1. Success is a state of mind.
Success is a journey, not a destination. Our thoughts have a huge impact on our actions. You can choose how you want Back to School to be even before you step foot on campus! Do you want it to go smoothly or do you want it to be extremely stressful?
It’s a no-brainer that we all want Back to School to go smoothly. So, are your thoughts, habits, and actions useful or not useful toward getting what you want? Are you thinking and acting in ways that are helpful, or are you making it harder for yourself?
Instead of only relying on external factors to determine your success, (i.e., I will be successful when I get a 4.0; I will be successful when I get all the classes that I want; I will be successful when I make a million dollars), you need to rely on internal factors. Internal factors include seeing failures as opportunities to learn, committing to staying positive, or putting in your best effort no matter what comes up.
There is only one person who can control your state of mind…and that is you.
2. Success is a choice.
As you get ready for Back to School, you have a choice. You can choose to learn something new, think positively, and feel better about yourself, or you can choose to think that school is pointless and that your teachers are out to get you.
Only you can choose to put in your best effort today. Many circumstances at school may be out of your control, but it is up to you how you choose to handle the situation.
3. You are successful right now.
If you believe that success is a state of mind and that it is something that you can choose, then you are successful right now! If you have the ability to think and have the desire to grow, learn, and challenge yourself, then you are already successful.
Perhaps you weren’t happy with your grades last year. Let me remind you that grades are not a measure of intelligence, success, or character. Grades are not judgment. Grades are about effort. If you fail at something, it doesn’t mean that you’re a failure.
It just means that you’re presented with an opportunity and choice to either learn from it and improve or do nothing. A student who gets an “A” on a test is not a better person than one who gets an “F.” However, the student who received the poor grade most likely did not try as hard as he could because he didn’t believe that he is a successful student. A successful student focuses on learning, growing, and improving regardless of the grade.
This Back to School season, what is possible if you act, think, and make choices like the successful student that you already know you are?
