SAMPLER COACHING COURSE

Sampler Coaching Course

Take this 54 question quiz and gain valuable information that will help you recognize how you learn best. The tips that follow will enable you to develop strategies to become better organized that are more comfortable and easier to use. Stop trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Learn how you learn best, with out struggling, by using what will work best for you.

You'll probably want to print this out to save for future reference.

Learning Style Quiz

INSTRUCTIONS: Put a check by each statement that you strongly agree with or that describes you well, most of the time.

______ I tend to write a lot down.
______ I hear myself thinking.
______ I watch TV ads carefully.
______ Maps are fun to use.
______ I like to workout routinely.
______ I like to curl up on the couch.
______ I have good physical coordination.
______ I dislike clutter.
______ I don’t like cracker crumbs in bed.
______ I prefer books on tape.
______ When shopping, I like picking up things and touching them.
______ I like listening to talk shows in the car.
______ I’m a people watcher.
______ I keep a journal.
______ When I sit down, I feel the chair.
______ Comfortable fabric is important to me in clothing.
______ I gain weight easily.
______ I sit up straight, and stand up straight.
______ I like to pet all kinds of animals.
______ I read aloud preparing for tests.
______ I usually sit or stand with my shoulders rolled forward, arms crossed.
______ Lots of things rattle around in my head.
______ I look for the big picture.
______ I often make decisions according to my gut instincts.
______ I like to keep my car as clean as possible.
______ I can make maps in my mind.
______ I can hum most tunes in my mind.
______ I can’t sleep in a new place with strange noises.
______ I make a lot of "to do" lists.
______ I prefer to listen to the radio for my news.
______ It’s important to feel physically comfortable.
______ When introduced to new acquaintances, I repeat the name aloud.
______ I enjoy reading.
______ I go to lots of movies.
______ I can run movies in my mind easily.
______ I cannot tolerate strange noises my car makes.
______ Things click into place for me.
______ I base my first impressions of people on what they say.
______ I often close my eyes at concerts when I listen to the music.
______ I’m very intuitive.
______ I pay attention to my emotions.
______ I see things in my mind’s eye clearly.
______ I tap my pencil or click my fingers to the beat of the tune.
______ I spend a lot of time outdoors and like all kinds of weather.
______ I have to move if someone is blocking my view in a movie theater.
______ I would rather read the directions, than have someone explain it.
______ I would rather have some one explain it, than read the directions.
______ Some people think I talk too much.
______ I’d rather play sports, than be a spectator.
______ I can not sit still for a long time without stretching a lot.
______ I notice very slight accents right away.
______ I like to tape lectures, instead of taking notes.
______ I often find myself tilting my head to one side or the other while listening.
______ I like seeing my house neat and clean.

What does it all mean???

The previous questions were designed to assess your primary representational system or the most common way you process information. All information that we receive and process comes in three forms. Either it is visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. In other words we either see it, hear it, or feel it. We are bombarded constantly with more sensory information than we pay attention to and have to selectively screen out much of what is going on around us, or we would be on sensory overload. As we do this we naturally develop a tendency to favor one way of receiving and processing information over the other two. This is called our primary representational system, and it’ s the one we use the most.

Know your preference for processing!

Knowing your primary representational system can be valuable information to help you learn better and get more organized. For each of the items you checked above, put a V, K, or A according to the key below and then add up the total number of each. The highest number is the category you favor and is most likely your primary representational system. (There are additional methods of determination that are out of the scope of this sampler course to confirm it.) Once you have scored your test, refer to the helpful hints listed in the category you scored the highest in, to find out how you can learn easier, and become more organized.

1. V 7. K 13. V 19. K 25. V 31. K 37. A 43. K 49. K
2. A 8. V 14. V 20. A 26. V 32. A 38. A 44. K 50. K
3. V 9. K 15. K 21. K 27. A 33. V 39. A 45. V 51. A
4. V 10. A 16. K 22. A 28. A 34. V 40. K 46. V 52. A
5. K 11. K 17. K 23. V 29. V 35. V 41. K 47. A 53. A
6. K 12. A 18. V 24. K 30. A 36. A 42. V 48. A 54. V

List your scores below:

V = _______

K = _______

A = _______

About Visuals:

Fifty to sixty-five percent of you will be visuals. As a group, you tend to stand taller and more upright, with your chin sticking out and not down. You tend to be thinner (or obese) and speak faster, louder, and in a higher tone. You tend to breathe higher in the chest and your body movements are tight and jerky. Often you have thin, tight lips. Your eyes look up to the left and up to the right a lot. More than likely you are information people who love to surf the net, read the paper, and go from book, to book, to book. You probably wear pointy shoes, because they look great, even if they are uncomfortable. Your visual preference is indicated in your language by using the predicates listed below.

