Because life doesn’t always go our way.
Because nothing worth having comes easy.
Because at some point in life, we’re going to trip and fall. We need to learn how to pick ourselves back up.
Because if we keep on doing everything for our students and children to protect them from the world… how will they learn to navigate these struggles for themselves?
Hello and Welcome to SEOT.ca!
SEOT is an acronym. It stands for Strategies, Effort, Optimize, and Tinker.
If this is your first time seeing this website – maybe you found us through a teacher, a parent, a coach, a boss, a friend, a colleague or just on Google, then hello and welcome!
If you’ve been here before, then welcome back! We missed you!
SEOT.ca is a story of grit, tenacity and resilience.
1. We live in a world filled with extreme stories from the news and social media.
- Pretend you’re a newspaper editor. What kinds of stories catch people’s attention? Which stories make the headlines, or the breaking news feed?
- Pretend you wanted to go viral on social media and get more likes and subscribers. What kinds of stories get noticed and shared?
2. We hear these stories so often, that we internalize them and we become these stories.
- We start to believe that this is the way the world is, and should be.
- These stories become a script of expectations for us and a code of behaviour.
- What does the media tell us about being a man, or a woman?
- We know we don’t need a six-pack, and that those models are photoshopped and air-brushed, and yet… cultural norms become cultural norms for a reason…
3. We expect instant gratification…
- hello free and fast wifi,
… (easy) success, …
- hello dreams of becoming a pro athlete,
and true love (even though we say we don’t.)
- hello happily ever after…
But, sometimes, life doesn’t go our way.
We don’t make the team. We get a low grade. We can’t find a job. We don’t get the promotion. Things aren’t like they are in the movies. It’s not easy to become successful. We’re not instantly rich. Nobody buys our product. We lose our jobs…
Now what? How do we keep going? How do we overcome obstacles? How do we build confidence? How do we get out of bed, and get through the day? How do we even make the effort to try?
The point of SEOT.ca is to help people develop grit, tenacity and resilience, ourselves included.
- Grit means courage and resolve; strength of character.
- Tenacity means being very determined; holding steady when things are tough.
- Resilience means the ability to recover from difficulties; toughness.
We do this by helping people to set and achieve their own goals.
How do we build perseverance?
By trying to reach a goal. And failing. And picking ourselves up. And learning from our mistakes. And trying a different way. And failing some more. Until, eventually we figure it out. And, we set a new goal or another obstacle gets in our way, and the cycle repeats.
Perseverance is a muscle. The more you pick yourself up, the stronger and quicker you get at bouncing back, and the easier it is to pick yourself up when you fall next time.
How do we build confidence?
Confidence comes from doing this process over and over again, until one day, you’ll just know that when you trip, you can get back up again. You got this.
Confidence comes from success. And, success comes from not giving up. And not giving up requires grit, tenacity, and resilience.
What do I do now?
Step 1. Go through the slideshow
Check out the Goal Setting Powerpoint slideshow for students.
(It says for students, but really, it’s for everyone. We’re just trying to get Google traffic for some specific keywords. Just tinkering around, really.)
Step 2. Actually do the activities and goal setting lessons in the slideshow
Don’t just say, yeah, yeah, yeah. Try. For real. I mean it.
- Jot down ideas on a blank piece of paper or notebook.
- If you want, you can get the handouts used in the slideshow from your teacher, coach, or here.
Step 3. Set a goal and use the Wheel of Success to track your progress.
This is the hard part. This is where most people will get off the bus.
You actually have to work at your goal. You actually have to…
- think about what you’re doing (strategies),
- the effort you’re putting in,
- keep track of what you’re doing to figure out whether it’s actually working (optimize), and
- trying new things along the way and learning from the mistakes (tinkering)
You actually have to check-in and see if you’re making progress.
Let’s say I want to drive from Ottawa to Toronto. If I hop in my car, get out of my driveway, and then close my eyes the whole way, that’s just a recipe for disaster!
You actually have to open your eyes when you drive:
- Make sure you’re on the road
- Make sure you’re in the right lane.
- Make sure you have enough gas.
- Make sure you avoid other obstacles (like trees, pedestrians and cars.)
We constantly correct our steering and speed when we drive a car. We need to do the same thing when we’re driving a metaphorical car to our goal!
Step 4. Get inspired by other examples
Fill your head with other stories, instead of junk food. Read this.
Will SEOT.ca really give me the goals of my dreams?
No.
(Wait, what!?)
The Goal Setting Lesson for Students and the accompanying Goal Setting Handouts are not magical. They will not instantly build confidence and make you more resilient. They’re just words and ideas – a visual way to help you work towards your goals and keep track of progress. SEOT is a way to think about goal-setting.
The only person who can make this work is you.
Parents, teachers, coaches, and loved ones can help you on your journey to success, but, you are responsible for you. But, if you keep at it, you will eventually succeed.
After all, “you just can’t beat the person who never gives up.” (Babe Ruth)
Good luck!
Cheers,
Mike Fuchigami
(Fellow traveler trying to achieve goals and dreams)
Psst.
It’s time to click here and start the Goal Setting Slideshow.
Or, get distracted and share this on social media: