Lesson 4
Initiative/Motivation/Procrastination

In Lesson 4, you will study three critical factors in reaching your goals:

1. The role that motivation plays in creating success
2. The impact of initiative on motivation
3. The effect of procrastination on motivation

Readings, Resources, and Assignments
Required Readings	Choose one of the following articles to read and comment on: "The Importance of Finding Out What Motivates You" "Overcoming a Loss of Motivation" "You Aren't Getting Anywhere Because You Don't Know Where You Want to Go"
Multimedia Resources (optional)	Taking Initiative – YouTube Presentation: "Take Some Initiative" Presentation: "Stop Procrastinating (today)"
Required Assignments	KWL Initiative/Motivation/Procrastination Note Sheet for Motivation Article Note Sheet: Things you can do to overcome procrastination See "Assessing Your Learning" for details on each assignment.

Check Prior Knowledge

Check this out! Which one are you aiming to become?

Are you a successful student or a struggling student?

Comparison of Successful Students and Struggling Students

Successful Students:	Struggling Students:
Believe their life experiences and outcomes are based on their personal choices.	Believe that external forces dictate their life experiences.
Accept personal responsibility for their life outcomes and experiences.	Do not accept personal responsibility and often blame others.
Make wise decisions to attain the type of future or life experiences desired.	Make decisions carelessly without a plan for the future.

Focusing Your Learning

To help you prepare for the information contained in Lesson 4 and to help you complete the assessments found in the Assessing Your Learning Section, visit the Key Terms link and play the interactive games using the terms from this lesson.

Key Terms: Flashcards

Please use this dictionary Web site to look up any unfamiliar words in the lesson.

Presentation and Practice

When a person repeats ineffective behaviors even when these techniques don't work, he or she is acting as a victim. When people change their beliefs and behaviors to create the best results they can, they are acting as creators.

Initiative, motivation, and procrastination are critical factors in creating the best life possible for yourself.

Click on the KWL worksheet link and fill out the first two columns (What I Know and What I Want to Know about initiative, motivation, and procrastination). You will fill out the rest of the worksheet as you progress through Lesson 4.

KWL 2 - Initiative, Motivation, and Procrastination

Motivation

A motivator is what makes you want to achieve a goal. For instance, your goal may be to further your education so that you can get a better job and give your family a better standard of living. Your goals are completing a degree and obtaining a better job. Your motivator is your love of your family.

It is important to find your motivators, because they explain why you will work hard to achieve your goal, even when you get tired and your motivation wanes.

There are three short articles on motivation. Choose one of the three articles to read. Then, click on the worksheet for the article you chose and use it to record your findings from the article.

Worksheet 1

Note Sheet -The Importance of Finding Out What Motivates You

Article 1: "The Importance of Finding Out What Motivates You"

Worksheet 2

Note Sheet - Overcoming a Loss of Motivation

Article 2: "Overcoming a Loss of Motivation"

Worksheet 3

Note Sheet -You Aren't Getting Anywhere Because You Don't Know Where You Want to Go

Article 3: "You Aren't Getting Anywhere Because You Don't Know Where You Want to Go"

Procrastination

Procrastination is putting off or avoiding something that must be done. It is natural to procrastinate occasionally. However, excessive procrastination has many harmful effects. It can cause you to feel guilty about avoiding a task when it should be done. It can cause anxiety since the task still needs to be done. Worst of all, procrastination can cause you to do the task poorly, because you are cramming to get it done at the last minute.

In short, excessive procrastination can make you less successful in school, your job, or personal life. The good news is the opposite also holds true. Organizing tasks and allowing enough time to do them well can make you more successful in all areas.

Access the worksheet below and use it to take notes on the presentation below.

Things You Can Do to Overcome Procrastination Worksheet

Watch and listen to this presentation ("Stop Procrastinating (today)") to review the most effective ways to stop procrastinating. Record the 14 helpful tips on the worksheet.

Initiative

Motivation is what makes you want to succeed. Initiative includes the actions you must do to succeed. Successful people take initiative and act decisively to achieve their goals, rather than waiting and watching as other people and situations create the outcomes in their lives.

Watch and listen to this presentation ("Take Some Initiative!") to review important points about Initiative.

Take Some Initiative!

Now watch the YouTube video below to see how initiative really can work.

Taking Initiative – YouTube

Summarize and Review

KWL Worksheet

Fill in the third column on your Initiative/Motivation/Procrastination KWL worksheet (What I Learned). If necessary, look back at the notes you took for this lesson to find the most important points that you want to remember.

Assessing Your Learning

Important information: Review Submitting Assignments if you need help copying and pasting your assignment.

if you need help copying and pasting your assignment.

Complete the assignments in the Assessing Your Learning section that follows. Type your answer in the template and upload them in the submit section below each assessment.

1. Choose one article to read and fill in the Note Sheet for motivation for either Article 1, 2 or 3. Select the appropriate link to submit the worksheet for the article you read. Only one assignment is required.

   Note Sheet for Motivation Article 1:
   Fill in this worksheet and submit Note Sheet for Motivation Article 1.

   Note Sheet for Motivation Article 2:
   Fill in this worksheet and submit Note Sheet for Motivation Article 2.

   Note Sheet for Motivation Article 3:
   Fill in this worksheet and submit Note Sheet for Motivation Article 3.

2. Things you can do to overcome procrastination Worksheet:
   Fill in this worksheet and submit Overcome procrastination Worksheet.
3. KWL Worksheet: On the last section of the KWL worksheet, complete the one action step you will take to increase your motivation and decrease procrastination. (Successful Student Tip: Just pick one item. When you have mastered that skill, pick another, then another.) Then, submit your completed KWL worksheet. (Be sure you have filled out: What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Learned and One Action Step.)
   
   Submit KWL Worksheet

Resources:

Procrastination

The Importance of Finding Out What Motivates You

Overcoming a Loss of Motivation

You Aren’t Getting Anywhere Because You Don’t Know Where You Want to Go

Taking Initiative

Additional Attributions