WORD ON WORK - WEEK 1
Welcome to Week 1 of Word on Work. Each week, I will start on this website with information in regards to the topic and theme of the day. There will be lots of information here for you to read and watch and some gems to be found for you. If you only take one thing away and implement it (do something with it) then that will increase your learning and impact your life is a really positive way.
When you scroll down 2/3rd of the way down the page, you will get to a heading that says 'Assessment Tasks'. These are the tasks that we have looked at that day and I have handed out that lesson.
Happy learning and Happy discoveries.
Here's to your journey of Success!
When you scroll down 2/3rd of the way down the page, you will get to a heading that says 'Assessment Tasks'. These are the tasks that we have looked at that day and I have handed out that lesson.
Happy learning and Happy discoveries.
Here's to your journey of Success!
TODAY'S RESOURCES
Super Charged Life
"You can't control the Wind, but you can adjust the sails!"
I love to sail and once had the pleasure of spending a night (oh how I would have loved for it to have been longer) on a beautiful 42 ft. sailboat out on the Bass Strait. Reflecting on that experience got me thinking about some of the similarities between literal sailing and the experience of sailing on the sea of life.
For one thing, specialised skills are required to succeed at either. One requires sailing skills and the other requires life skills.
In the process of living, the winds of circumstance have an unending and ever changing influence on us. Sometimes our circumstances are like a favourable breeze that make it easier to move in our desired direction. At other times, they require that we make constant adjustment in an effort to stay on course. And much like the wind, circumstances are often beyond our control.
Coping with ever changing circumstances:
A sailor knows that he can’t control the wind. He knows that staying on course as the winds change is only possible if he develops the necessary sailing skills. The higher his skill level, the more comfortable he is when the wind and sea become more challenging. This is especially evident when unexpected storms arise and his very survival is on the line.
We have all been through life storms and we have all experienced the blowing winds of disappointment, despair and heartbreak. Why is it that some people seem to come through these stormy experiences stronger and more empowered, while others suffer varying degrees of damage? What specific life skills will better equip us to deal with these challenging situations?
3 Keys to smoother sailing on the sea of life
1. Life skills and adaptability. When the winds of life change, we need the skill and adaptability (resilience) to change with them. We need to be able to do this while maintaining our balance and presence of mind. Like a sailor on a stormy sea, our mastery of advanced life skills will determine how well we fare during times of adversity. The higher our skill level, the more comfortable and confident we will be when circumstances become more challenging.
A slight difference in heading and sail set can make a huge difference when it comes to successfully navigating through stormy conditions. Even a small storm can cause a lot of damage if you have too much sail up. In life, small changes in sail set and direction can either make things a lot smoother or a lot rougher. Life skills and adaptability are what will make the difference.
2. Awareness and foresight. A skilled sailor doesn’t just benefit from his experience and proficiency when conditions change unexpectedly. He also develops a greater sense of awareness that allows him to read conditions and recognise the potential for danger. When he senses that conditions are becoming less favourable, he exercises his foresight to seek the shelter of a safe harbour.
If we are paying attention, our life experiences will allow us to develop a similar sense of awareness and foresight. We will learn to read circumstances and conditions that have the potential to blow us off course or complicate our lives unnecessarily. How much better it is to use our life skills to sidestep a problem when possible, rather than having to deal with adversity that that could have been avoided.
3. An adventurer’s spirit. Every sailor I have ever met has a spirit of adventure. They like to feel the force of the wind (within reason) and they like to pit their skills against changing conditions. Sailing is an exciting activity and that is one of the reasons so many people love doing it. It’s exhilarating to harness the power of the wind.
When we view life with a spirit of adventure and look for the excitement that comes with change, it predisposes us to love life with its endless variety of thrills and challenges. Life is fluid like the sea and the life skills with which we set our sails will have an enormous influence on the quality of our experience.
Facing the storm
The longest sailing trip I have ever done as I stated earlier, is one day. However one of my friends had a month long sailing adventure he will never forget.
He left mainland Mexico at daybreak so they would have plenty of time for the crossing to Baja. Later in the morning, the skipper went below and he took the wheel. He found out just how fast the weather can change once you are beyond the point where you can see land.
