On Studying

I am currently studying hard for a math exam tomorrow that is the final and biggest exam in my career at PSU. To study, you need to get in the zone. I play light music on my headphones, something like Norah Jones, and just go to town! GET AWAY FROM COMPUTERS!!!!!! (I am leaving this computer ridden building in a minute.) 

I believe you can learn all the information in a very quick time. The key to taking an exam is getting enough sleep the night before because you learn in your sleep. Do not study within an hour before the exam and do whatever you can to relax and be confident. That is half the battle. I have been at my best when I go into an exam telling myself that I know everything (whether I do or do not.) I utilized this system to its fullest potential when I hit Dean's List this time last year.

Happy Studying and Good Luck!!

On Crunch Time

During a time period in which you have to really push yourself to get results, it is important to step up to the challenge and face it head on. I have to admit, I have not done this during many opportunities to do so, but it unleashes your full potential and pushes you through a period of rapid growth. Once you realize you are capable of doing more than you give yourself credit for, you begin to truly excel at a higher level.

We see this many times in sports where a player breaks out during the playoffs and elevates their performance to another level. What typically happens is this performance allows them to raise themselves to a higher level in the following season because they have unlocked a new potential for themselves.

Accept crunch times or push weeks as a growth period and you can grow faster than most people around you. Challenge yourself to become truly REMARKABLE!

On Leaders In Movies

First, I just want to establish that Simba is the lion version of Batman. Think about it.

Ever since I began my quest on studying leadership, I began watching movies in a new light. We can learn very important leadership lessons by characters such as Simba and Batman (and Mufasa). I encourage you to watch movies in the light of finding what leaders do to bring the most benefit to their people and lead them in the right direction. Mufasa mentions in Lion King that there is more to being king than getting everything you want. You must sacrifice. You must sacrifice more than anybody else in your kingdom sacrifices. You have to understand all the different sources, listen to your advisors, even if they are as annoying as Zazu. You have to be brave only when you need to be brave. And you need to use emotions such as fear, anger, and joy the right way.

I have learned much from leaders in movies. Many of them portray the precise attributes you want as a leader. This is why we idolize them in movies. If we can learn from them, it can be nearly as effective as learning from real-life leaders that many times you do not have the ability to analyze.

On Visualization

*I love how I am taking a final exam as this is being published onto my blog.*

I have been developing the visionary side of my thoughts for a couple years now. I am naturally gifted at visualizing the future and I love my ability to plan a way to get there as well. I have a few tips on how to develop your visionary strengths:

1. In the shower, think of the future. I not only think of the future, I actually embrace myself in the future and act as if I am in it whilst talking out loud, even passionately. This really exercises my visionary muscles and since I shower every morning, it really helps me get going every day and helps me practice consistently.

2. Think about anything in the future, ranging from yourself to the world. If you practice by envisioning flying cars and light saber kitchen cutlery, then that would be awesome. If you practice by seeing yourself running a multi-billion dollar charitable organization to help aid inner-city schools, then that works as well.

3. Give a speech that you would see yourself giving in the future. (This is one of my showering exercises.) I am about to open an office for Vector and I often give speeches that I would do at team meetings. This helps you not only visualize what you will become, but also goes a step further allowing you to be there already. All while helping you practice public speaking, which I have developed greatly from failing the final speech of my speech class to becoming a good reliable presenter in class presentations. (Thank you, Vector)

Visualization is extremely powerful in driving yourself towards attaining your life's purpose. It not only allows you to immerse yourself in the future, but it also tells your subconscious mind where you want to go, allowing it to show you the way.

Visualize BEING REMARKABLE and you can do remarkable things!

On Experts

It takes 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in something! So many people see the end result of people like The Beatles, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. and immediately believe these people must have genius imbedded into their DNA. Behind all these wildly successful people were most likely over 10,000 hours of practice in what they did BEFORE they became successful.

The Beatles, for example played at a bar in Hamburg, Germany for 8 hours straight every day for a few years. Then they returned to the United Kingdom and swept the nation. Before leaving the UK, they were a pretty awful disgrace of musicianship. However, after playing together for so many hours, they became masters of their sound. Bill Gates was fortunate enough to be one of the only kids around computers while he grew up, and he sat in front of them for hours on end. Steve Jobs would assemble things, use do-it-yourself kits, etc. Mark Zuckerberg would program on computers for fun while growing up.

None of these people were born geniuses. Maybe they are smarter than some people naturally, but their success comes as a by-product of practice... for HOURS!

Letters behind your name does not make you an expert in your field. Practice does. Countless 10,000 hours of practice.

The Do Good Campaign

I will be starting something with my office called the "Do Good Campaign" where every Sunday we go out and give back to the community somehow. I love giving! I think everybody should do some giving every week not only to help others, but also to help your own wellbeing! It feels great to give. You don't need to change the world. Just at least go out of your way to do something for one person. Daily is ideal, but baby steps are awesome so start off weekly if you don't give often.

A few basic ways to give:
-Thank your friends and family
-Hold the door for somebody who may be at an uncomfortable distance
-Greet people who do every day service tasks. i.e. bus driver, janitor, etc.
-Pick up trash and throw it out

Happy givings!

On Learning

Many of my friends, and myself, are crash studying for finals right now. I am amazed by how much I learn in the few days for finals. It is almost as if I learn just as much, or even more, than I have learned all semester. I think this is because during the semester, I lose sight of how to learn.

You must learn as if the next day, you must turn around and teach this material thoroughly to a new class. If you adopt this mindset towards learning, it will increase your efficiency with learning and allow you to really learn at an amazing rate. When I study for finals, I study with the intent of teaching this material. I know if I can teach the material, then I will be ready for the exam.

Good luck on finals for all those taking finals!