Stop Digging Holes: Video, Reading, Questions | Social Emotional SEOT 005

If your students did this one trick, they might improve.

• SEOT Step to Success 005 is to STOP DIGGING HOLES.

• NO PREP reading passage with discussion questions and answer key.

• Print the PDF, show the optional video, and discuss.

• Give students opportunities to develop Self Awareness and Self Control by setting goals.

UPDATED Jan 31, 2024: This new version is now much easier to use.

• There is a single PDF to print. Links to the Microsoft Word and Google Docs are included in the PDF.

• The student handout now includes a QR code to the YouTube video. If students are allowed to use phones, they can scan the code at the bottom of their handout to go to the video.

NOTE:

• Here's the FREE YouTube video lesson - show it IN-PERSON in class or use it for ONLINE learning

• The handout article is a tidied up transcription of the video with questions

• Please look at the preview file (besides the product cover images.) It shows you exactly what you get.

• You can edit the Microsoft Word and Google Docs files

• Includes Digital Version (Easel by TpT)

SEOT is a way to think about how to achieve your goals. It’s an acronym. It stands for Strategies, Effort, Optimize, and Tinker. 

STOP DIGGING HOLES

SEOT Steps to Success #005

There’s this saying, “if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” It basically means, if you don’t like the situation you’re in, stop doing the things that got you there in the first place. That goes well with this other quote about insanity:
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”

Either way, if you want something different, you’re going to have to try something new. Of course, that’s easier said than done. When it comes to life, it’s not always obvious which things are helping us and what’s just getting in the way. We may not want to stop the habits we’re used to. Change is hard.

At some point, we want to get out of the hole and get more out of life. Maybe we make a New Year’s resolution, hit a major milestone in life, or have a major life event. Or maybe, we’ve just had enough!

SEOT is an acronym to help us get out of the hole. The S stands for strategies.

SEOT Step to Success #5 is to STOP DIGGING HOLES.

A strategy is something we do to get a result. The thing is, I don’t know what strategy you should be doing to get the goal you’re after. I just know that not everything works for everyone all the time. So, if something isn’t getting you the results you want, it might be time to switch strategies.

If you want more money in your pocket, you have two options: make more money or spend less money. I know, this seems like really obvious common sense, so let’s delve a little deeper here and try to think of ways to spend less money:

Maybe you switch to a cash-only diet. Every month, you put the money you need for different expenses into envelopes. As the month goes on, you can physically see how much cash you have left to spend. If you want to spend more in one envelope, you need to make up for it with cash from a different envelope – or you can’t get that item. It’s a trick to help you stop overspending and stick to a budget.

Or, you could only go grocery shopping when you’re not hungry. Chances are, you won’t want to buy (and eat) everything in sight. If you have children, you might find that leaving the kid at home helps you end up with fewer impulse items in your shopping cart.

Cancel automatic subscriptions that you don’t use. We often get sucked in with free trials. But, if you don’t use the service, it's time to say goodbye or switch to a cheaper plan. You can always sign up again if you feel like you can’t live without that service.

Take a moment right now to think about your goals. What are you doing to work towards the results you want? What are three things you could try to do differently that might help you achieve your goal? (You don’t have to come up with these strategies by yourself. Who could coach you and help you discover strategies to achieve your specific goal?) Try a different strategy and see what happens!

Discussion Questions

1. What are some obstacles that prevent people from getting more out of life?
2. Explain the strategy in your own words as if you were teaching someone.
3. How might this strategy help people to achieve their goals?
4. Why might this strategy not help people to achieve their goals?

TAKE ACTION: Think about a goal that you want to achieve. What are you doing that might be getting in the way? Brainstorm things you could try to do differently to help you achieve your goal. Explain why these actions might lead to a different result.

THIS LESSON GOES WELL WITH...

• FREE slideshow: teach students HOW to achieve goals and work SMARTER

• FREE video: https://seot.ca/steps-to-success/005

• Growth Mindset student survey in Chapter 1. Character (8 lessons)

• The “Try Something New” challenge from Chapter 5. Creativity (14 lessons)

OH NO! You missed out !!!

• This product was FREE went it was first released.

• The price went up to $2.00 on Dec 13, 2021

• Some of my products are FREE or deeply discounted when they are first released. This is a special thank you to people whofollow my store</a>.

• FOLLOW MY STORE so TpT can notify you when I publish a new product!

TIRED OF MISSING OUT ON DEALS? DO YOU WANT MY NEW PRODUCTS FOR FREE?

• Stop worrying about waiting for my products to go on sale.

• Stop stressing about missing out on early bird FREE pricing for my new products.

• GET the Educircles EVERYTHING Bundle NOW and get all my new products for free.

• (Psst, the price of the Educircles EVERYTHING Bundle goes up as I add more resources to my store. Read more.)

CHANGELOG

QR Code Update - v2024-01-12qr

• Content change: The student handout now includes a low-ink version of the icon. It also includes a QR code at the bottom which links to the video. Removed digital versions (PowerPoint / Easel handout)

• Simple Organization: Updated to the Educircles Single PDF format with one-click links to keep it simple.

For all changes, please see the START HERE PDF.

If you have any questions, just ask below or send me an email at Mike@educircles.org