Visual Predicates:

dark	view	color	observe	image	frame	hazy
flash	illuminating	light	appear	sparkling	foggy	scan
focus	foresee	illusion	illustrate	notice	outlook	reveal
insightful	enlightening	glimpse	gaze	glitter	murky	clear
look	picture	focus	imagination	insight	scene	blank
preview	see	show	survey	vision	watch	bright
visualize	perspective	shine	reflect	clarify	examine	eye
vivid	brilliant	envision	horizon	show	photographic

Helpful Hints for Visuals:

Use post it notes in bright colors for things you need to remember. If your visual field becomes distracted with too many notes. Take them down and make a to do list, prioritizing it.
Use highlight pens when you study (sparingly).
Draw pictures to represent a concept you need to remember. A picture for a visual is worth a thousand words.
Keep visual clutter to a minimum. Have work material stored in file cabinets and out of sight. Keep one small file drawer out (you can find them on wheels or use one of those filing crates) for current projects you are working on, so they are with in visual view as a reminder, but not so many they become a distraction.
Learn computer filing systems that can aid you in getting organized. Most visuals do well with computers.
Make lists to use… use being the key word.
Use crates, bins, and other organizers to keep things together in view, yet neatly confined, so they don’t spread like cancer around the room. Group similar items together. If it is in a bin or see-through container, it may be easier to find.
Color code as much as possible.
Use the O.H.I.O. principle with paper work. Only Handle It Once. Visuals love to save papers… DON’T. Get your name off junk mailing lists.
Use an appointment book and don’t forget you can color code those too. If you use computer software, remember if it’s outta sight, it’s outta mind, so print out a hard copy to refer to!
Use your visualization powers to motivate you by creating a movie of yourself doing what it is you would like to be doing. If you’re trying to motivate yourself to do something you really don’t want to do, see yourself having fun doing it, like playing the music real loud and dancing with the broom while you sweep.
To remember where you put your keys, visualize them bursting into purple flames that immediately start to spread all over the surface of where you set them down. I will guarantee you will remember exactly where you put them.
Go crazy with the visual thing and visualize the items of your grocery list glued to parts of your body, then go shopping with out your list and see how many items you remember. I bet you do pretty darn good if you are a visual!
Use your visualization powers to de-stress by creating a calming scene in your mind’s eye.
When you’re taking a test, go for the answer that looks right.
Have fun taking care of you and your clothes! Visuals like to look nice, so go for it, and get that great new hair cut you want!

About Auditories:

Twenty five to thirty percent of you will be auditory. As a group, you have inconsistent body types and movements, however, you generally have a "telephone" posture with your head tilted to one side, often looking down while you listen. Breathing patterns vary, as does the speed and volume of your voice, but it is usually rhythmic and melodic. Your eyes often dart straight across to the left and right. More than likely you listen to a lot of music and enjoy conversation, spending maybe too much time on the phone. As a kid, you probably had those metal taps put on your shoes and loved them. Your auditory preference is indicated in your language by using the predicates below.

Auditory Predicates:

say	accent	rhythm	loud	tone	resonate	sound
monotone	deaf	ring	ask	hear	audible	clear
discuss	proclaim	remark	listen	ring	shout	speechless
speak	talk	question	amplify	frequency	screech	dialog
musical	symphony	harmonize	listen	tell	say	scream
volume	shrill	noise	rhythm	yell	told	echo
quiet	tempo	melody

Helpful Hints for Auditories:

