International Youth Development society (IYDS)

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Awolola Mariam ,a student of the great Obafemi Awolowo University and a member of international youth development society (IYDS). I'm hosting a 30days challenge which has to do with "Youth Engagement For Global Action" . During those days alot of skill and concept will be imparted to make the youth an important individual in social, cultural , political and economic activies of the country.
The challenge will start on 1st September 2020.

As a youth,if you were given the opportunity to change the society,what will you change first?

Anticipate!!!
Don't Miss out on this challenge.

The impact of youths in global action can't be overemphasized. Youths are the present and future of the world. Thus, youths engagement for global action is the way forward.
Join me on my 30 days impact and intellectual challenge, where I will be discussing how youths can develop themselves for global action. Starting from September 1 to 30.

Join me on
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariam-awolola-02a61818a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awolola.maryam

Nairaland: https://www.nairaland.com/6078768/youth-engagement-global-action

Don't miss it!!!

Anticipate !!!
Don't Miss out on the challenge
It's gonna be educative.

#IYD2020
#Youthengagementforglobalaction

Ok

Welcome to the Impact and Intellectual Challenge, which starts today.
My name is mariam Awolola. A student of Obafemi Awolowo University. I am also a member of International Youths Development Society (IYDS). IYDS is an international platform that creates opportunities for youths to share their ideas with the world, connect with other youths across the globe as well as impacting necessary skills in youths to make them better persons.
This challenge is for 30 days; many skills and concepts will be imparted. The theme of the challenge which is" Youth Engagement For Global Action" seeks to highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global level are enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.
No doubt about the fact that the strength of every nation depends on its young people as their generation will provide the next leaders. Youth needs to recognize how important they are to their personal self and the society at large, and this is referred to self worth.

Day 1 of the challenge is about recognising your self worth as a youth.
What is self worth?

Youth at times makes many misconceptions about self worth. This has sadly shaped their mindset into thinking less of themselves when they are , infact, more. Self worth simply means the level of importance you placed on yourself. It is an emotional outlook that determines how and what you feel about yourself in comparison to other people. It is a fundamental part of a being and it controls the way we see ourselves. Everything we think about, all the emotions we feel, and even the way we act is a product of what value we place on ourselves by ourselves.
Youths, who think of themselves as valuable are more likely to be willing to try something new, to believe they can be successful. Youths that believe in themselves are more likely to stand by their own convictions and beliefs, and not being swayed by others.
Self worth is not a bad thing. It only makes you accept your weakness while you learn to focus on your strength. Some of these strength lie undiscovered, and until you become self aware that that you are important, you will not be able to bring them to light.

Having a sense of self worth as a youth shows that you value yourself. The best part of recognising your self worth is seeing the practical impact it has on your behavior. It affects the things you do as a youth and the choices you make consciously. You start rejecting anything that has a negative effect on your outlook on life, and you become more open to things crafted to make you a better person. It is high time to learn ways to increase, strengthen and sustain your self worth. You can start by highlighting those things you previously found that you worth and substitute them for more productive activities.

As a youth, on your journey to recognize your self worth starts by not comparing yourself to anyone. By comparison, you rob yourself of self awareness and block your chances of seeing your strong potential. Comparison only measures your worth by others people's standard. How how about knowing how to discover your self worth? Then, read the day 2 challenge.

Day 2 : Self worth theory

Today ,am going to discuss what self worth theory means and how to develop your self worth as a youth.

Having realize how important you are and the level of value you placed on yourself,we then move on to what self theory state about self worth and how to recognize it.

The self-worth theory of Covington & Beery, 1976; Covington, 1984) assumes that the highest human priority is the search for self-acceptance and that “one’s worth often comes to depend on the ability to achieve competitively” .The theory posit that an individual's main priority in life is to find self acceptance and that self acceptance is often found through achievement. The theory hold that there are four main elements of the self worth model.These are

1: Ability
2: Effort
3: Performance
4:self worth.

One's ability and effort predictably have a big impact on performance,and all three contribute to one's feeling of worth and value. These four elements cooperate with each other to contribute to how we regard ourselves. It may be relatable, but should we really be placing so much importance on our accomplishments just to determine our self-worth? Is outdoing the next person the only way we can hold ourselves in high regard? . According to the theory,self worth is determined mostly by our self -evaluated abilities and performance in one or more activities that we deem valuable.

Although there are many other ways through which self worth can be determined and this includes
1 Spare of contact :Many times, people are weighed or weigh themselves by the number of prominent people they are close to and know.
2 physical and emotional appearance:
We find ourselves passing judgments just by regarding a person’s outward look – what they wear, how they speak, or how the society feels about them..
3 Possessions: This is a common factor used to measure self-worth. It can be anything from the size of your paycheck to the kind and number of cars you own. It is usually material assets.

