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Special Report: NineHabits GuaranteeingStudent SuccessIf Everyone Has the Potential, Why arentThey There yet?
That kid has potential!
How many times have you heard this being said by
someone? The person may be a fresh graduate, a freshman,
or even a new employee! These experienced members of
society or the community acknowledge his capabilities based
on what they see.
But lets fast forward to a decade or two later. Where would
this now more experienced kid be? Is he staying in a home
he owns or is it a rented one? Does she have her own kids or
shes still single? Is she enjoying the life they wanted? Do his
eyes shine the same way: with the flames of passion?
Did that kid achieve and live out his potential?
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Wrong Attitude, Wrong AltitudeYour Attitude determines Your Altitude
After numerous researches, I can identify several reasons
why you wouldnt achieve your full potential. A large bulk of it,
if not all, is caused by an inherent factor: your attitude.
As the saying goes, your attitude determines your
altitude. No matter where you want to go, your outlook of life
will determine how fast or slow, how far or accurate you can
be. Your attitude determines whether youll commit to your
undertaking or not. It also dictates your performance.
Many students feel that aptitude is all they need to make it
in life; so few would commit to having a positive attitude
towards their studies. What went through your mind a moment
ago? How does positive attitude towards their studies look
like in your minds eye?
Most of us will think of a geek with thick glasses or a nerd
so deep into a thick book.
A positive attitude towards learning means that youre
committed to your learning styles, always looking for the best
solution so you can study more in less time! When I say
study, I mean:
Reading;
Exploring the idea;
Understanding the materials and idea;
Remember the idea;
Apply the idea; and
Modify the idea!
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Once youre at a certain level ofmastery, you can reject
old ideas and introduce new one outright!
Think about all the successful students and individuals
around you. They seem to have everything: friends, memory,
ideas, excitement, influence, as well as an aura of charisma.
Thanks to their outlook towards life, you find them so
alluring! Even when theyve been kicked down by Life, amidst
the laughter and ridicule from everyone else, they pick
themselves up, brush their shoulders and move on. Yet, when
they move on, they seem to have something more than before
they fall!
Lets put it this way: if you see two random individuals, one
is smiling while the other one is frowning or looks depressed
and disorganised, who would you be most attracted to? Who
would you be comfortable working with?
Not Knowing What they WantSecond cause of failing to achieve their full potential does
not know clearly what you want. When you fail to know what
you want, clearly, and commit to it, youll never go anywhere
meaningful. If you accomplish anything, its because what you
randomly do produces results. When somethings random,
youll find it hard to replicate the success!
Without a clear vision, you can never assess what youre
doing against where you are now. Say if youre driving from
Bintulu to Miri, which is approximately 300km apart. Until and
unless you know youre going to Miri, which is 300km away,
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sports. Many take these for granted and focus their efforts to
one activity. This, unfortunately, can lead to long term downfall,
complacency and even health complications!
Going the wrong directionAs an extension of the last section, the other factor which
causes students to fail in achieving their full potential is going
the wrong way.
You can begin a journey heading towards your decided
destination. Somewhere along that journey, there are
possibilities of making a wrong turn. Because were not given a
specific set of instructions in life, more often than not well
never know if were making a wrong turn until much later!
In this instance, your abilities to:
1. Admit that youre wrong;
2. Admit that youre sorry; and
3. Admit that youve made a mistake...
...Are detrimental to making sure youre heading in the right
direction.
In life, theres no right or wrong, they say. Then it would be
conflicting with our statement earlier! If theres no right or
wrong decision, there shouldnt be a right or wrong direction!
Right or wrong exists in the context of direction, relative to
your goals. If you need to go left, you know youre heading the
wrong way if you go straight ahead or make a right turn.
With the absence of a clear set of guidelines, you need to
assess your direction based on your goals. You can be wrong
or err on the side of things this is normal. But continuing your
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journey after you know youre going in the wrong direction, for
whatever reason, is certainly wrong.
Remember whats right and wrong is determined by
your goals, your beliefs and your attitude. It should not be
imposed on you, but you should be exposed to the
possibilities. Being sensitive and alert does not mean
abandoning your plans altogether. It basically means that you
need to find the best way to achieve your goals without
infringing on the rights and welfare of others.
No control, no responsibilityPsychology has determined that a persons success can be
determined by their locus of control. This basically means
that are they in control (internal locus of control) or do they
allow circumstances to dictate their actions (external locus of
control).
Brian Tracy sums this as: a persons success is determined
to the degree that they feel they are in control.
When you believe that you are more in contro l, youll do
more. When you do more, you achieve more.
As the mantra in sales goes, if one in 10 calls would buy
from you, youll need 100 calls to get 10! Using your learning
curve, improve performance and learn with every try. When
you make it your responsibility to improve your performance,
youll accomplish more in less time.
