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Learn—Maximum Time: 45 Minutes

Read:In the previous group meeting, you shared your self-reliance plan with the group. Now you will work toward accomplishing your plan. This requires you to:

1. Take charge of your education.

2. Create a successful routine.

3. Stay on track.

1. Take Charge of Your Education

Read:“Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself … and not … be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:16, 26).

Discuss:Why is it important that you act for yourself on your education plan?

Read:Successful learners take control of their education. They are:

• Active

• Responsible

• Disciplined

Activity (5 minutes)

Step 1: Rate yourself on the following. Circle the item that best describes you.

responsibility chart

Step 2: Turn to your action partner and tell him or her what you would like to improve about your ability to be active, responsible, and disciplined in your education.

Step 3: Read aloud the following sentences in bold type. If you agree with this statement, sign your name below. Show your signature to your action partner. This week, show this page and your signature to a family member or friend.

“I am in charge of my education. Nobody else can be educated for me. It is up to me to be active, responsible, and disciplined in my education.”

My signature

Date

2. Create a Successful Routine

Read:Saying you will be active, responsible, and disciplined is one thing, but doing it is another. To be successful, you need to (1) prioritize, (2) overcome procrastination, and (3) overcome distractions.

Prioritize

Read:You can’t do everything. As you are working on your education, tasks related to your education should have a high priority.

For example, you want to visit a friend you haven’t seen for a while (good), but you really need to study for a test tomorrow (better).

Discuss:What would you do? Why?

Read:To prioritize the things you need to do:

• Make a list of the things you need or want to do.

• Rewrite the list with the best things at the top, followed by the better things and then the good things.

Sometimes you will need to choose between what is most important and what is most urgent. Sometimes tasks become urgent because you procrastinated doing them. Other times, tasks become urgent because other people expect you to do them now.

For example, you need to study for a test that is in two weeks (important), but you also need to enroll in a class before the application deadline tomorrow (urgent).

Discuss:What would you do? Why?

Activity (10 minutes)

Consider Rachel’s situation: She has to pay fees for school by tomorrow. She needs to drive her kids to their sports practice. She also has to pay rent, choose her classes, and start applying for grants and scholarships.

Step 1: As a group, list everything Rachel has to do in the “To-do’s” column of the following table.

Step 2: Discuss the good, better, and best of each of Rachel’s to-do’s for today.

Step 3: Rewrite the to-do list in the “Priorities” column in the order you think is best.

to-do list with priorities chart

Step 4: Now, on your own, think of some things you need to do. Write your to-do’s on the left and then prioritize them on the right.

to-do list with priorities chart

Overcome Procrastination

Read:Formal education (just like your job) has deadlines. Papers are due when papers are due; projects have firm completion dates. Ignoring deadlines will affect your grade, your attitude, other students, and your successful completion of a program. Assignments become urgent if you procrastinate them until the deadline.

Discuss:How does finishing assignments well before the deadline reduce stress?

Activity (5 minutes)

Step 1: Underline some things Rachel does that have helped her overcome procrastination.

Rachel realized that she tends to procrastinate. She described how she is overcoming that habit. “I started to wake up earlier in the morning. The first thing I do is create my to-do list for the day. If something seems hard to do, I put that as the first thing to do. I also think about how long each of the tasks is going to take and then set a time of the day to complete each task.

“If I am studying, I study for 40 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. After finishing my tasks, I take 10 minutes to do something I enjoy.

“At times I have a hard time focusing, or I may not have enough energy to do a task. Whenever that happens, I move to another task on my list that takes less energy and focus. I return to the other task when I have more energy and focus. I keep moving and get things done. It feels good to check things off my list.”

Step 2: As a group, discuss what helps you overcome procrastination.

Overcome Distractions

Read:Reaching your education goals takes hard work, patience, and focus. Distractions and problems can take you off your path to self-reliance. Knowing how you might get distracted, or being aware of other problems you may face, will help you plan ways to overcome these obstacles and stay on task.

Meet Afu, age 23. He comes from a very poor rural family. His mission opened his eyes to the possibilities of making a better living and providing for his family. He wants to move to the city to receive training as an electrician, but his parents want him to stay at home and work with them in farming as generations of the family have done.

Activity (10 minutes)

Step 1: Take turns reading these three examples.

Rachel wrote:

Rachel’s distraction with a plan to overcome it

Stefano wrote:

Stefano’s distraction with a plan to overcome it

Afu wrote:

Afu’s distraction with a plan to overcome it

Step 2: List some distractions or problems that you might face in your education. Decide now what you will do about them. You may want to counsel with your group members.

distraction chart

Read:Some problems may come up unexpectedly. Nobody plans on getting sick or losing a job. Faith and trust in our Heavenly Father and support from family and friends can help you through those challenges.

Discuss:What do you do when you face difficult and surprising challenges?

3. Stay on Track

Read:Many people don’t finish their education. There are often problems, difficult situations, and other people that could pull you off track.

For example:

• In many areas of the world, parents will say to their children, “Quit school. Come home to work in the fields. Our family cannot survive without you here working.” That is exactly the problem Afu faced.

• Some people quit school because a family member gets sick or dies, or the family suffers some other hardship.

• Some people quit school because they spent their money on unnecessary things and no longer have enough money for school.

• Some people don’t finish their training because a friend says, “I have an incredible business opportunity for you. You will make a lot more money doing this than with your training.” The opportunity turns out to be a dead end. Stefano faced this temptation twice, and both times the friends lost more money than they earned. He was glad he didn’t get involved.

• Some people don’t finish their education because they get discouraged and say to themselves, “This is harder, takes longer, and is more expensive than I thought. I guess school is not for me.”

Watch:“Good Things to Come,” available at srs.lds.org/videos. (No video? Read pages 145–46.)

video icon

One method to help you stay on track includes:

1. Visualizing your life and how you will feel when you are self-reliant.

2. Anticipating who or what would cause you to quit.

3. Preparing what you will say or do to stay on track.

Ponder:Look at the following bridge. Think about what it will be like after you cross the bridge. Think about how it will feel to be more self-reliant.

graphic of bridge in canyon

The following examples are of people who thought about what could cause them to quit school and what they would do.

Rachel wrote:

chart of Rachel’s answers

Afu wrote:

chart of Afu’s answers

Activity (5 minutes)

Now it’s your turn. Write the following:

questions chart

Read:“There is nothing good unless you do it” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 103, quoting Erich Kästner).

Discuss:What are the most valuable things you learned in today’s group meeting?