As a youth self worth can be determine through those ways and our ability to recognize these goes a long way in shaping our mindset. Like have said earlier,youth often makes some misconception regarding self worth and this includes regarding career, accomplishment,age ,grades,health status etc.what self worth really is that it can be somewhat overwhelming to see yourself for who "you surely are" without the assets,or dream job or friends. Recognising your self comes from within.You can start by identify your strength. Strength in self-worth comes from finding qualities you excel at. These qualities will be a constant reminder whenever you start feeling like you are not worthy enough.

Little things like a list of your talents, things you like about yourself that make you stand out, challenges you’ve won at, how you’ve helped other people, and other great reflections are examples of questions you should have answers to. Your strength lies in those questions.

The following are the tips for discovering your self worth.

Never compare yourself with others
Know your strength and build them
Know your weaknesses and improve them
Learn new skills and teach other youths.

As a youth,self worth is what keeps you satisfied even if all your achievements,asset and possessions are taken away from you .The moment you reach healthy levels of self worth,life becomes much more meaningful.

Masifa on the beat.
You writes beautiful words. Continue with the action

Day 3 : Self Evaluation

Good day everyone.

Today's discussion is on self evaluation.As a youth , recognising how important you are makes you a better and a responsible person in the society. After identifying how useful you are to your personal self and the society at large then it is necessary for you to conduct a self assessment which refers to self evaluation.

Self Evaluation is a procedure to a systematically observe,analyse and value your own professional actions and its result in order to stabilize or improve it. It is also an appraisal of a person's own strength and weakness. As a youth,self evaluation goes a long way in shaping your ability to identify your strengths, weakness and also define a part for your professional development.

The self -assesment is an essential part of performance evaluation because it is an avenue or opportunity for you to asses your own achievement . Ability to conduct self assessment from time to time helps to build career as you will be aware of your own strength, weakness and how to balanced the two. The purpose of self evaluation process is to highlight strengths, weakness,correct performance and developed unused skills and Ability. What do you need to do in order to complete your self evaluation as a youth? This is one of the questions a rational youth must always ask and the ability to proffer answers to those questions goes a long way in exposing your unidentified skills. Here ,I will discuss what you need to do to complete your self evaluation.and this include

1 Be objective : It's awfully temptating to give yourself high marks across the board but it is little unlikely that you have done everything right. Instead of evaluating yourself based on how you wished you did performed, offer the results and quantify them as much as possible by using facts, figures and specific. The more you can point to the tangible benefit you offers the more invaluable you will be.

2 Suggest specific improvements: The self evaluation is a good opportunity to identify specific ways to improve your performance. Don't be afraid to mention ways and making suggestions like this is a mark of strength and professional maturity for youth to identify ways to grow and improve.

3 Relax : Try to relax and reflect upon individuals goal , experience and incident. No one is perfect and it very likely that you will recall both good and bad experiences. In order to do this as a youth, you must be willing to recognize areas that need improvements or development.

The importance of self evaluation can't be overemphasized as it serves to increase commitment to goal setting, achievement,competency development and career development. Evaluating yourself as a youth help you to bridge the gap between your strengths and weakness and building on your career development

Day 4 : Self-improvement

Good morning everyone.I hope you have gain from what have discussed so far. Today's discussion is about Self-improvement. There is a need for youth to strive to improve on thier personal self as it allows elevation of life by bringing positive potentials and this will go along way in shaping up their personal development .

What does Self-improvement means?

Self-improvement is the improvement of one's knowledge,status or character by one's own effort. It is the quest to make ourselves better in every facet of life. It is a conscious effort that is focused towards getting yourself out of the mundane benalities of life .As a youth,this is when a strong desire prevails that takes you where you want to be,helps you grow into the person that you have been longing for and allow you to elevate your life by bringing in positive changes.

As a youth,your desire to change,build new habits and to improve yourself must be strong enough to resist laziness,the tendency to give up when faced with difficulties,and the fear and ridicule of opposition from family, friends or colleagues.
Youth are usually confused on how to maintain thier self -Improvement and this create a misconception about the concept..There are different ways in which Self-improvement can be maintain and this includes

1 Time management skills: managing your time effectively is the first step towards maintaining Self-improvement,for it is important that you balance the conflicting demands of time. As a youth,once you have indentified to improve how you manage your time,you begin to adjust routines and patterns of behavior. Recognising how to manage your time effectively increases your level of efficiency and ability to utilize your time where it really counts.

2 Active listening :Active listening is such an important habit that helps you get ahead in your career. When you cultivate this habit,you are fully concentrated,you engage in and absorb whatever being said to you with the motive of giving good feedback. Engaging in active listening will help you to understand issues,come up with better solutions and deals with problems in a more efficient way.

3 Be compassionate: when you are compassionate,you have the motivation and desire to help others grow. However the ultimate aim of being that is to help improve your life by helping others improve thiers. When you focus on serving others,you gain a better perspective on your own problem and proffer the best solution.

The importance of self-improvement often goes unnoticed and this can't be overemphasized.The following are one of the importance of self-improvement and a reason why youth should strive to improve their personal self.

1 Enhancing Strengths: Self-improvement enable you to identify your personal strength and play on them.it gives you a better understanding of what you are seeking and where you are likely to excel.it helps you set life goals and make them happen.

2 Overcoming weakness: while identifying strengths is an important aspect of Self-improvement,so is coming to terms with weakness. As a youth, don't be afraid ashamed of your weakness,look at them as areas of improvement.we all have strength and weakness that shape our personality. It is those imperfections that make us human. Accept your weakness, identify where they step from and be determined to overcome them

3 Better decision making:We are required to make decisions at every step in our lives and every decision has a repercussion. Moreover,it is not about making decisions as much as it is about being confident about the decision taken. Good decision making come from a place of clarity,self-awareness and confidence which is a direct result of Self-improvement.

So after realizing what Self-improvement is ,how to maintain it and the importance it has on the life of an individual,what then should you do as a youth?

Start with consciously becoming more self-aware, observe your thoughts, emotions and responses and decide within you to make self-improvement an integral part of your life.

Day 5 : Self-Reliance

Did you know that everybody is born into this world with the potential to become capable of doing something on thier own without the help of others? . Generally,self- reliance in youth is what actually promotes active participation and commitment which obviously leads to the development of the country.

What does it mean to be self-reliant?

Self-reliance is the ability to depend on yourself to get things done and to meet your own needs. It is a quality of depending on yourself for things instead of relying on others. It is the potential to do things and make decisions by yourself, without needing other people to help you. When youth are self-reliant,they are independent and autonomous which enables them to make decisions on their own.
Developing self-reliance in youth will go a long way in shaping up their personality,the way they see things and make them responsible to their personal self and the society at large.

Have you been trying to be self-reliant and don't know how to go about it? The following are steps to develop and identify your being self-reliant.

1 Accepting yourself,and being your own best friend: learning and appreciating your own character strength is very important in being able to support yourself as you go through life. As a youth,you need to ask yourself certain questions which might be in form of "Am I kind"?,Am I curious or brave? . Ability to provide answers to the above questions increases your level of self reliancy.

2 Inner Confidence:. In society,we are conditioned to feel happy when we receive compliments,praise,and reassurance from others. If that is not forthcoming,we can feel insecure or vulnerable, sometimes even helpless. Being self-reliant involves the ability to feel confident in yourself when these are not around because they may not always be.

3 Commit To Accepting Responsibility: When you are trying to make a positive changes in your life ,such as learning to be more self-reliant,the first step is making a promise to yourself. Make a promise,write it down and create a specific goals for yourself including how long it will take you to reach it

An advantage of being self-reliant is being able to undertake and complete task independently without waiting for others. Self reliance is an important concept in the life of a youth as it enables them to grow and find happiness.

The importance of the concept in the life of a youth includes

1 It builds resilience: life is full of ups and downs. If you are able to face the "downs"of life head-on and independently,you are more likely to build the resilience necessary to overcome anything that life throws at you.

2 It boosters confidence : like I said above, being able to rely on yourself in various situations helps immensely with your sense of self worth. Confidence is arguably one of the most important characteristics to possess, as it helps you in both personal and professional aspect of your life. The more you succeed and thrive independently,the more you realize you are capable of achieving.

3 It helps you to be more self- aware:When you are away from others for a period of time,you are able to reflect and think,and just get to know yourself. It helps you become aware of your strengths and weakness,focus on what you need to improve,and evaluate your decisions.

As a youth, having a sense of self-reliant enables you to face challenges and oppositions which will eventually pave way for immense growth and development.

Great work! Keep it up, Fasima!

Day 6: Self-Image

The way we interpret the world and behave, is a function of our understanding of our self. A positive self-image is known to be important for positive development. Understanding of one's self goes a long way in shaping our personalities,the way we think and the way we proffer solutions to problems. As a youth,how you view yourself,and the way you present yourself really matters a lot.

Self-image is an internalize mental picture or idea you have of yourself. It is how you think and feel about yourself based on your performance,appearance,and relationship that consistently impact your outlook on life as well as your level of happiness and fulfillment .It is how you see yourself based on your strengths and weakness.

As a youth,we must possess a healthy self- image which is primarily based on an individual personal feelings and perspective. Here, individual are not influenced by other's people opinions of them or by societal expectations. They instead make up their own minds about the internalize mental picture or idea they have. Of themselves.

A person with a healthy self-image does not deny that they have flaws. In fact,they are realistic and clearly understand and accept the fact that they have their personal shortcomings. A healthy self-image is of course build upon a high level of self-worth which have discussed so far Both work together to help shape a healthy personality,which effectively builds the foundation of an empowered life.

