For this exercise, I'd like you reflect on the past two months. In your post for this exercise, pretend that you're talking to a student from next semester's course. What would you tell them? The first thing I'd tell a prospective student is to chill out. It may seem like an odd suggestion, but speaking as someone that tends to get too wrapped up in school work and grades, I think it's a sentiment that should be emphasized. Chill out. Take it easy. Don't stress. This class can be incredibly useful and mind-opening, but to fully soak up its benefits, you need to approach the information with a calm mind. There are plenty of courses you're taking that you need to worry about exam grades, this is not one of them. So relish in that freedom. This class works with your own imagination, so make it as personal and fun as you can.
1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? I think the most important behavior that I've used is independence. I love working at my own pace and on my own time. This class is set up in a moderately free form way so that you can choose when to complete the assignments. This is reflective of what you can expect if you enter the business world. Yes, you'll have deadlines, but a lot of the in between relies on you and your time management. Another behavior I frequently utilized was analyzing my own actions. Many of the assignments had me applying the concepts learned in the lectures to my daily life.
2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this? Honestly, the reading reflection was my moment of temporarily wanting to "give up." While I love to read, it was the one assignment that felt the most traditional and boring. I also had a lot going on this week in my life, so I didn't exactly use my time wisely, leading to the time crunch panic. What pulled me through was the advice I previously listed; just chill out. I did the reading, now I just had to sit down and reflect on that. I could further the panic by scolding myself for letting the assignment slip my mind to the last minute or I could accept my mess up and focus on getting the work done. I think what inspired this mentality was learning about all the impressive entrepreneurs who faced multiple failures only to keep on trying until they succeeded. By keeping this in mind, I think I'm on my way to developing a tenacious attitude.
3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?
1. Worry about achieving your own goals first, before you worry about impressing others. You are your own worst critic, but you can also be your own best supporter if you allow yourself.
2. Analyze yourself before analyzing others. If you can get a better understanding on what makes you tick, you stand a better chance of figuring someone else out.
3. When in doubt, fake it. Now, I don't mean lie or cheat, but sometimes it's fine to pretend. If you lack confidence in your elevator pitch, don't be afraid to put on a front. Almost everyone else is nervous or filled with self-doubt. If you want other people to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself first (or at least look like you do).
If you're ever approaching a breaking point, try to find the humor in life. If you don't know where to look, here's the most unflattering picture that exists of my cat, Sea Otter (he loved to lay on his back like one). His silly sleeping face will hopefully bring you a moment of joy.
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