He tells the story like this: The sky grew dark and funnel clouds began to spring up everywhere. These mini cyclones where actually sucking sea water up into the clouds. The wind was getting gusty and the swells where growing. When he woke the skipper up and asked if he had ever seen anything like it before, he took a moment and then said “yeah, but only in books.”
Needless to say, things got very crazy for several hours, and at times they even had waves covering the entire length of our deck. But he was a skilled and experienced sailor and they had a successful crossing with an extremely high level of excitement. After the storm cleared, the rest of his month long sailing adventure was marked by warm days, calm seas, and gentle breezes.
Storms are a fact of life
We all deal with disappointments and challenges. We all have reversals and times when, in spite of our best plans and efforts, things just seem to fall apart. Challenging circumstances are not reserved for any particular group, nor is anyone immune. The rich and the poor have marital problems. The rich and the poor have the same challenges that can lead to financial ruin and personal despair.
In the final analysis, it is not the changing circumstances that will determine the quality of our lives, but rather how skilfully we meet those challenges. If we develop the life skills needed to navigate through life’s storms, we will be in the best possible place to enjoy all the beauty, joy, and excitement that comes with those warm days, calm seas and gentle breezes that life has to offer.
As in life, so it is in the different areas of life such as work.
What kind of seas are you sailing on?
What life skills help keep you on course?
I have taken this analogy a step further and have broken down the different areas of the boat into different areas of focus for a successful life journey.
Look Out (top of the sails): In life this represents Vision: The definition of vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination and wisdom. It is by our vision that we originally set our Course.
One main sail: In life this represents Values: Values are the basis for our behaviour and motivation. Values are dynamic concepts that essentially describe what we desire or seek to achieve. We may hold values such as “loyalty”, “truthfulness”, “charity”, “service” and many others. When we say we hold a value, what we are really saying is that we aspire to something, or we feel that value is worth something to us. So if we say that we hold “charity” as a value we are saying that we aspire to be charitable, even at personal cost. This is why knowing your values is so important. When something is aligned to your values it will give you the wind for your sails (motivation).
The other main sail: In life this represents Beliefs: Like Values, Beliefs also literally shape your map of reality. Beliefs are the core of who we are, what we do, and the success that we acquire. Most people define beliefs as inward convictions, a feeling of certainty about what something means. They are what you hold dear and are rooted deeply within. A belief is both mental and emotional. It is imbedded in the mind and in the heart.
Your beliefs will dictate your action. Isn’t that true? If you believe in a cause, you fight for it. If you believe in your religion, you live it. If you believe in others, you support and uplift them. Beliefs drive us. They are at the root of all purpose and all action.
The helm (the wheel of the boat): In life this represents Strengths: Research show that people who focus on their strengths are 6 times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and 3 times more likely to believe that they have an excellent quality of life in general. Identifying your strengths is just the one small step in showing that you are the right candidate for the job. Anyone can say that one of their strengths is that they are a great team player but in order to stand out, you need to provide examples of when you worked in a team that produced some outstanding results. Then be able to talk confidently about the contribution you made and how it lead to the team’s success. You need to know what your strengths are, to be able to lead with them.
The hull (the part of the boat that floats on water): In life this represents Resilience: Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences. Resilience is the key to staying a float. Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviours, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone. The higher your resilience, the better your success.
The Rudder (the part of the boat that steers the ship): In life this represents Interests and Skills: Understanding your skills and interests is the first step toward choosing your path. Learning what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and what you value most in your life or work environment is necessary before you embark on exploring possible destinations. When you focus on what you are good at, what skills you already have and where you enjoy spending your time, you are already on your way to steering your ship in the right direction.
The Anchor: In life this represents Gratitude and Mindfullness: Increased gratitude is a common result of practicing mindfulness. As we start paying more attention to our thoughts, we notice where we block ourselves from appreciating the good things in life. Say, for example, that you always used to get angry when stuck in traffic, but now when you bring your focus to where you are (rather than where you want to get to) you notice things such as the song on the radio or a beautiful scene beyond the car window. We can’t feel grateful for things we don’t notice, and so mindfulness and gratitude go hand-in-hand.
For one thing, specialised skills are required to succeed at either. One requires sailing skills and the other requires life skills.
In the process of living, the winds of circumstance have an unending and ever changing influence on us. Sometimes our circumstances are like a favourable breeze that make it easier to move in our desired direction. At other times, they require that we make constant adjustment in an effort to stay on course. And much like the wind, circumstances are often beyond our control.