Have you been thinking on how to build a healthy self-image? The following process will help you build a healthy self-image.

1 Analyse yourself: Your first process involves analysing who you are and what means to you. This is an important step because unless you clearly defined who you are,you will not be able to have an accurate picture or idea of " you" . Your goal is to get to the core of who you really are without the need for external factor( people).

2 Take a personal inventory:It is now time to take a personal inventory by listing your positive qualities,goals, passion and purpose. The purpose of this step is to unlock all the good things you feel about yourself.

3 Analyse your struggles:A little earlier I mentioned how a healthy self-image is primarily based on our personal feelings and perspectives.

In other words,how you think about yourself as well as the opinions you create are all critical components that go into building a healthy self-image. To get an understanding of this internal word ,you need to take a look at the four keys areas that shape your personality and these include your critical voice,your unhelpful thought, belief as well as incorrect assumptions you might be making about yourself. Here are some questions to help you stimulate your thoughts in these areas. How do I tend to talk to myself throughout the day?,how do my thoughts tend to distort my reality? What assumptions do I tend to make about myself? Working through these questions as a youth will effectively help you get a better understanding of how your critical voice, unhelpful thought,beliefs and assumptions are shaping the picture or idea you have of yourself that effectively builds your self-image.

After taking the process involve in building your self-image,you need to know how you can strengthen it. Strengthening your self-image is simply about doing the small things consistently over time that will make a big difference in the long run. The following will help you in strengthening your self-image.

1 Don't allow sociy to define you : Sometimes we allow society to influence the way we think,the way we behave and this goes a long way in shaping our attitude and opinions.you and you alone shape your life with purpose,and only in this way you will be able to gain power to develop a healthy and empy self-image.

2 Don't indulge in self judgement or self criticism: Don't judge or critize yourself instead seek to gat a feedback. Feedback will help you with an avenue for improvement and will help you to progressively develop the self confidence you need to build a healthy self-image that allows you to be the best you can possibly be in every situation.

3 Always follow-through with your word: As a youth ,your word must become your law. In other words,the promise you make to yourself must be kept .promise kept help you create consistency and you need consistency to build a healthy self-image. When you keep your word,you are sending a strong message that you are running your life based on your own feelings and perspectives.

Self-image is an important concept because how you think affect how you feel about yourself how you interact with others and the world around you.

Day 7 Self-control

Today I will be discussing what Self-control is all about and how important it is in the life of a Youth. What is it about Self-control that makes it so difficult to rely on? Self-control is a skill we all possess yet we tend to give ourselves little credit for it. Self-control is not about self-deprivation,and it is certainly not about punishment as many youth used to think. But about it is often about redefining what is pleasurable to you to keep destructive behay in check.it is about taking power over your own actions and learning to ignore immediate impulses,no matter how powerful they may be.

Self-control is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts,and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses.it is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's behavior in order to achieve specific goals. As a youth , being high in controlling our desires and impulses enables us in achieving the gaols we set.
Everyone has a different level of Self-control and it can vary by situations. Here are the following tips in helping you discover or how to develop your self- control.

1 Relax :It can be hard to have Self-control when you trick yourself into thinking something must be done urgently or stopped immediately. You also struggle with Self-control when driven by gut reactions. To give yourself the best chance at a calmer response and a better day,learn to slow your thoughts,so you can postpone your gut impulses. The more you relax, the more likely you are to calmly approach stressful event.

2 Learn to plan : Self-control is hard to achieve without direction. When putting plans in place,you will eventually learn that you can overcome your unpleasant feelings and that you don't need to act on all of your impulses.

3 Find out what you want : sometimes we lack self- control because we are not clear on exactly what we want .when you have a clear goal, it is easier to exercise self-control because you can make decisions that point you in the right direction. Don't set goals just because someone or something else pushes you towards it .look within yourself,and find out why your goals matter to you. If it doesn't mean anything to you,it will be very hard to dedicate yourself to it.

4 Remember the consequences: often ,an honest look at the consequences is enough to motivate someone struggling with Self-control. Imagine finding an extra 100 notes .part of you knows you should use it to pay off your debt ,but another part of you want you to spend it on dinner. To make the right decisions,you need to considered the consequences which is if you pay of your debt ,will you be working towards financial freedom and taking step to eliminate your debt? or if you used the money for food, will you still have enough money to pay ?

Have you been wondering how exercising self- control will have impact on your life? Here are the following benefit you gain while practising self- control.
1 increases the chances of making a better decisions
2 it improves your focus
3 it promotes congruences
4 it makes you have a sense of responsibility.

Self-control is not all about denying yourself pleasures,it also encompasses working towards a higher ldeal and sacrificing somethings in order to achieve long term goals. It is one of the most important skills that we can learn to harness. The positive effect spill over into many different parts of our lives and allow us to make better decisions and experience a better reality.

