Page 355 - Keys to College Success

4. Know how to make the most of their abilities. They understand what they do
well and capitalize on those skills and abilities in school and work.
5. Translate thought into action. Not only do they have good ideas, but they are
also able to turn those ideas into practical actions that bring ideas to fruition.
6. Have a product orientation. They want results. They focus on the reward they
are aiming for first, then figure out what risks will get them there.
7. Complete tasks and follow through. With determination, they finish what they
start. They also follow through to make sure loose ends are tied and the goal has
been achieved.
8. Are initiators. They commit to people, projects, and ideas. They risk action rather
than sitting back and waiting for things to happen to them.
9. Are not afraid to fail. Because their risks don’t always bring the reward they seek,
they often learn from mistakes, build brain power, and enjoy greater success down
the road.
10. Don’t procrastinate. They are aware of the negative effects of putting things off,
and they avoid it. They create schedules that allow them to accomplish what’s
important on time.
11. Accept fair blame. They strike a balance between never accepting blame and tak-
ing the blame for everything. If something is their fault, they accept responsibility.
12. Reject self-pity. When something goes wrong, they find a way to solve the prob-
lem. They don’t get caught in the energy drain of feeling sorry for themselves.
13. Are independent. They can work on their own and think for themselves. They
take responsibility for their own schedule and tasks.
14. Seek to surmount personal difficulties. They keep things in perspective, looking for
ways to remedy personal problems and separate them from their professional lives.
15. Focus and concentrate to achieve their goals. They create an environment in
which they can best avoid distraction and they focus steadily on their work.
16. Spread themselves neither too thin nor too thick. They do neither too much,
resulting in little progress on any, nor too little, which can reduce the level of
accomplishment.
17. Have the ability to delay gratification. They risk effort in the present for the
reward of gratifying goal achievement in the future.
18. Have the ability to see the forest and the trees. They are able to see the big pic-
ture and get a sense of the specifics, without getting bogged down in each and
every tiny detail.
19. Have a reasonable level of self-confidence. They believe in themselves enough
to keep moving, while avoiding the kind of overconfidence that stalls growth
and learning.
20. Balance analytical, creative, and practical thinking. They sense what to use and
when to use it. When problems arise, they combine all three skills to arrive at
solutions.
These “self-activators” are your personal motivational tools. Consult them when you
need a way to get moving. You may even want to post them on a bulletin board, in the
front of a notebook, or as a note in your smartphone. Use the “Get Analytical” exercise on
page 319 to see where you are now in terms of your development of these self-activators.
Although you certainly used analytical, creative, and practical skills before, your
work this term has built and strengthened new neural pathways in your brain, allowing
you to engage them more consciously and effectively. Every day of your college career
12 and beyond, you will analyze something, come up with an idea, or take a practical
action on your way to a meaningful goal. Every time you solve a problem or make a
CHAPTER 318 decision, you take a risk. Successfully intelligent thinking and risk taking will bring you
rewards throughout your life.