Coping with ever changing circumstances:
A sailor knows that he can’t control the wind. He knows that staying on course as the winds change is only possible if he develops the necessary sailing skills. The higher his skill level, the more comfortable he is when the wind and sea become more challenging. This is especially evident when unexpected storms arise and his very survival is on the line.
We have all been through life storms and we have all experienced the blowing winds of disappointment, despair and heartbreak. Why is it that some people seem to come through these stormy experiences stronger and more empowered, while others suffer varying degrees of damage? What specific life skills will better equip us to deal with these challenging situations?
3 Keys to smoother sailing on the sea of life
1. Life skills and adaptability. When the winds of life change, we need the skill and adaptability (resilience) to change with them. We need to be able to do this while maintaining our balance and presence of mind. Like a sailor on a stormy sea, our mastery of advanced life skills will determine how well we fare during times of adversity. The higher our skill level, the more comfortable and confident we will be when circumstances become more challenging.
A slight difference in heading and sail set can make a huge difference when it comes to successfully navigating through stormy conditions. Even a small storm can cause a lot of damage if you have too much sail up. In life, small changes in sail set and direction can either make things a lot smoother or a lot rougher. Life skills and adaptability are what will make the difference.
2. Awareness and foresight. A skilled sailor doesn’t just benefit from his experience and proficiency when conditions change unexpectedly. He also develops a greater sense of awareness that allows him to read conditions and recognise the potential for danger. When he senses that conditions are becoming less favourable, he exercises his foresight to seek the shelter of a safe harbour.
If we are paying attention, our life experiences will allow us to develop a similar sense of awareness and foresight. We will learn to read circumstances and conditions that have the potential to blow us off course or complicate our lives unnecessarily. How much better it is to use our life skills to sidestep a problem when possible, rather than having to deal with adversity that that could have been avoided.
3. An adventurer’s spirit. Every sailor I have ever met has a spirit of adventure. They like to feel the force of the wind (within reason) and they like to pit their skills against changing conditions. Sailing is an exciting activity and that is one of the reasons so many people love doing it. It’s exhilarating to harness the power of the wind.
When we view life with a spirit of adventure and look for the excitement that comes with change, it predisposes us to love life with its endless variety of thrills and challenges. Life is fluid like the sea and the life skills with which we set our sails will have an enormous influence on the quality of our experience.
Facing the storm
The longest sailing trip I have ever done as I stated earlier, is one day. However one of my friends had a month long sailing adventure he will never forget.
He left mainland Mexico at daybreak so they would have plenty of time for the crossing to Baja. Later in the morning, the skipper went below and he took the wheel. He found out just how fast the weather can change once you are beyond the point where you can see land.
He tells the story like this: The sky grew dark and funnel clouds began to spring up everywhere. These mini cyclones where actually sucking sea water up into the clouds. The wind was getting gusty and the swells where growing. When he woke the skipper up and asked if he had ever seen anything like it before, he took a moment and then said “yeah, but only in books.”
Needless to say, things got very crazy for several hours, and at times they even had waves covering the entire length of our deck. But he was a skilled and experienced sailor and they had a successful crossing with an extremely high level of excitement. After the storm cleared, the rest of his month long sailing adventure was marked by warm days, calm seas, and gentle breezes.
Storms are a fact of life
We all deal with disappointments and challenges. We all have reversals and times when, in spite of our best plans and efforts, things just seem to fall apart. Challenging circumstances are not reserved for any particular group, nor is anyone immune. The rich and the poor have marital problems. The rich and the poor have the same challenges that can lead to financial ruin and personal despair.
In the final analysis, it is not the changing circumstances that will determine the quality of our lives, but rather how skilfully we meet those challenges. If we develop the life skills needed to navigate through life’s storms, we will be in the best possible place to enjoy all the beauty, joy, and excitement that comes with those warm days, calm seas and gentle breezes that life has to offer.
As in life, so it is in the different areas of life such as work.
What kind of seas are you sailing on?
What life skills help keep you on course?
I have taken this analogy a step further and have broken down the different areas of the boat into different areas of focus for a successful life journey.
Look Out (top of the sails): In life this represents Vision: The definition of vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination and wisdom. It is by our vision that we originally set our Course.
