1: You Must Ditch Your Inner Perfectionist
As a driven student, you value high grades and the accolades that come along with them. And you should be proud of your accomplishments! However, if striving to be the best is starting to feel like a burden too great to bear, maybe it's time to set some more realistic expectations. According to a recent survey of high school students in Palo Alto, California, 49 percent of students say a "B" is a bad grade. As a former straight A student who graduated from college with a near-perfect GPA, I can tell you that a few B's or C's would not have ruined my career. In fact, lowering my super-high expectations would have made me a more well rounded student. It certainly would have made me a more relaxed student!
If you don't know how to begin setting realistic goals, try talking to a trusted family member or consider making a trip to your campus counseling center or your guidance office. With a trusted adult's help, you can begin to ask yourself questions like, "What does it mean to be a successful student? What does it mean to be successful in life?" Does happiness and good health factor into the equation? If so, perhaps you and your family and school can devise a plan that will allow you more balance and peace of mind as you work to develop a strong sense of self.
2: You Must Love To Learn
When you're not so focused on grades, you can begin the important task of learning just for the sake of learning. Always wanted to take a music elective but could never squeeze it into your schedule? Make the time! Learning can and should be fun. Ask the most influential leaders in our world what the keys to success are and they'll tell you that a lifelong love of learning tops the list.
3: You Must Be Passionate
Love English and History but afraid you won't be able to turn your passion into a viable career? Maybe you've read about the top 10 fastest-growing careers and you figure you'll give one of those a try instead. In a recent interview, actor Jesse L. Martin said, "There are no safe jobs. Find something you love and do it despite the economy." Dream big and choose a career path based on your passions. Trust me, your passion will impress your future employer WAY more than any polished resume, perfect GPA, or name-brand college ever could.
4: You Must Have the Courage To Fail
When I was in high school, I took a photography class and I'm NOT a hands-on person. I struggled with it and I wanted to quit. In college, I received a "B" on my first paper for a Shakespeare class and again, I wanted to quit. Each time I stuck it out and I'm a better person for it. Want to know the "right" path to take in life? Meander down a few wrong paths first. That "right" path is waiting for you somewhere along the way.
5: You Must Be Creative
Every student is unique and therefore, brings something completely new to the table. That is, if you're brave enough to be yourself in a world that seems to value conformity. Ask any good teacher what they need to see more of in the classroom and they'll say students who aren't afraid to be creative. Good teachers don't want you to regurgitate their words back to them on exams. Speak up in class, spur some interesting discussions, challenge a teacher's opinion and be prepared to back up your argument with your own creative ideas. That lesson in boldness will carry you to success beyond your wildest dreams.
6: You Must Focus
If you could forget for one minute what your friends demand, your teachers require and your parents expect of you, what would you want for yourself? What picture of success do you envision that would make you happy? Wrap your mind around that picture. What does it feel like? Look like? Sound like? Freeze that picture in your mind and work to achieve it. Don't be afraid to change that picture of success though as you grow and learn new things. Being brave enough to change directions based on new information and experiences is what growing up is all about.
7: You Must Surround Yourself With Positive People
If your family wants you to be happy and successful on your own terms, turn to them for support. If your friends lift you up, make it a priority to spend quality time with them. Can't find anyone who "gets" the authentic you? Go out there and find a support network. Reaching out to other writers and creative types was the most inspiring thing I've ever done.
8: You Must Think Big!
I love to think big! After years of being afraid to tell others my big ideas for fear of sounding stupid, I've learned how fun it can be to watch someone shake her head at my latest project. So what if the world doesn't "get it." My 19-year-old brother makes customized wrestling action figures and sells them on E-bay for extra cash. Think the relatives understand that one? Charlotte Burley, a writer/producer in New York City, says, "If anyone tells you that "you can't," use that to make you want to reach your dreams even more."
9: You Must Practice Self-Love
Self-assured men and women know that self-love is the key to success. No, that doesn't mean posing in your bedroom mirror for hours and basking in the glow of your own vanity. It does mean making your body a priority though. Like choosing to take the time to nourish it with healthy food, getting adequate sleep and exercising. Practicing relaxation. Perhaps finding the strength to quit smoking or having the resilience to never start in the first place. From one high-achiever to another, good health is an achievement to be VERY proud of!
10: You Must Have Fun
After complaining to a former professor about my lack of time to enjoy my college years, he advised that I "take a half hour each day and live deliberately." Take a hike in the woods, ride your bike, go for ice cream with friends. If you can learn how to balance work and fun before you leave your school years behind, I guarantee that you'll lay the foundation to realize that happy life you're working so hard to achieve. And that, dear friends, is what true success is all about.
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