Are you starting a new semester with the same old bad habits? I hope not. If you are going to start, make it a good start.
I know… “Duh!”
Who doesn’t know that, right? But yet and still many people fail to set themselves up properly for success. Here are a few questions that will help you get the most out of your semester.
1. Why am I here? Why am I going to school, work, or participating in this program?
Please don’t say, “Because I have to.” You need more than that.
Your “why” is your fuel. It’s different then a goal, it’s the reason you remain motivated and determined to achieve your goals. It’s what drives you to do what you do. The stronger your why, the higher your level of determination and self-motivation. So, you gotta have a strong answer to this question. It should be your reason, not someone else’s.
Your “why” could start off like this:
I go to school because…
I go to work because…
My main reason for doing this is…
2. What is the most important thing for me to accomplish this semester? What is at least one daily action step that will help me accomplish that? How will I hold myself accountable for taking that action step?
Motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar, once said, “If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.” True!
People often have a goal, but no actions steps to go with it. Not cool. A goal is a target and daily action steps help you to aim at your target. Executing a plan full of action steps will greatly increase the chances of you achieving your goal.
3. What is the main soft skill I want to improve? What is a daily action step that will help me to improve that skill?
Most course loads have a good amount of time allocated to working on your technical skills, but you have to take ownership of working on your soft skills. So, pick one or more and design a plan to improve them.
4. What do I dislike most about what I have to get done? How will I keep that from distracting or stopping me?
A lot of times we just complain about what we don’t like instead of creating a plan to change or deal with it. Not cool.
Be careful. Your dislike’s can really drain your motivation and deplete your determination. It’s best to identify them and create a plan that helps you to deal with them in an effective manner. Dislikes aren’t going anywhere. There will always be something you dislike. The secret is to keep it from becoming an excuse not to do what you need to do.
5. What available resources will I do a better job of leveraging?
I see it every semester. Someone trying to solve a problem or deal with a situation and the answer is right there, but they can’t see it.
Duncan Nugget® #253:
Most people don’t fail because of a lack of resources, they fail because of a lack of resourcefulness.
While you are thinking about which resources you can do a better job of leveraging, remember that time is a resource. Also, keep in mind, the knowledge, wisdom, and experiences of people can also be resources.
6. What are my expectations for this year?
Your expectations play a major role in how things turn out for you. Why? Because of the effect your expectations have on your actions and decisions.
Duncan Nugget® #311:
If you are convinced ahead of time that something is going to be bad or good, many times it will be. Not because of the experience, it’s because of the effects of your expectations.
A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a belief, assumption, or expectation results in actions that make your prediction come true. So, take time to think about your expectations because they will have a tremendous influence on the attainment of your desired outcomes for this semester and beyond.
I hope these questions help you out and I hope you have a great semester!