One main sail: In life this represents Values: Values are the basis for our behaviour and motivation. Values are dynamic concepts that essentially describe what we desire or seek to achieve. We may hold values such as “loyalty”, “truthfulness”, “charity”, “service” and many others. When we say we hold a value, what we are really saying is that we aspire to something, or we feel that value is worth something to us. So if we say that we hold “charity” as a value we are saying that we aspire to be charitable, even at personal cost. This is why knowing your values is so important. When something is aligned to your values it will give you the wind for your sails (motivation).
The other main sail: In life this represents Beliefs: Like Values, Beliefs also literally shape your map of reality. Beliefs are the core of who we are, what we do, and the success that we acquire. Most people define beliefs as inward convictions, a feeling of certainty about what something means. They are what you hold dear and are rooted deeply within. A belief is both mental and emotional. It is imbedded in the mind and in the heart.
Your beliefs will dictate your action. Isn’t that true? If you believe in a cause, you fight for it. If you believe in your religion, you live it. If you believe in others, you support and uplift them. Beliefs drive us. They are at the root of all purpose and all action.
The helm (the wheel of the boat): In life this represents Strengths: Research show that people who focus on their strengths are 6 times more likely to be engaged in their jobs and 3 times more likely to believe that they have an excellent quality of life in general. Identifying your strengths is just the one small step in showing that you are the right candidate for the job. Anyone can say that one of their strengths is that they are a great team player but in order to stand out, you need to provide examples of when you worked in a team that produced some outstanding results. Then be able to talk confidently about the contribution you made and how it lead to the team’s success. You need to know what your strengths are, to be able to lead with them.
The hull (the part of the boat that floats on water): In life this represents Resilience: Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or sources of stress — such as family and relationship problems, health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences. Resilience is the key to staying a float. Resilience is not a trait that people either have or do not have. It involves behaviours, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed in anyone. The higher your resilience, the better your success.
The Rudder (the part of the boat that steers the ship): In life this represents Interests and Skills: Understanding your skills and interests is the first step toward choosing your path. Learning what you enjoy, what you’re good at, and what you value most in your life or work environment is necessary before you embark on exploring possible destinations. When you focus on what you are good at, what skills you already have and where you enjoy spending your time, you are already on your way to steering your ship in the right direction.
The Anchor: In life this represents Gratitude and Mindfullness: Increased gratitude is a common result of practicing mindfulness. As we start paying more attention to our thoughts, we notice where we block ourselves from appreciating the good things in life. Say, for example, that you always used to get angry when stuck in traffic, but now when you bring your focus to where you are (rather than where you want to get to) you notice things such as the song on the radio or a beautiful scene beyond the car window. We can’t feel grateful for things we don’t notice, and so mindfulness and gratitude go hand-in-hand.
I highly recommend focusing on these above areas and researching ways to improve them in your life to give you more satisfaction and greater general wellbeing and success
YEARN TO LEARN
![Picture](/uploads/5/6/3/2/56321711/editor/img-1125_7.jpg)
There are three stages to life, and they relate to the three most important stages of learning....
Remember the tree? Today I drew up a tree and asked for a volunteer to draw the exact same tree that I had drawn....... Now I must say, we have some great artists and I loved all the trees, but one clever little darling in each of the classes I had this week worked out the best way to get the tree as exact as possible would be to use the same colour white board marker and trace over it.
When we are starting something new, we need to (and it is ok and in fact saves us time etc) to be dependant on someone or something else. So we need to find someone to model or copy that has mastered the thing that we want to do. This is not the time to try and start from scratch or try your own thing. Do EXACTLY as they say or do to start with.
Then We can add to the 'tree'.... Remember I got our volunteer to make the picture their own.... This is the level of independence. Once we are good at the thing we have copied, then it is time to experiment and make it our own.
Then step three... Interdependence. Work with others to take the idea and together make something wonderful, based on the original thing that you had learnt.
We might also refer to this as Learn, apply and teach (share)... Keep this in mind with your study. Make sure you aren't in a hurry to skip steps..... Learn the skill first. Then you can decide what you do and don't want of it and make it your own......
Happy Studies!
Remember the tree? Today I drew up a tree and asked for a volunteer to draw the exact same tree that I had drawn....... Now I must say, we have some great artists and I loved all the trees, but one clever little darling in each of the classes I had this week worked out the best way to get the tree as exact as possible would be to use the same colour white board marker and trace over it.
