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The trodden path to success

By Paul Karau
The trodden path to success: my date with Chuka Boys High.

Today, I will exchange notes with Form Four boys of Chuka High, that lion that has long refused to roar.

I take these assignments with spiritual devotion, because I know the role motivation and role-modelling has played in my life. As I sit in my study to prepare what to share with my small brothers, these are the thoughts that come to mind:

1. Be specific about what you want, and be specific about the obstacles that lie on the way. As you strive for any success, picture VIVIDLY how it will be like to achieve that goal. 

2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Decide WHEN and WHERE you will take specific actions to reach your goal.

3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Self-evaluation takes effort and will power. In this regard, there are two forms of thinking; to-date thinking (focuses on what you've accomplished) and to-go thinking (focuses on what is left to be accomplished). For example, a marathon runner may choose to focus on the distance already covered or the one that lies ahead. Which is better?

4. Be a REALISTIC optimist. The best predictor of individual success is whether they believe or not that they will succeed. There's a difference between believing you will succeed, and believing you will succeed EASILY. The latter is known as unrealistic optimism. A realistic optimist believes they will have to make success happen through EFFORT, CAREFUL PLANNING, PERSISTENCE, RIGHT STRATEGIES. 

5. Focus on getting better than BEING good. This way, you allow space for mistakes.

6. Finally, have grit/determination. Incremental theorists believe that ability is malleable and does change with effort and persistence.

Good morning

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