The Secrets of Success

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The Secrets of Success

• 17 Important Lessons
• You Can Borrow
• from Athletics

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1. Recognize the Importance, Cost, and Benefits
of Making a Commitment.

• The single most powerful predictor of success in
  the long run is commitment, the willingness and
  desire to work hard toward achieving clearly
  defined goals.
• Top achievers are more than just willing to work
  hard they want to work hard.

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What are the benefits of making a commitment to
strengthen your reading skills?

• You will feel better about yourself as a
  person and as a student.
• Your grades will improve.
• You will have more confidence.
• You will become more and more motivated.
• You will have better career opportunities.
• You will have an improved personal life, be
  happier, more sure of yourself, and be more
  successful.

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What is the cost of achieving these wonderful
benefits?

• A few hours a week it depends on what shape
  you are in when you start.
• Regardless of your shape, it is a small price to
  pay for very important gains.
• Everyone wants a quick fix, but thats
• as unrealistic for improving your reading
• skills as it is for achieving physical
  fitness.

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2. Work Out (Study) at the Right Time and in
the Right Place.

• Identify the time of day when you are most alert
  and rested.
• Then study at that same time every day. After
  three weeks, it will become a habit.

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3. Avoid Negative Self-Talk and Negative
Verbalizations.

• Many students have the habit of negative
  self-talk This is too hard, Im not smart
  enough, Ill never get this, or This is
  hopeless. When ever you have a
• thought like this, STOP IT.
• Dont accept negative comments
• about yourself, and dont make them.

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4. Decide What Kind of Person You Want to Be.

• If you want to change the kind of student you
  are, change the kind of person you are.
• You are what you say and do.

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5. Train the Way You Want to Play.

• In practicing your reading skills, you need to do
  the same things in the same way as you will when
  you use them in actual situations.
• This means practicing with the real thing,
  college-level material. It means thinking,
  focusing, and preparing yourself ultimately to
  use these same skills to help master your college
  textbooks.
• You get out of it what you put into it.
  
• Train carefully. Train regularly. Train hard.

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6. Expect to Hit Plateaus and Be Prepared to Deal
with Them.

• Learning doesnt occur as a smooth, seamless,
  steady process.
• Learning involves integrating new information
  with existing information. The brain needs time
  for restructuring and consolidation. It takes
  time
• for the brain to accommodate new input.
• If you hit a rough spot, keep going.
• Even when you feel discouraged,
• do the assignments anyway.
• Champions keep playing until they get it right.

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7. Breathe.

• To function, your brain needs glucose and oxygen.
• Drink plenty of water to hydrate and oxygenate
  your brain.
• For your brain to function well, you need to feel
  relaxed, yet alert.

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Breathe (continued)

• Use this simple breathing procedure to calm and
  refresh you
• 1. Take several slow, deep breaths when you sit
  down to study. Sit up straight. Put you feet flat
  on the floor. Rest your hands in your lap and
  close your eyes. Exhale completely through your
  nose.
• 2. Now inhale through your nose and fill your
  lungs from the bottom up.
• 3. Hold your breath for several seconds and
  then exhale slowly and completely through your
  mouth.
• Practice this slowly. You may feel a bit dizzy
  at first.

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8. Use Visualization.

• This means imagining yourself doing something
  successful before you actually begin it. Its
  like a move you run in your head.
• If I can conceive it, I can believe it. If I can
  believe it, I can achieve it. --Jessie
  Jackson
• Imitate a champion. Pattern yourself after
  someone who is outstanding.

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9. Focus on Your Own Game.

• If you are watching what someone else is doing,
  then you are not focusing on what you need to do.
• Learn from others, but improve yourself.
• Just because someone wins the race, dont assume
  it was easy for them.

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10. Develop Mental Toughness and Maintain Focus.

• Stress and setbacks are part of everyones life.
• You have to be tough.
• Everything depends on your mental outlook towards
  life.
• 98 of success is in your head.

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11. Learn to Distinguish between Problems and
Facts.

• A problem can be fixed.
• If you are dealing with a circumstance that
  cannot be changed or fixed, then its no longer a
  problem its a fact.
• Because its a fact, theres no reason to waste
  emotional energy feeling frustrated. Let it go.
• Save time and energy for problems you can
• do something about.

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12. Have High Expectations for Yourself.

• You have to expect things of yourself before you
• can do them.
• Keep in mind that it is what you expect of
  yourself that matters, not what others expect.
• Set your academic goals, and know what you are
  wiling to do to achieve academic success.

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13. Show Up for Practice--Even When You Dont
Feel Like It.

• Nearly all good students work very hard for
  their success.
• Success is not a matter of luck.
• Discipline is remembering what you really want.
• The only discipline that lasts is
  self-discipline.

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14. Monitor Your Workouts and Evaluate Your
Progress.

• Monitor your workouts in this book.
• If you dont find out why you missed an item,
• then youve lost the opportunity to learn
• and youve wasted the time you spent doing
• the activity.
• Assess your own performance know why you
• missed an item.

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15. Always Give Your Best Effort.

• There are three types of baseball playersthose
  who make it happen, those who watch it happen,
  and those who wonder what happened. --Tommy
  Lasorda
• Shoot for the mooneven if you fall short you
  will land among the stars. --Gil Steinke
• Go for the gold. Make it habit to
• try to hit the ball out of the park.

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16. Follow Instructions.

• Read, mark, and follow every set of directions
  carefully.
• Follow the philosophy of Do it now. Do it
  right.
• Following directions is a relatively simple, but
  very important skill.

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Follow Directions (continued)

• Read the entire set of directions carefully, even
  if you think you know what youre supposed to do.
• Circle or box any clues that signal steps in the
  directions.
• Underline key words that tell what youre
  supposed to do (especially in test directions)
• Carry out the steps in order.

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17. Get Help from a Coach.

• Ask for guidance in class and outside of class,
  too.
• Good coaches--and good teachers--will not let you
  get by with sloppy work, missed workouts
  (missed class sessions or missing assignments),
  or a bad attitude. Because they care whether or
  not you learn, theyll push prod, and nag. They
  wont accept excuses.
• Good coaches and teachers see what
• you can be rather than what you are.

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Secrets Summary

• Understand and make a commitment.
• Work out (study) at the right time and place.
• Avoid negative self-talk and verbalizations.
• Decide what kind of person you want to be.
• Train the way you want to play.
• Be prepared to deal with plateaus.
• Breathe.
• Use visualization.
• Focus on your own game.

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Secrets Summary (cont)

• Develop mental toughness and stay focused.
• Distinguish between problems and facts.
• Set high expectations and commit them to writing.
• Show up for practice even if you dont feel like
  it.
• Monitor your workouts and your progress.
• Always give your best effort.
• Follow instructions.
• Get help from a coach.
• Time to get moving!