wisdom & life

< — Achieving your dreams 1 of 3

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, aliens and dogs, behold my best post ever. And you know what? It is not my best post because of my, er, questionable writing skills. Nor because I have had the best idea since the antibiotics. No, it will be because of you.

That’s right. I am going to propose you an activity. If you complete it trusting my every word you will remember it forever. It might not change your life, but it will make you understand how you can change it.

Ready?

For this project you will need:

• a piece of paper.
• a pencil or a pen; preferably both.
• an eraser.
• crayons or other art supplies.
• anything that would inspire your mind: photographs, poems. If you are stuck for ideas, you might try these great suggestions from Alex Blackwell.
• mindmapping software such as freemind
• or art software such as the gimp or even an oekaki website.

Alternatively, but only if drawing is very inconvenient for you, write, type or record your ideas in tape or as mp3.

The golden rule.

“God makes three requests of his children: Do the best you can, where you are, with what you have, now”

African-American Proverb quotes

Whatever method you use, please give your very best. My poor students thought that their marks depended on it . I cannot use that incentive on you but I can ask you to trust me. The more you give to this project, the more you will reap.

Don’t be mean on yourself; but neither be too critic. I want you to try to achieve the best. I don’t really care about the execution; the only thing that matters here is your intent. Just try to do your best.

The project itself.

Imagine what kind of person you want to become. As you imagine, put it on paper (or on your computer).

1. Start by goals that are easy to achieve in the short term.
2. Goals that are easy to achieve in the long term.
3. Goals that are hard to achieve in the short term.
4. Goals that are hard to achieve in the long term.
5. Ultimate goals.
6. If achieve those goals, what kind of person you would become?
7. Revise: is that the kind or person you want to become? If not, fix some goals until you are happy with the intended result. Often, we follow projects that are leading us nowhere. And that’s why this part of the project is critical.

Put your soul.

However you complete this project, it is very important that you put your heart, mind and soul in it. Do you feel like using poetry? Then do. A mindmap? Serve yourself. A haiku? Be my guest. The chief thing is to keep your spirit running towards the dream that your heart wishes. Remember, your intent must be to put into that paper (or file) the very best of you.

Share this project with your kids.

I tell you again this project worked very well with kids when I taught. Children are both interested in what kind of person they will become and if they can indeed achieve their dreams or if they will face failure.

A timed project.

How much time you should spend on this one? I suggest at least fifteen minutes but not more than one hour or so. When you are done, come back here. Have your project handy, you will need it.

Sing up.

Last, but not least, no matter how early or late you find this post, please sign up by adding a comment. That will help you to make a commitment. Mine is that I will answer to each and every comment and provide any help or clarification you need.

That’s all chaps,

I can’t tell much more because I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

• The writer’s report: Setting the novel up (8)
• 3 ways to never give up at school, 2.0 (4)
• Values to live 2.1 (13)
• How to Make Running Fun (even if you’re fat) (12)
• School Productivity & Organization: The IN folder (3)
• Under pressure? That’s how you fix it (6)
• Failure and how to face it, Part 2 of 2 (5)