Invest in a hand help tape recorder. Use it for reminders, note taking, brainstorming etc.. It will be worth the investment in time saved and great thoughts recorded. Try using it for grocery lists and to do lists. Don’t forget to record the things you did do, on a done list, to listen to, as a reminder of how hard you are trying and how much you do accomplish.
Keep the sounds around you pleasing and enjoyable. Don’t contaminate your space with noise you don’t like. It will be too distracting.
If you use the computer a lot, get a sound card and a sound software package that will allow you to put whistle and bells on your programs. The different sounds for different purposes may facilitate learning the programs. Create "macros" or short audio pieces to play here and there.
Study out loud. Talk to a friend and tell them about what you are studying and what it is you have to remember for the test. If you tell some one about what you are required to know for the test, chances are you will remember it.
Get a study buddy. You study half the material for the test and have your buddy study the other half, then you tell your buddy what they need to know and they tell you what you need to know… all over a couple cups of coffee. It works!
Don’t get caught up listening to music instead of concentrating on what you need to be focused on. Use music as a reward for a job well done.
Use tapes and more tapes to keep up with your "reading". I’m auditory and hooray for books on tapes!
Sing important information to a favorite tune. Surprising what us auditories can remember when we sing it.
If those "old tapes" won’t stop playing in your head, then change the tone of the tapes into a Mickey Mouse voice. Does that help to change the limiting effects?
Enjoy conversation when ever you can. You love it… you know you do. It’s an excellent way to learn, to stay informed and to network. The more you engage people in conversation the more engaging you become!

About Kinestetics:

Ten to twenty percent of you will be kinesthetic. As a group, you tend to slouch more, bow your head, and roll your shoulders forward. You often cross your arms in front of you and stroke or rub your muscles if you feel stiff. Your eyes tend to dart down to the right frequently and your breathing is low and in the chest. Your body type is soft, full, and rounded with your body movements loose and flowing. You like to stretch often, and change positions frequently, to get comfortable. Your voice is usually low, "airy", slow, and soft. You keep the comfortable shoe merchants in business. Your kinesthetic preference is indicated in your language by using the predicates below.

Kinesthetic Predicates:

touch	handle	contact	shook	rub	solid	warm
cold	rough	tackle	push	gentle	grasp	stress
tangible	tension	smooth	concrete	pressure	sensitive	hold
scrape	solid	suffer	heavy	bond	tight	smooth
flowing	cemented	worm	excited	sticky	tense	loaded
stuck	softened	toughened	unloaded	moving	standpoint

Helpful Hints for Kinesthetics:

Ask to do it, instead of being shown how. If it’s a computer, sit down at the keyboard and mouse to perform the commands, while the instructor just instructs, and you do.

Establish habits with rituals and routines. If you find yourself constantly piling instead of filing, choose a time of day to clean up the mess with "boogie to the mess music". How does this work, you say? Set your watch to a time each day that would be appropriate for preventative pile up maintenance and listen to a couple of minutes of James Brown’s "I Feel " while you file what you’re done working on. Leaving out only what you are currently using. The same can be done for other projects that could use a quick pick up in the middle, before you reach the end of the project and become too overwhelmed to clean up what you managed to create!

Link habits together. If you habitually brush your teeth, but are sporadic about taking vitamins or morning medicines, then always do the two together. It takes 21 to 45 consecutive days to establish a habit, so avoid skipping the routine even once.

Actively participate in as many learning situations as possible. Always volunteer to be the subject for demonstrations.

In meetings, be the facilitator when ever you can. This will help you benefit the most from meetings.

Organize study groups and study group activities.

When you’re taking a test, go for the answer that feels right.

The activity of creating pie charts, graphs, and drawings will help you learn.

Taking notes keeps you active and may facilitate learning.

Make sure you are comfortable, so you are not distracted.

Layered clothing is good for you, so you are not distracted by being too cold or too warm.

Use pagers and timers that vibrate for time management.

Enjoy being comfortable and active.

Give us visuals and auditories more hugs. We may not initiate them, as it’s out of our comfort zone, but we need them too!

If distractibility, impulsivity, and restlessness has limited you long enough, and you’re ready to do something about it… then A.C.T. NOW ©, a three part interactive coaching course, is for you!

For more information contact: sandy@sandymaynard.com

Home Page - http://www.sandymaynard.com/

1. V	7. K	13. V	19. K	25. V	31. K	37. A	43. K	49. K
2. A	8. V	14. V	20. A	26. V	32. A	38. A	44. K	50. K
3. V	9. K	15. K	21. K	27. A	33. V	39. A	45. V	51. A
4. V	10. A	16. K	22. A	28. A	34. V	40. K	46. V	52. A
5. K	11. K	17. K	23. V	29. V	35. V	41. K	47. A	53. A
6. K	12. A	18. V	24. K	30. A	36. A	42. V	48. A	54. V