Personal development, Reflection
> 60 min.
Large group, Small group
Upto 1 hour
Materials needed
Advanced, Beginner, Moderate
Speaking, Writing, Listening, Reading
Adaptability, Planning, Problem solving, Time management, Separating main points and side points
Asking for help, Assertiveness, Independency, Communication, Responsibility, Self-presentation
Courage, Dealing with insecurity, Decisiveness, Self-knowledge, Ownership, Self-motivation, Self-efficacy, Self-presentation, Perseverance, Self-expression, Self-care, Self-confidence
Objectives
Active participation in society requires the ability to set and achieve goals. This is a prerequisite for becoming a self-reliant citizen.
This activity aims:
- Being able to set and achieve a goal
- Increasing control over your life
- Increasing self-confidence
- Working on skills needed to achieve the goal
Material
Large sheets of paper, markers
Preparation
Take one hour to prepare an example and set the structure.
Instructions
Participants will look a year ahead; what kind of goal would they like to set and what kind of plan goes with it? What small steps need to be taken? It can be very difficult to think and plan ahead. Visualizing the plans can make it easier for participants. Also by working together they can support each other. Making and executing future plans is a crucial competence for the integration process.
As an example, the facilitator shows and talks about a (own) future plan. The plan has the form of a staircase. Each step represents a step in the process of reaching a goal. To keep it concrete, a goal is chosen that the trainee hopes to achieve in a year’s time. For example, the goal is to have (volunteer) work as an (assistant) cook. This is visualized with a drawing and with text (when the participants can read and write). Each step to be taken is also visualized and described on a step. For example, the first step contains practice with words that are about cooking and working in the kitchen and a restaurant, the second step contains, for example, making contact with a cook, the third contains a day of watching a cook, etc. Adding drawings further anchors the information and makes it easy to refer back to. Of course, the steps can be changed during the year.
After the introduction, the participants go in pairs to support each other to make a plan. Whether this is possible depends on the (language) proficiency of the participants. Another possibility is to work in pairs under the guidance of a facilitator. The participant can be encouraged to write and draw himself/herself, but this is not a must. Another person can also draw and write.
The goal can be large or small. It can also be aimed at increasing the social network, making contacts with neighbors, starting a leisure activity. A goal can also be related to a common goal for the group. Should it be necessary, a session can first be scheduled to explore possible goals. This can be done using pictures of activities and possible professions. Participants can be asked to choose a top five activities and/or professions that appeal to them. Use icons from this website if necessary: https://arasaac.org/pictograms/search/
Variant
You could also use a backward design or backcasting: you start at the final goal. With these techniques you set the final goal and you take a step back just before reaching the goal, until the present. You identify the small steps you need to take and start with this identification process at the end (imagining that you’ve reached your final goal).