[ACTIVITY] 7 Questions To Ask Yourself At The Beginning Of The Semester

If you are going to start, make it a good start.

I know… “Duh!” Who doesn’t know that, right? But yet and still many people fail to set themselves up properly. The following questions are ideal for helping students, educators, parents, and other professionals working with young people get off to a great start at the beginning of the school or program year.

You and the group you are working with should answer these questions in writing. They will make for a great group discussion.

1. Why am I here? Why am I going to school, work, or participating in this program?

If your answer is “Because my mom made me,” or “I have to,” I have one word for you: lame.

Your why is your single point of focus. It’s different then a goal, it’s the reason you remain motivated and determined to meet your goals. It’s what drives you to do what you do. The stronger your why, the higher your level of determination and motivation. So, you gotta have a strong answer to this question. It should be your reason, not someone else’s.

Your why could start off like this:

[POSTER] Duncan Nugget® #240: Purpose Called

Purpose called. But…
She was sent straight to voice mail.
She didn’t leave a message. 
But Purpose is persistent so…
she will call again.

Million-Dollar Question: 
Will YOU answer the call?

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget #330: Blame Is Lame

Here’s a cool little story about blame. Maybe you’ve heard it before.

“This is the story of four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody knew that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it.

Consequently, it wound up that Nobody told Anybody, so Everybody blamed Somebody. And nothing got done.”

Unfortunately, there was a time in my life when I blamed anything and anyone else, except for myself, for my lack of success. Not cool.

You cannot blame your way to success.

Personal responsibility is required. Blame is the arch enemy of personal responsibility. Therefore, blame is lame.

Million-Dollar Question:
Do you choose blame or personal responsibility?

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ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR DUNCAN NUGGET #330

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #77: When The Pot Is Hot

Any great cook or professional chef knows that it’s best to start cooking when the pot is hot.

That goes for ovens, pans, and grills, too. They should be the ideal temperature when you start cooking. This small, vital step is one of the secrets to cooking a great dish.

It works the same way with ideas or things you want to get done. The best time to build momentum is when you first think of an idea or start on a task.  The motivation is there. The excitement is there. The desire is there.

The pot is hot.

Take some immediate action steps that you can use to measure your progress. Wait too long and your pot gets cold.  The motivation is gone. The excitement is gone. The desire is gone. Not cool.

Million-Dollar Question:
Isn’t it time for you to start cooking up some more success?

5 Steps For Dealing With Worry

NOTE: Be sure to answer the discussion questions at the end of this article.

After a seminar one day, I was talking to a young lady who spends too much time worrying. She was worried about getting off to a great start that semester. She was worried about getting into graduate school. She was worried about how she was going to do on her finals.

Really?!

She hadn’t even been to a class yet!

She and I sat down for about 20 minutes and worked on getting the “worry weeds” out of her head. Here’s a snapshot of what we talked about.

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #198: Outside Or Inside Your Head

“Mr. Duncan, this is crazy! My biochemistry book costs $120!”

“Didn’t you just spend $125 getting your hair done?”

“Yeah.”

“So, it’s cool to spend that kind of cash on the outside of your head, but not on the inside?”

“I never looked at it like that, but real talk, Mr. Duncan, I gotta get my hair done.”

—conversation between Al Duncan and a college student

What’s in your head (and heart) determines what’s in your life.

Nice hats, expensive sunglasses, earrings, haircuts, and hairdos cost you thousands of dollars. A book on personal or professional development might cost you $25 and could help you make thousands, maybe millions, of dollars.

There’s nothing wrong with taking care of the outside of your head, but take care of the inside too.

Million-Dollar Question:
Do you spend more time, money, and energy on the outside or inside of your head?

[POSTER] Duncan Nugget® #257: Giving Up vs. Getting Up

Sometimes, when it seems like you’re giving up…
You are really GETTING up and moving on.

Million-Dollar Question:
Is it time to walk away or try harder?

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ACTION STEPS/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS