How to Teach Commitment Life Skills

Working with an obligation slave or someone with a commitment phobia? Commitments in life come from two sources: those tasks that are out of obligation and those that are from your true heart's desires. Knowing which tasks are performed most will be the first step in teaching useful life-commitment skills. As a mentor, coach or instructor, how committed are you? When teaching life skills, speak from experience. Be sure that as the instructor, you have completed the skills-building exercises for yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Calendar or day planner

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Instructions

Life Commitment Skills Building Exercises

• 1

  List the life commitments you have made within the past six months. Start the list with obligated commitments. These are the tasks performed out of duty such as taking your grandmother to the doctor, going shopping or attending your cousin's wedding. Make a second list with personal commitments. These are tasks performed out of your own needs and might include finishing a hobby project, taking a class or going on a trip.

• 2

  Ask your student how successful they felt they were in completing these goals. Was there a difference between the obligated commitments vs. the personal commitments? If so, what were the differences?If the student is struggling with procrastination, check out this great site for fantastic handouts and useful tools http:///www.edu/depts/scweb/handouts/procrastination.html.

• 3

  Be realistic.There is only so much energy in a day. If your student is riddled with obligations, it might be time to weigh what can truly be accomplished in a day. Burnout will inevitably happen if life consists of only obligations. Always encourage a balance of both obligations and personal commitments. Nationally known author, Martha Beck, offers great advice on avoiding burnout at htt:///www.marthabeck.com/telecourses_detail.php?class_id=137&cat_name=Recorded Telecourses.

• 4

  Make a plan. Note specific tasks that will be completed in an assigned time frame. Be sure to record these in your notebook. For more information on making a plan, check out "The ABC's of ACT-Acceptance & Commitment Therapy by Claudia Demane, Social Work Today, Sept./Oct. 2008. http:///socialworktoday.com/archive/090208.36..shtml.

• 5

  Change the way you think. Visualizing how life will look if you are successful with your plan will help provide a better foundation and prepare you for the success you have yet to achieve. Change, even good change, isn't easy if we are not prepared. You might truly want to graduate from college but find yourself sabotaging the goal with perpetual procrastination. Turning desire into thoughts of clarity will mean execution of tasks will not surprise you.