Day 8 : Goal setting

Today's discussion is on goal setting and how important it is in the life of a youths .Most of the time,lack of goal setting in the life of an individual results in lack of vision and commitment. The inability to set goals and make plans for them lower individual self-esteem and potential. Goal setting is important in the life of the youths as it enables them to make plans for the future,it gives them a guidelines of what steps to be taken towards achieving their dream.

"Goal" as it may be used in different context mean different things to people. However,goal in this discussion refers to timelines objectives, long-term commitment and short-term motivation.As a youth,when you set goals,you increases your level of competency and development.

Goal setting is the process of deciding what you want to achieve or what you want someone else to achieve over a party period of time. It involves the development of an action plan designed to motivate and guide a person or group towards a goal. Goal setting is a major components of personal development.

In setting goals,certain principles needs to be taken into consideration. According to Locke and latman,the following principles needs to be considered when setting goals.
1 Clarity:The goal needs to be straightforward,clear and obvious to even outsider.
2 Challenge: Easy goals don't provide enough motivation to work hard.As a youth, design a challenging goal but one that is still attainable.
3 Commitment: people perform better when they are committed to achieving certain goals.
4 Feedback: An effective goal is a goal in which you can assess your progress along the way,give feedback,and change course if need be.
5 Task complexity: Highly complex goals can be overwhelming,often goals within goals within goals. As a youth, your goal should be manageable, without too many things within it.
After highlighting the principles given by Locke and latman,we then move on to what is called a SMART goal .

A SMART goal is used to help guide goal setting. SMART is an acronym that stand for specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Therefore,a SMART goal incorporates all these criteria to help focus your efforts and increases the chances of achieving your goal.
Let's take a look at each criteria

1 Specific: Goals that are specific have significantly greater chances of being accomplished. To make a goal specific,the five "W" questions must be considered
Who is involved in this goal?
What do I want to accomplish?
Where is this goal to be achieved?
Where do I want to achieve this goal?
Why do I want to achieve this goal?
As a youth ,the following questions needs to be analyse in order to make the goal specific.

2 Measurable:A goal must have criteria for measuring progress.This will enable you to know whether you are on track or not. To make a goal Measurable,ask yourself the following questions
How many/ much?
How do I know if I have reached my goal?
What is my indicator of progress?

3 Achievable:A goal must be achievable and attainable.This will help you figure out ways you can realize that goal and work towards it. To know if your goal is achievable ,ask yourself the following questions
Do I have the resources and capabilities to achieve the goal? If not,what am I missing?
Have others done it successfully before?

4 Realistic:A goal must be realistic in the sense that it can be achieved given the available resources and time.Ask yourself the following questions
Is the goal realistic and within reach?
Is the goal reachable,given the time and resources?
Are you able to commit to achieving the goal?

5 Timely: A goal must be time bound in the sense that it has a start and finish date. If the goal is not time-constrained ,there will be no sense of urgency ,and therefore, less motivation to achieve the goal. Ask yourself the following questions
Does my goals have a deadline?
By when do you want to achieve your goal?

Setting goals as a youth gives you a sense of direction and confidence.it gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge,and helps you to organize your time and resources so that you can make the most of your life.

Day 9 : Self-Efficacy

When you tackle a challenge,do you believe with all your soul that you will be successful or do you doubt yourself? Self-efficacy,or your belief in your abilities to handle a varietiety of situations,is an integral factor in not only how you feel about yourself,but whether or not you successfully crush your life goals.

The concept of self-efficacy is Central to psychologist Albert Bandura's. According to him ,a person attitudes, abilities and cognitive skills comprise what is known as the "self-system". This system plays a major role in how we perceive situations and how we behave in response to different situations.

What is self -efficacy? According to Albert Bandura,self -efficacy is "the belief in one's capabilities to organise and execute the courses of action required to manage prospective situations. It's a person belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situations. This belief describe how people think, behave and feel. It also determines what goals we choose to pursue,how we go about accomplishing those goals,and how we reflect upon our own performance.

Virtually all people can identify goals they want to accomplish,thing they would like to change about themselves,and things they would like to achieve. However,most people also realized that putting these plan into action is not quite so simple.self-efficacy plays a major role in how goals,task,and challenges are approached.
Generally, people can exhibit either a strong or weak self -efficacy.

People with a strong sense of self -efficacy exhibit the following features
1 They develop deeper interest in the activities in which they participate.
2 They form a strong sense of commitment to thier interest and activities
3 They recover quickly from setbacks and disappointment
4 They view challenging problem as task to be mastered.

People with weak self -efficacy exhibit the following features
1 They avoid challenging task
2 They belief that difficult task and situations are beyond their capabilities.
3 They focus on personal failings and negative outcome
4 They quickly lose confidence in personal abilities.

Which type of person are you? Do you have a strong sense of self-efficacy,or a weak self -efficacy?

Have you been wondering how self-efficacy is developed? These belief we have in ourselves begin to form in early childhood as youth deal with wide variety of experiences,task ,and situations. However, the growth of self-efficacy does not end during youth but continues to evolve throughout life as people acquire new skills, experiences,and understanding. To know how self-efficacy can be developed ,then read day 10 challenge.

Day 10 :. Sources of self-efficacy

Today's discussion is on the sources of self-efficacy and how you can evaluate it. Having gone through day 9 challenge,were you able to discover the sources of self-efficacy on your own? The following are the sources of self-efficacy.

1 Mastering experiences: The most effective way of developing a strong sense of self-efficacy is through mastery experiences. Performing a task successfully strengthens our self-efficacy. However, failing to adequately deal with a task or challenge can undermine and weaken self-efficacy.

2 Social Modelling: Witnessing other people successfully completing a task is another important source of self-efficacy.Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observer's belief that they too possess the capabilities to master comparable activities to succeed.

3 Social Persuasion: This assert that people could be persuaded to believe that they have the skills and capabilities to succeed. Consider a time when someone said positive and encouraging that helped you achieve a goal. Getting verbal encouragement from others help youth overcome self- doubt and instead focus on giving their best efforts to the task at hand.

4 Psychological Responses: our own responses and emotional reaction to situations also play an important role in self-efficacy. Moods, emotional states, physical reaction,and stress level can all impact how a person's feel about their personal abilities in a particular situation.

Evaluate your sense of self-efficacy with the following questions.

Do you feel like you can handle problems if you are willing to work hard?

Are you confident in your ability to achieve your goals?

Do you feel like you can manage unexpected events that come up?

Are you able to bounce back fairly quickly after stressful events?

Do you feel like you can come up with solutions when you are facing a problem?

Do you keep trying even when things seem difficult?

Are you good at staying calm even in the face of chaos?

Do you perform well even under pressure?

Do you tend to focus on your progress rather than getting overwhelmed by all you still have to do?

Do you believe that hard work will eventually pay off?

Your ability to proffer answers to the above questions strengthens your sense of self-efficacy.

Having a sense of self-efficacy plays an important role in almost every aspect of your life. Life is full of challenges and a high levels of self-efficacy can help you better deal with these difficulties more effectively. Your belief in your own abilities can predict how motivated you feel,how you feel about yourself,and the amount of effort you put into achieving your goals.

Day 11 : Reciprocal Determinism

Today's discussion is on reciprocal determinism. Learning to relate to others involves engaging in the give and take relationship. Reciprocal behavior enables youth to workout these type of situation,to maintain positive relationships and to succeed socially.

What does reciprocal determinism mean?

It refers to ideal that behavior is determined by the individual through cognitive process and by the environment and that behavior can influence how these in your environment cognitively process your bahaviours.

According to Albert bandural, reciprocal determinism is a model composed of three factors that influences behavior.

1 The environment
2 The individual
3 The behavior itself.

This model suggest that these three components are continually interacting with one another. Just as the environment exert an influence on individual behavior,a person's action also play an influencey role.

Now let's take a look at each components.

1 Environment components: This components is made up of the physical sorroundings around the individual. This might include people who are either present or absent. The environment influences the intensity and frequency of of the behavior,just as the behavior itself can have an impact on the environment. For example,if a student is yelled at by a teacher for talking in the class,this will not only have an impact on him but also on the classroom environment for the rest of the students.

2 Individual components:This components includes all the characteristics that have been rewarded in the past. Generally speaking,personality and cognitive factors play an important role in how a person behaves, including all of the individual expectations, beliefs and unique personality features.

3 Behavior components: This components houses the idea that behavior is controlled and determined by the individual, through cognitive process and by the environment through external social stimulus event.

The importance of bidirectional relationship between environment, individual and behavior can't be overemphasized. It suggest that while people are certainly affected by the things they experience in their environment,they also have the power to exert a change on their situation and circumstances through their own choices and behavior.

Day 12: Mindset

As humans, our minds constantly monitor the events that occur in our lives and interpret the meaning of the things that are happening. Our mindset is what dictates how we perform the tracking of these situations and how we react to what takes place. As a youth,you might have said something like this to yourself " I will never be able to do it or avoided doing something because you have failed at it in the past". Some youth will tend to give up on challenging task easily,or avoid tasks they have failed at before. When it comes to learning they are typically two main ideas that are promoted.people either have a " growth mindset"or they have a "fixed mindset". Sometimes,youth tend to believe that being"good" at a particular activity is fixed state,and is something they can't control. This way of thinking is called a fixed mindset. However, others might bounce back quickly from failure and be more likely to explore how they can get better at doing something. This way of thinking is called a"growth mindset" and developing it can help youth to be more resilient for life.

