Colin Walsh/ Class 5: Self-Improvement Training @ Straight-A-Guide

by Colin Walsh

126. When you assess your environment, what opportunities for self-improvement can you create or seize?

When I initially assessed my current environment, I searched high and low for every and any opportunity that could exist. I quickly discovered that the prison itself has little useful to offer, and that many of the opportunities exists within myself.

When I first arrived at prisoner I began a search for opportunity. After talking with a few peers I was directed to the education building. That evening I entered the education building only to find that there was very little education? going on there. I entered through the front door and walked straight to the library. The library was unlike any library I have ever been in. it was a mad house. There were about 100 people hanging out, talking, and yelling. I couldn?t even find a seat to sit down. This environment was not conclusive to anything. I approached the county and picked up the card catalog book. I fingered through the passed and realized that more than half of the books are James Patterson novels and the rest are other fiction. I ask the quasi-librarian if they had any non-fiction. He walked down to the far end of the county and grabbed another card catalog book. This was the non fiction booklet. It was only half the size of the fiction book. When I read through I found that the majority of the non fiction books were ?The complete Idiots? to anything from astrology to Zen. I set the library. I walked from the library down the short hallway into the education department. The hallway walls adorned with bulltins of the different programs they offer. I read them one by one as I walked. Cage Your Rage, Alcoholics Anonymous, Successful Re-Entry, Help for Gambling Addicts, I think to myself these all may be great for some people but I don?t think any of these will help me reach my goal. Then I come across ?Kent State University Business Program 22 College Credits.? That Sounded more interesting.

127. What is your interpretation on the value of self-imposed structure of free time?

If a train were taken off the track and let to roam free it?would most definitely wreck. I believe that is the same people. People who lack?structure lack success.

I personally see a lack of structure in people every day.?People in prison who lack structure spend their days minute to minute. This?allows them to fall victim to spontaneity. Like a pin ball; they bounce from?one thing to the next and never go anywhere besides down the hole. This life?leads a person to not advance anywhere. Therefore day after day nothing is?accomplished, except wasting time.

When people are first born, they are free from?responsibility and structure. What do they do? Well, they eat, sleep, and cry a?lot. This lack of structure accomplishes nothing. It isn?t different for adults?either. Just as a lack of structure in a baby?s life doesn?t accomplish?anything, a lack of structure in an adult?s life is the same.?Lack of structure in anyone?s life leads nowhere. Structure?is the rail that we follow that leads to success.

128. What relationship do your daily activities have to the vision you have for your life upon release?

Every activity that is a small building block in the foundation for my future. Therefore every activity I perform relates to my vision.

The time I spend on each individual activity aggregates into one gigantic activity. These aggregations will eventually accrue to become my vision. ??Every day from the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep; I study various subjects. This constant studying is building my skills on these subjects. Eventually over time I will build a solid foundation in which I will be able to build my life upon that is my vision and I am working toward that every day.

129. Imagine that you were to replicate your activities or use of time yesterday every day or your sentence. If you did, what level of preparation would have to triumph over the obstacles that await you upon your return to society?

I really don?t have to imagine replicating my activities everyday, because I do replicate my activities each and every day. I know that doing this will elevate me to a high level and prepare me for my future.

This effect is like a snowball rolling down a hill. At the top of the hill the ball is small and rolls very slowly. Then with each roll it picks up a little bit of snow. Even though the ball is only picking up a small amount of snow, it is growing progressively. As is grows it begins to pick up speed. Eventually the ball is exponentially bigger, and moving much faster. Likewise I will do the same.

Replicating my activities daily will eventually aggregate into a bigger, better version of me. Like the snowball rolling down a hill, I may have started small, but I am rolling, accumulating, and picking up speed.

130. What activities within the prison environment can you pursue that will enhance your strengths?

I try to pursue all activities that will enhance my strengths and my weaknesses. ??I consider my strengths to include writing, reading, and analyzing what I read and personal relations. I enhance these strengths by practicing them daily. Every day, I write and read. I actively read about 100 pages daily, I read the newspaper, magazines, books, and textbooks. While I read, I take notes on what I read from these notes and write reports. These reports help me analyze what I read.

Also, I study and learn ten vocabulary words daily. These words improve my writing and diction.

I strengthen my personal relations skills by corresponding with people daily. Also, I read many books on various theories of human relations.

As much as I work on my strengths, I emphasize my weaknesses more: I consider my math skills to be somewhat of a weakness. Math doesn?t come as easily to me as literary arts. Therefore I spend more time working on this weakness than my strengths in hope to turn the weakness into a strength.

Every day, I am in pursuit of making my strengths and weaknesses stronger.? Therefore as a professional athlete practices his game daily to improve, I am practicing my game toward improvement.

131. What activities within the prison environment would you categorize as a weakness?

132. What activities within the prison environment would you perceive as offering opportunities?

133. What activities within the prison environment do you perceive as threatening your prospects for success upon release?

134. To what extent do the activities you pursue inside the prison environment contribute to your strengths and opportunities?

135. What steps do you deliberately take to minimize your exposure to weaknesses and threats?

136. Using the SWOT-assessment technique, how would you assess your decision-making process prior to imprisonment?

137. In what ways can the SWAT-assessment technique guide your decisions as you prepare for success upon release?

138. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant one: low-risk/high-reward?

139. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant two: high-reward/high-risk?

140. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant three: low-risk/low-reward?

141. What types of activities in prison fall into quadrant four: high-risk/low-reward?

142. To what extent do your consider risk-reward analysis when assessing activities, interactions, or time allocation in prison?

143 What type of self-improvement programs would enhance an individual?s prospects for success upon release?

144. What thoughts have you given to the type of employment you want to pursue upon release?

145. Define the qualifications necessary for the type of job you want to pursue?

146. How do your self-improvement programs prepare you for the type of job you want to pursue?

147. What types of self-improvement programs can you pursue independently that will enhance your prospects as a candidate for employment upon release?

148. In what ways do academic credentials influence an individual?s candidacy for employment?

149. How do prospective employers gauge the value of academic credentials?

150. What types of self-improvement steps trump academic credentials?

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