The secret of hurdles – keep your eyes on the top!

KEEPING IT ALL TOGETHER

The key to being a good student is the same key that fits the door of success in life – organization. Knowing what is happening when, where you are headed and where you’ve come from, how it happens, and why you are involved makes it easier to succeed with any task – academic or otherwise.

Organization needs to begin immediately. If you put it off until you have time to get organized, it will never happen. Start TODAY! Follow the basic rule of KISS – Keep It SimplE and Short. Set up a plan for success. Remember

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

No one wants to fail. It is a part of our basic nature to want to succeed. Unfortunately, for some, success of the highest order (A’s) is the only form of success. That just isn’t true. We are not all A people. Success means the job is done to the best of our ability. Therefore, as Shakespeare said, "To thine own self be true." Only you know what your abilities are. Some of us, however, out of laziness or fear of failure, refuse to admit that we have the ability to do something, the ability to try harder, the ability to succeed in a higher order than where we presently are. DO NOT BE AFRAID to try. Failure does not always mean lack of achievement. Most of us learn more from failure than we ever do from success. Success gives us good feelings; failure often gives us more knowledge. The attempt to succeed is often more educational than the end results would show.

Begin with writing down your plan. Organize your thoughts on paper where they won’t be forgotten. Set goals for yourself and be specific about how you will achieve those goals. Prioritize your goals. Often what we want seems more important than what we need. Think carefully about your wants and needs and remember that you must live with the consequences of your choices. That doesn’t mean that a want can’t come before a need. It simply means that you must think carefully before making decisions.

Schedule your plan. Set timetables for your goals. Be sure to recognize the difference between long term and short term goals. Leave yourself leeway to adjust or perhaps even change goals and timetables. As we grow and mature our needs and desires change and we need to adjust to those changes. This is true of long term goals especially. (see section on goal setting for more specifics).

Set up what you need for your goals. Prepare your desk, your room, your supplies for the activities you’ve set to meet your goals. Just as you would make sure you know where your uniform, sneakers, and basketball are before heading off to a game, so should you know where each item is that you need for school. You can’t succeed without the right tools.

Know what is expected of you. Just as you have set expectations for yourself to meet your own goals, others have set expectations of you as well. Your parents, teachers, friends, and family have certain things they expect from you. The key to making sure that their expectations and yours meet is COMMUNICATION. Talk to those you interact with. Be sure your family understands your goals and needs. Make sure that you understand their expectations for themselves and for you. Be sure that you are both on the same wavelength, so there are no recriminations or upsets later.

Set the tone for your life. Have a positive mental attitude toward yourself and others. Be positive and confident about your plans. Know in your heart that you can’t always be completely successful, but that if you try again, you are never a failure!

So, then this is getting yourself organized! It isn’t difficult and it’s not even time consuming. It’s a little work and a big attitude. You can do! Be positive!