What then is mindset?

Professor Carol Dweck,an American psychologist, found that we all have different beliefs about the underlying nature of ability. According to her, mindset refers to implicit theories that individual hold regarding the nature of intelligent or the degree that individual attribute intelligence to fixed traits and to the degree that attribute intelligence to learning,effort, training and practice i.e growth mindset.

Growth mindset

This is when people understand that their abilities can be develop. In growth mindset,people believe that thier most basic abilities can be developed through dedications and hardwork. To them brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essentially for great accomplishment.

In a nutshell, people with growth mindsets are constantly trying to learn and grow to better themselves. These are individuals who enjoy challenges and believe that their intelligence, talents, and basic abilities can be increased or enhanced through hard work and dedicated effort.

Fixed mindset

This is when people belief that thier qualities such as intelligence and other personality traits are set in stone.Individuals with a fixed mindset tend to be interested only in feedback on their success in activities to the degree that it serves to evaluate their underlying ability. They are not using the feedback to learn, since they do not believe that their success depends on their effort to learn. Rather, they believe that success depends on the level of innate ability that they have. Therefore, they dread failure, because it suggests constraints or limits that they will not be able to overcome.

As a youth, exhibiting a growth mindset goes a long way in improving your abilities by practising,or by finding a different way to achieve your goal.

Day 13 : Emotional Intelligence

Today's discussion is on emotional intelligence. The concept of emotional intelligence is a top topic among the youths since it is the young people today that will makeup the workforce of tommorow,hence the need of emotional intelligence come to play. Your level of emotional intelligence is your ability to understand and recognize your own emotions and reactions. In essence,it is your level of self awareness. To be able to control,manage,and adapt your mood , emotions and responses through self management is an important aspect in the lives of the youth. Having the skills to motivate yourself through emotions and then take the appropriate actions to commit and follow,is a learned skills. Emotional intelligence is not only a mere efficient predictor of the quality of potential relationships but also an effective predictor for success and overall happiness.

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to identify,use,and manage your own emotions in positive way to relieve stress,communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflicts. It describes the ability to identify, assess,and manage the emotions of one's self,of other,and of groups.People who possess a high degree of emotional intelligence know themselves very well and are also able to sense the emotions of other.They are affiable, resilient and optimistics.

By developing their emotional intelligence, youths can become more productive and successful at what they do and help others become more productive and successful too.
The process and outcomes of emotional intelligence development contain many elements known to reduces stress for individual and organization.

Individual have different personalities,want ,needs and ways of showing their emotions. Navigating through this requires tactics and especially if one's hopes to succeed in life. This is where emotional intelligence helps. In the most generic framework,five domain of emotional intelligence cover together which are known as the 5s. They are, Self-awareness,self regulation,self motivation and finally social skills.

Now let's take a look at each of them

(1) Self-awareness

Recognising one's emotions and their effect.
Knowing one's strength and limits.
Sureness about one's self-worth and capabilities.

(2) Self-regulation

Maintaining disruptive emotions and impulses.
Maintaining standard of honesty and integrity.
Taking responsibility for personal performance.
Flexibility in handling changes.

(3) Self-motivation

Striving to improve or meet a standard of excellence
Readiness to act on opportunities
Persistent in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks

(4) Social-awareness

Sensing others feeling and perspectives,and taking active interest in their concerns.
Sensing what others need in order to develop,and bolstering their abilities.
Cultivating opportunities through diverse people.

(5) Social skills

Wielding effective tactics for persuasions.
Inspiring and guilding groups and people.
Initiating or managing change.
Working with others toward a shared goals.
Creating group synergy in persuing collective goals.

This are the five domain of emotional intelligence which an individual most consistently practice.

Have you been wondering on how you can increase your EI and what is in for you if you practice this great skill? Then read day 14 challenge.

wow! this is really great!. I love your challenge. keep it up!

Day 14: Emotional Intelligence

Today's discussion is on how to increase your emotional intelligence and the benefit involved in practising this important skill. Here are the following ways through which you can increase your emotional intelligence.

1. Utilize an assertive style of communicating.

Assertive communication goes a long way toward earning respect without coming across as too aggressive or too passive. Emotionally intelligent people know how to communicate their opinions and needs in a direct way while still respecting others.

2. Respond instead of reacting to conflict.

During instances of conflict, emotional outbursts and feelings of anger are common. The emotionally intelligent person knows how to stay calm during stressful situations. They don't make impulsive decisions that can lead to even bigger problems. They understand that in times of conflict the goal is a resolution, and they make a conscious choice to focus on ensuring that their actions and words are in alignment with that.

