2. Focus on the process not the outcome. If you keep improving each day, grades and test scores will take care of themselves. If you focus only on the final results, you will become an obstacle in your own path. Focus on the process of being a good student, and good results will follow.
3. Don’t worry about what other people think. Focus on yourself and the lifestyle you want to lead to be an academic success. Many people get caught up in “people pleasing” and trying to impress family, friends, teachers, and other students. Focusing on others adds pressure and is a distraction.
4. Treat all tests and assignments the same. Don’t psych yourself out before a big project or a “scary” test. Playing what-if situations in your head will take away your ability to stay present and perform your best. Each academic task causes some pressure; don’t add extra pressure on yourself by making an assignment bigger than it is.
5. Control the things you can control. If you can’t change it or influence it in some way, do not waste your precious mental resources on it. Focus intensely on what you can control. Some examples are:
EFFORT– maintaining a consistent 100% effort in all academic tasks.
ATTITUDE– positive, calm, and composed.
EXECUTION– fight for every point you can get on every assignment/test. No giving up on difficult questions. Work through it!
6. Forgive yourself quickly. Learn the lesson and move forward. Mistakes are a big part of improving so accept them and even embrace them. The most successful people have failed a lot. Spend at least 90% of your time on the solution (how to improve) and no more than 10% on the problem (why?).