Level of acceptance against level of expectationsYour level of expectations is the level you expect
something to be accomplished at. Lets say income: you
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expected income is RM5,000 per month. When it comes to
formal education, you expect to get an A, or a 4.00. This is
usually your New Years resolutions and half-hearted goals. Its
something nice to have, but not necessary.
Your level of acceptance, on the other hand, is the level
of what youll be happy with. This is your minimum
requirements. In an academic setting, its nice to have an 4.00,
but 2.00 is alright also. Where income is concerned, its nice to
have a goal of RM5,000, but if having RM2,000 is alright, thats
good enough for you.
Your level of acceptance determines how much effort you
put into your undertaking.
The wider the gap between your level of acceptance and
your level of expectations, the more you compromise and sell
yourself short.
How do you solve this? Make increase your level of
acceptance. Refuse to compromise. Stop rationalising and
start making it a must.
Attitude, not aptitude, determines successA mistake you would be tempted to make is to assume
what you know will guarantee your success in school or in
life. Yes, what you know may help you in the paper
examinations, but thats not all when it comes to success.
Your attitude how you see and behave determines how
far you go in a social setting. Yes, the classroom can be
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considered as a social setting. No, you do not need additional
stress from people not liking you.
As college is a training ground preparing you for life, you
should be aware that after the three/seven years, you need to
work with colleagues. Employers are always on the lookout for
team players and those who can work with strangers.
Put it this way, youre going to need your classmates help
when completing a group assignment or presentation. The last
thing you need haunting you in that 3 years to seven years is
the stress of being a social outcast.
Attitude can be changed. Have the right habits and see
from different perspectives. Your approach will be change by
how far you allow it to.
So, I conclude this section by stressing the importance of
your attitude over your attitude in a social setting.
Nine Habits Guaranteeing Your Success
Habit 1: Exceed ExpectationsAll successful people exceed expectations thats one
reason theyre successful. They aim to do more and do better.
If they fail, they convert their failures into feedbacks.
Feedbacks that will, in turn, help them improve.
But long before you can exceed expectations, you need to
know what is expected of you. Example you lecturers say the
assignment is due in 3 weeks time. Why dont you work on it
and submit it days or a week in advance?
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You can also consult your lecturers by emailing the work to
her before you formally submit it. Get her thoughts and
comments. Refine your work based on her comments.
Your work method has set you apart from your classmates.
If you have to do it in groups, make a decision to apply this
method to the group work. Share this method with your
classmates and help them out. Youll be remembered by your
future colleagues and counterparts. (Counterparts? You and
your classmates would hold separate positions in the
company. If youre aiming to work in the same firm as your
classmate, your help once upon a time can tip the scale in your
favour.)
Once you know whats expected of you, decide to go
beyond expectations. That way youll learn and experience
more than your classmates, juniors and seniors.
Habit 2: Be Proactive Make Things HappenSuccessful people make things happen. Those who are not
usually sit around, complain and react.
When youre proactive, you give the impression that youre
reliable and can take on more responsibilities than your peers.
Compare the Chief Executive Officer of a multinational
corporation and a receptionist working in the same
organisation. Whose decision would ultimately make a
difference in the organisation? Whos paid more?
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When youre proactive, you anticipate problems before
they happen. Youre armed with solutions that can resolve or
mitigate the problem long before it happens.
A reactive person acts because he is forced to by
circumstances. If you adopt the wait-and-see-indefinitely
attitude, your locus of control is external. Remember: a person
feels he is in control to the degree of his locus of control.
In the event of an emergency, a reactive person panics and
performs terribly compared to one who went out of his way and
make sure hes prepared.
Habit 3: Take 100% ResponsibilityResponsibility is a touchy issue. We like to play the victim
role and place blame on others. Its easier that way.
Why did you fail?
The lecturer didnt know how to teach.
The materials were in English Im poor in English.
The class is boring.
The class is too large.
This is too difficult!
This assignment is not my level! I dont care, I will
not do it!
We can give a thousand and one colourful answers
justifying and rationalising our failure.
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Taking 100% responsibility means you place it on yourself
to ensure your success. Learn and apply knowledge that can
help you improve.
If your lecturer is boring in class, perhaps you can based
on the notes conduct your own research on the topic.
Arrange it in an interesting manner. One set of techniques Id
recommend is accelerated learning.
Taking 100% responsibility is not taking 100% of the
blame. When youre responsible for something, you take action
to ratify the problem and come up with the solution. Blaming
does not necessarily mean action is taken. Self-blaming is
negative!
Habit 4: Delayed GratificationDelayed gratification means enjoying your harvest later. In
the age of Instant things (instant noodles, instant messaging,
real-time statistics et al.), delayed gratification scares many of
us!
Delayed gratification means you think in a longer time
horizon than normal. Instead of thinking about having fun,
think will what I do make a difference 5 years from now?