3. Utilize active listening skills.

In conversations, emotionally intelligent people listen for clarity instead of just waiting for their turn to speak. They make sure they understand what is being said before responding. They also pay attention to the nonverbal details of a conversation. This prevents misunderstandings, allows the listener to respond properly and shows respect for the person they are speaking to.
4. Be motivated.

Emotionally intelligent people are self-motivated and their attitude motivates others. They set goals and are resilient in the face of challenges.

5. Practice ways to maintain a positive attitude.

Don't underestimate the power of your attitude. A negative attitude easily infects others if a person allows it to. Emotionally intelligent people have an awareness of the moods of those around them and guard their attitude accordingly. They know what they need to do in order to have a good day and an optimistic outlook. This could include having a great breakfast or lunch, engaging in prayer or meditation during the day or keeping positive quotes at their desk or computer.

6. Practice self-awareness.

Emotionally intelligent people are self-aware and intuitive. They are aware of their own emotions and how they can affect those around them. They also pick up on others' emotions and body language and use that information to enhance their communication skills.

7. Take critique well.

An important part of increasing your emotional intelligence is to be able to take critique. Instead of getting offended or defensive, high EQ people take a few moments to understand where the critique is coming from, how it is affecting others or their own performance and how they can constructively resolve any issues.

8. Empathize with others.

Emotionally intelligent people know how to empathize. They understand that empathy is a trait that shows emotional strength, not weakness. Empathy helps them to relate to others on a basic human level. It opens the door for mutual respect and understanding between people with differing opinions and situations.

9. Utilize leadership skills.

Emotionally intelligent people have excellent leadership skills. They have high standards for themselves and set an example for others to follow. They take initiative and have great decision making and problem-solving skills. This allows for a higher and more productive level of performance in life and at work.

10. Be approachable and sociable.

Emotionally intelligent people come off as approachable. They smile and give off a positive presence. They utilize appropriate social skills based on their relationship with whomever they are around. They have great interpersonal skills and know how to communicate clearly, whether the communication is verbal or non verbal.

Developing your emotional intelligence goes a long way in shaping your personality,the way react and the kind of decisions you make. Here are the benefit of emotional intelligence.

1. It allows for better team work

Teams with emotionally intelligent members are great at working together. They have good communication, trust each other, and value each other’s input. When someone makes a suggestion, they’re able to respond in a positive and productive way.

2. You can deal with change

Not many people like change, but Emotional intelligence gives you the tools you need to deal with any change that comes your way. In the workplace, many people often face change with a negative attitude and crossed arms; but an emotionally intelligent person will be much more positive and can inspire other team members to feel the same way.

3. You can handle those tough conversations

Whether it’s an angry customer or an upset employee, difficult conversations can stir up all sorts of emotions. If you have the right skills, you can handle those conversations by emotionally connecting with the other person before finding a resolution.

4. It’s an essential people skill

Emotional intelligence allows you to quickly build trust with people, as well as a rapport. You’ll be able to understand their feelings and empathise with them ,fantastic for any role that involves working in teams.

5. It’s a key feature of a strong leader

Great leaders understand people; they know how they work, how to influence them, and how to inspire them. Emotional intelligence will help you to achieve this understanding in order to be a brilliant leader and guide your team in the right direction.

Day 15: Observational learning

Today's discussion is on observational learning.Sometimes certain behavior are learn through watching others, and this behavior can either be a positive or negative one. Observational learning has to do with the learning that occurs through observing the behavior of others. Observational learning suggest that an individual environment,cognitions,and behavior all incorporate and ultimately determine how the individual functions and model.

Observational learning is a form of social learning which takes various forms and based on various process. It describes the process of learning by watching others, retaining the information,and then later replicating the behavior that were observed. Observational learning is sometimes also reffered to as shaping, modelling and vicarious reinforcement.While it can take place at any point in life, it tends to be the most common during childhood as children learn from the authority figures and peers in their lives.

According to Albert Bandural" people behavior could be determined by their environment" This implies that the way people behaves could be as a result of the kind of model they emulate. Observational learning teaches the youth that it is their duty to observe others positive contribution to the society and also to imitate such a behavior.

According to Bandura's research, there are a number of factors that increase the likelihood that a behavior will be imitated. We are more likely to imitate:

People we perceive as warm and nurturing
People who receive rewards for their behavior
People who are in an authoritative position in our lives
People who are similar to us in age, sex, and interests
People who we admire or who are of a higher social status
When we have been rewarded for imitating the behavior in the past
When we lack confidence in our own knowledge or abilities
When the situation is confusing, ambiguous, or unfamiliar.

Observational learning can be a powerful learning tool. When we think about the concept of learning, we often talk about direct instruction or methods that rely on reinforcement and punishment. But a great deal of learning takes place much more subtly and relies on watching the people around us and modeling their actions.

The importance of observational learning lies in helping individuals, especially youths, acquire new responses by observing others' positive Behavior