Strategy Activity Guide for Task Mastery

This activity guide is designed to help you practice strategies for overcoming non-preferred tasks through engaging, interactive activities. The guide provides a series of structured exercises including role-playing scenarios, visual supports, and discussion prompts. It is designed to reinforce the following key strategies:

• Breaking Down Tasks: Learn to divide larger tasks into smaller, manageable steps.
• Setting Small Goals: Establish and celebrate progress by setting achievable mini-goals.
• Using Self-Reward Systems: Motivate yourself by identifying personal rewards for each completed step.

Video Resource

Before starting the activities, watch the following video to gain insights on overcoming procrastination, which is closely related to tackling non-preferred tasks:

• Title: How to Stop Procrastinating
• Description: This video introduces a three-step method to combat procrastination by breaking down tasks, starting with enjoyable activities, and eliminating distractions. It emphasizes the importance of self-regulation and structured deadlines to improve productivity.
• Duration: 5 mins 13 secs

Activity Sections

1. Role-Playing Scenarios

Objective: Practice real-life applications of these strategies in a controlled setting.

Instructions:

• Choose a task that you usually find challenging or non-preferred.
• Imagine a scenario where you apply one of the strategies to this task. For example, break the task into three small steps and act out how you would complete each step.
• Work with a partner (or imagine a conversation) to role-play the situation, focusing on overcoming resistance and applying your strategy.

Student Reflection: Write down or share verbally how the role-play helped you see the task differently.

2. Visual Supports

Objective: Use diagrams or visual tools to map out your task and identify strategic actions.

Instructions:

• Draw a flowchart or diagram that outlines a non-preferred task. Label each step of the task.
• Next to each step, write down a small goal or an action that can help you overcome the task. For example, you might include a reward icon next to a completed step.
• Use colors or symbols to indicate which steps feel most challenging and identify strategies that can ease these challenges.

Student Reflection: Share your diagram. What did you notice about the task once you broke it down into steps?

3. Discussion Prompts

Objective: Reflect on your experiences and exchange ideas on how to manage challenging tasks.

Discussion Questions:

• Which strategy (breaking down tasks, setting small goals, or using self-reward systems) do you feel would be most useful for you? Why?
• What challenges do you anticipate when trying to use these strategies?
• Can you think of a recent task that you could try applying these strategies to? How might you begin?

Teacher’s Note: Encourage the student to share their thoughts openly. Use this time to address any concerns and provide guidance on how to apply these strategies in different contexts.

Final Practice

Objective: Apply a strategy to a real task from your daily routine.

Instructions:

• Choose one non-preferred task from your schedule.
• Using the strategies learned today, write down a plan that breaks the task into smaller steps, includes small goals for each step, and assigns a reward for completing the task.
• Share your plan with the teacher or a peer and discuss how you feel about tackling the task.

Reflection: Which strategy do you feel most confident about? What additional support or adjustments might you need to apply the chosen strategy effectively?

This guide is interactive and designed to help you actively overcome challenges by applying strategic methods to your daily tasks. Enjoy exploring these activities and discovering what works best for you!