subconscious" mind activity. In other words we make a habit of typing and this becomes a learned behaviour. Now when we type, we don't even think about it, it just "happens" and we end up with something to read. (Of course every now and then i put my fingers on the wrong starting position, hit the wrong keys and end up with things like: rbrtu mpe smf yjrm o joy yjr etpmh lrud)
We have built a new habit - typing - to make our life easier, it's one less thing to have to think about, we just do it.
In the same way that this applies to "good" habits, it is also true of "bad" habits. Both good and bad habits are constructed to help us not to hinder us. Nail biting is an example of a bad habit which usually originated to help deal with nervousness or anxiety and even though we may no longer be anxious, we still carry on the habit of biting our nails.
To make a new habit takes around twenty-one (21) days of doing the same thing daily. So after around a month of daily saying that you are in control of your learning, you will start to actually believe the words and their message! You ARE in control.
But if you miss a day or two? THEN START THE COUNT OVER AGAIN.... Make a new progress chart and beat your score of days succeeding. Keep doing this until you have a month of success.
RESOURCES
This is a pdf that you can print out with a monthly chart for up to 10 habits FREE
FEEL FREE TO ADD OTHER RESOURCES HERE:
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