When we are starting something new, we need to (and it is ok and in fact saves us time etc) to be dependant on someone or something else. So we need to find someone to model or copy that has mastered the thing that we want to do. This is not the time to try and start from scratch or try your own thing. Do EXACTLY as they say or do to start with.
Then We can add to the 'tree'.... Remember I got our volunteer to make the picture their own.... This is the level of independence. Once we are good at the thing we have copied, then it is time to experiment and make it our own.
Then step three... Interdependence. Work with others to take the idea and together make something wonderful, based on the original thing that you had learnt.
We might also refer to this as Learn, apply and teach (share)... Keep this in mind with your study. Make sure you aren't in a hurry to skip steps..... Learn the skill first. Then you can decide what you do and don't want of it and make it your own......
Happy Studies!
Time Management and Organisation Challenge
Today's activity was to look at how we get ourselves organised. How we priorities what needs to be done.
The Activity: Your challenge if you choose to accept it: You have 10 minutes as a group to gain as many points as possible.
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The way you play the game, is the way that you are playing life...... This is a theme I will bring up many times.
Things of note: Only 1 team had all of their members participating. The other three teams had students who decided that this activity was boring, or they didn't get it or they didn't want to participate. These are all options, I can't force anyone to do anything they don't want to do. However I pose the question, how far are you going to go? If we don't stretch ourselves, the first time we find ourselves outside of our comfort zone, we are going to be heading for the hills. I might also say, I saw students who are usually anxious, give everything a go..... Go you!!!!! That is growth!
In work, in school, in life.... We are faced with many choices.... Many options and many ways to do things..... We can be part of the team, or the long ranger, we can be open to different possibilities or we can close down. The choice is yours...... and so are the results.
If you want to succeed in life, then the first step is having a growth mindset.... Be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Think outside of the box and look for different ways to get the job done and be prepared to go outside of your comfort zone to grow and succeed.
I look forward to supporting you on your heroes journey
Things of note: Only 1 team had all of their members participating. The other three teams had students who decided that this activity was boring, or they didn't get it or they didn't want to participate. These are all options, I can't force anyone to do anything they don't want to do. However I pose the question, how far are you going to go? If we don't stretch ourselves, the first time we find ourselves outside of our comfort zone, we are going to be heading for the hills. I might also say, I saw students who are usually anxious, give everything a go..... Go you!!!!! That is growth!
In work, in school, in life.... We are faced with many choices.... Many options and many ways to do things..... We can be part of the team, or the long ranger, we can be open to different possibilities or we can close down. The choice is yours...... and so are the results.
If you want to succeed in life, then the first step is having a growth mindset.... Be open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Think outside of the box and look for different ways to get the job done and be prepared to go outside of your comfort zone to grow and succeed.
I look forward to supporting you on your heroes journey
We spent a lot of time in class going through these two hand outs. Please make sure you read through them both carefully and write down and email me any questions that you have.
Warm Canvassing
Work Experience
ASSESSMENT TASKS
Getting Started: This little questionnaire will help you get clear on what you want in this program and help me know how and what to support you with. |
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REFLECTION
TO THINK ABOUT (AND FOCUS ON) THIS WEEK
This week, It is important that you be thinking about these things:
1) How many different work experiences would you like to do? (1,2 or 3) - For what purpose would you want to do more then one?
2) How would you like to present what you learn about the industry?
3) Where else can you gain knowledge about the industry?
4) What do you need to know about yourself to be able to look at which pathway you should follow?
1) How many different work experiences would you like to do? (1,2 or 3) - For what purpose would you want to do more then one?
2) How would you like to present what you learn about the industry?
3) Where else can you gain knowledge about the industry?
4) What do you need to know about yourself to be able to look at which pathway you should follow?
It is important to reflect on what skills, interests and strengths you currently have so that we can build on this foundation. Make sure if you haven't already that you have completed the student questionnaire and emailed it to me at: [email protected].
Today I want you to write in your journal (reflection) what you learnt from the time management activity and the warm canvasing discussion. If you weren't there then read the above information regarding it and come up with what you think might be important lessons from this activity.
Today I want you to write in your journal (reflection) what you learnt from the time management activity and the warm canvasing discussion. If you weren't there then read the above information regarding it and come up with what you think might be important lessons from this activity.