What activities would benefit you 5 years from now? Stuff
like studying, attending classes and paying attention would
stand out. Lets not forget, learning how to learn effectively
also brings in a benefit in the long run! Think of the time you
can save when you can take notes more effectively.
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Habit 5: Incorporate PassionWhen was the last time you thought about the starving girl
in Chad or Mali? What about the Bangladeshi worker whose
family is mourning his loss after a beam fell on him at work on
a construction site?
Unless you incorporate emotions, more accurately
passion, whatever you do will easily be forgotten. Remember
the movie Titanic? So many people recall the scenes because
they were emotionally involved!
Similarly, how many guys can remember the scores and
players of their No. 1 football clubs? Can you imagine the post-
match conversation? How a striker kicked the ball in or the
save that was made by the goalie? So passionate are these
guys that they try to emulate/model after their idols when
playing futsal?
If you want to enjoy success in your field, make it as
passionate as possible to you. Live and breathe the subject.
Think about it over and over again until you feel more and
more confident of the subject.
Habit 6: Act with IntegrityFulfil your promise. Do what you say. Be sensitive of ethics
and norms even though you dont agree or practice it.
Acting with integrity also means no copying during exams
and citing your sources during you assignments.
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Integrity also requires you to respect time. If the class
starts at 2.00pm, be there before. You never know if there are
changes in location.
Follow your colleges dress code. Yes, you are an adult
and you have the right to express your individuality. There are
many ways to do that and comply with general college
guidelines. Just as you have the right to express yourself,
others have the right to judge you based on the impression
that you give.
Ask any multinational corporation CEO what the no. 1 trait
they look for in an employee. Gladly they tell you its integrity.
Habit 7: Be 100% CommittedCommitment is rare both in the workplace and in school.
Many people talk, fuss and complain. Many promise and pay
lip service. Thats all they do.
When you commit yourself to something, youll do
everything reasonably possible to ensure the task is completed
successfully.
If youre learning something that needs practice, like
language, commit to practice using the language irrespective
of how you think you may sound. Practice makes perfect
especially when you aim to learn with every try.
Habit 8: Turn Failure into SuccessFor every action, there is a reaction. Your harvest depends
on what you planted and allowed to grow [or die]. Remember
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that theres always a lesson behind every incident. Whats
important is you learn with every try.
A success is not a testament that you re perfect. A failure,
too, is does not mean youre a complete failure. Events are
events.
After every experience, ask: what can I learn from this?
How can I improve the next time I do this same thing?
No successful person or student is a perfectionist.
Perfectionists are among the last people to be hired as they
are the most difficult people to work with.
Habit 9: Respect and love knowledgeAs a student, youre in the business of acquiring,
understanding and manipulating knowledge.
Be wary of information overload. As much as you have
the capability to remember more than the latest model of
personal computer, to comprehend it is another story. You do
not have the luxury of time, energy and resources to! Maybe
after youve achieved a certain amount of financial affluence,
you get to spend the time to dive further.
Learn what you need to learn not just the basics but also
how to apply it and what you need to understand.
When facing daunting or boring lecturers, remember that
you want her knowledge.
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Commit to read materials (books, blogs, reports,
magazines etc.) about your field at least an hour a day. By
doing this, youve read more than your peers and prospective
employers! Well, unless they reading 60 minutes a day or
more as well.Moving From Average to Beyond!
There you go! These are the nine habits of highly
successful students. To turn an action into a habit, you need to
do it free of rationalisation and justification for at least 21
days. Tell your mind that you want to practice this for 21 days.
Remind yourself by reading this special report over and
over again at least six times. By doing that alone, you are
already set to overtake your classmates within months. By the
time you graduate assuming you just entered college youd
be more valuable compared to your students.
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About the AuthorAldric Tinker is a Certified NLP
Practitioner, copywriter, digital author and
professional speaker. His experience spans
from broadcasting advertising, background
acting, talk therapy, empowering and
motivational talks, legal studies and
communication.
For copywriting, Aldrics clients included
several advertising agencies in Kuala Lumpur
and Johor Bahru like Octagon Creative.
Aldric once served as Junior Copywriter for Primeworks
Studios writing advertisements for TV3, ntv7, 8tv and tv9
channels. His specialisations include:
Brochure writing;
Positioning and branding;
Education industry;
Real estate/residential properties;
Web copy; and
Electronic books (e-books).
Currently, Aldric Tinker is doing his Diploma in
Occupational Safety and Health.
Aldric Tinker is a proponent of accelerated learning,
neurolinguistic programming and personal empowerment.
Follow Aldric on Twitter:
@aldrictinker. Visit
http://www.aldrictinker.comtoday to
explore what services you can benefit
from or read tips and ideas you can
use for your learning or marketing.
Contact Aldric via email:
http://www.aldrictinker.com/http://www.aldrictinker.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.aldrictinker.com/