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Habits of Success


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In a moment of vulnerability, I would like to explore the idea of self-belief. This has not always come easy to me. Self-doubt so easily creeps into our minds on a daily basis and can cripple our productivity. When we believe the lies about ourselves, it is difficult to move from the impossible to the probable. Rather than thinking about ourselves as not talented enough, not athletic enough, not smart enough, we should focus on our strengths and developing the right habits.

I have always been fascinated by grit and persistence, which I will blog more about later. However, I recently came across a tweet by author and motivational speaker, Jon Gordon. Gordon speaks in great detail about positivity and using our strengths to propel us forward. As you can see from the screenshot include in this post, Gordon speaks to those habits we can control rather than the arbitrary skill that is assigned to each of us by the world. Even if you don’t have the most skill, you can be on time, put extra time in, allow yourself to be coached, and always give your best effort, among other habits and qualities.

A multitude of “talented” individuals have walked the earth without achieving their potential, while a number of people have actually overachieved based on their perceived talent. I would rather be the underdog that overachieves because I did all the right things and didn’t give up than to be someone with all the potential in the world and fall short of the gifts I was endowed with.

As a teacher, I might not be the smartest person in the room or have scored the best on standardized tests in school, but I can be present every day, intentional about my interactions with students, be on time, be positive, and have an attitude of gratitude. This will allow me to build rapport with students and be the best teacher that I can be.

Students, you can choose to see your learning differences as obstacles, your past grades as a reason why you can’t be an honor student. Or, you can choose to engage in all of the small but critical elements that Jon Gordon mentioned in his tweet that will allow you to overcome your perceived lack of talent to be the student and human being you want to become.

This is still a work in progress for me, but I’m motivated to follow those habits and think more positively to better enjoy the process of achieving my higher purpose in life.

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