Start There Are No Shortcuts To True Success Finish WhyTry LLC 2013 www.whytry.org What in my life is confusing or frustrating like this maze? What did I do when I came to a dead end in the maze? How does this piece of paper (maze) paint a basic picture of my life? DESIRE What do I DESIRE to change about today this week this month within this next year? Week: Month: Year: WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort 1
How does what I DESIRE create greater opportunity, freedom, and personal strength in my life? TIME When I m awake, how much time do I spend focused on productive things? Where can I find time to work on a new goal? What would those around me say I spend most of my time on? If I were to document how I spend my time 24/7 in a typical week, what would it reveal? 24-hour Schedule: If I did not complete the 24-hour Schedule activity in class, I will do so now with the handouts that were provided during class. Schedule 1: My Dream Schedule Schedule 2: My Real Schedule Schedule 3: My Ideal Schedule EFFORT What specific EFFORT can I improve in with my family? What specific EFFORT can I improve in at WORK? What specific EFFORT can I improve in with my STUDIES? What is all my EFFORT actually producing for me and others? 2 WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort
How is my EFFORT being focused only on things I can control? WEAK THINK: INSTANT GRATIFICATION This balloon powers the Reality Ride s Easy-Fast Track, and is the motivation for just about every crime ever committed. Statements and behaviors associated with this balloon include: I take shortcuts to get what I want as quickly as possible, carrying the mentality that sooner is always better than later. Eat, drink and be merry today, for tomorrow may not come. Don t tell me to wait, I want it right now! If I can t pay for it now, I ll take it. I don t trust tomorrow. STRONG THINK: DIAMONDS The difference between a cheap piece of cut glass and a real diamond is that the diamond has survived intense heat, pressure, and time. Fake diamonds can be produced very quickly, producing some impressive bling to my friends and to the casual observer passing by. I can get the real stuff through quick, easy, illegal means until the cops show up and I m left with nothing. In order to keep the real thing, I have to be willing to handle the heat and pressure of honest, legal work and earn it the right way, the hard way, the longer and slower way. If I do this, even if I mess up, everything I worked for will still belong to me. How often do I find myself lifting the INSTANT GRATIFICATION balloon? Very Often Often Sometimes Not Much A time I implemented the concept of DIAMONDS, where I did the right thing and put time and effort into something was when: When and where do I need to do more of this? WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort 3
WEAK THINK: EXAGGERATING Exaggerating is a form of lying to myself and everyone else; it s trying to stretch an untruth into a truth. I lift the Exaggerating balloon when I make something sound: Bigger; Better; Worse; More exciting; Or more important. I use Exaggerating to draw attention to myself or a situation I was involved in. It might not seem like a big deal to me, but when I choose to lift this balloon, most people see right through it and are not impressed. STRONG THINK: MEASURE TWICE There is an old saying, Measure twice; cut once. A strong person with Character & Heart knows how to do this; realistically and accurately assessing any situation before committing or taking action. I need to ask myself, Is it really that big of a deal? Was it really that important? Who am I trying to impress? When I choose to be honest and realistic about things as a rule, others will find me more trustworthy! How often do I find myself lifting the EXAGGERATING balloon? Very Often Often Sometimes Not Much A time when I took the time to MEASURE TWICE an issue or problem was when: When and where do I need to do more of this? 4 WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort
WEAK THINK: SCREW IT I lift the Screw It balloon when: I ignore the voice of reason from others or within myself and give up or don t try. I have no sense of right and wrong, since anything I say, feel, think, or do, I am able to justify in my own mind. I say or feel things like, Who cares?, Whatever, or I really don t care. I lack empathy (caring about the thoughts, feelings, or circumstances of others), getting so caught up in my own world that I don t consider anybody else (including my family and those who care about me). When I have a Screw It mentality, others are more likely to give up on me. I, in turn, will care about others even less, and around-and-around we go. There are many people who lift this balloon daily for years, and ultimately find themselves locked up in solitary confinement, month after month, year after year. STRONG THINK: CARE The one and only cure for the non-caring, self-centered Screw It balloon is to start caring about, listening to, and considering others! People who lift this weight do not lose hope in the future. They keep getting back up regardless of how many times they have been knocked down or tripped on a hurdle. Because this is possibly the heaviest of all the weights to lift, and the Screw It balloon so easy, real danger exists! The more a person lifts this weight and cares about others, the more others will care about them; and the less a person cares and keeps lifting the Screw It balloon the more others will eventually stop caring about them. How often do I find myself lifting the SCREW IT balloon? Very Often Often Sometimes Not Much A time I did the right thing and CARED was when: When and where do I need to do more of this? WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort 5
ACTIVITY: Some of the things I learned during the Desire, Time, and Effort class activities were: SPOT SOMEONE ELSE: Teach one of the activities I learned in class to someone else. Who did I teach? What activity did I teach them? PERSONAL REFLECTION One area in my life where I know I need more patience is: GAME PLAN ACTIVITY Create an effort timeline. Past: What did I spend my time doing in the past? Present: What do I spend my time doing in the present? Future: What will I spend my time doing in the future? 6 WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort
JOURNAL ACTIVITY Something positive I have accomplished in my life is: When I accomplished this, I remember feeling: How can I remember and use those feelings to help me accomplish more? Did I ever feel like giving up while I was working on my accomplishment? What would have happened if I had quit when it was hard? PERSISTENCE + EFFORT = PERSONAL STRENGTH MOTIVATION QUESTION If I was lost in the desert and someone came along who knew the way out, what would prevent me from following that person? ACTION STEP I will ask for and follow the advice of a strong positive peer or family member in the next six days. That person is: WhyTry Game Plan Journal - Desire, Time, and Effort 7
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