Being productive over break

For many college students in the United States, spring break time is either now or quickly approaching.  And, if you are anything like me this means days of planning to do work without ever actually doing the work.  So, how do we stay productive over spring break while still enjoying that much needed vacation?

1.  Don’t plan too much. This goes double if you have actually planned a real vacation over spring break instead of just hanging around.  I know that there is a lot you want to do, but know yourself and your likelihood of actually getting to it.  If you plan too much, then you will probably feel over whelmed and not get to any of it.

2.  Plan to get to those things you never have time to get to.  When you have the excess time that spring break needs doing tasks such as: going for a run, reading a book, calling your grandmother or painting your nails is a perfectly okay use of your hours.  Know that spring break is there to “sharpen your saw” so to speak.

3.  If possible, set one large goal.  Maybe, work on one school project, or read one book.  This allows you to have time freed up for the fun of spring break.

4.  Don’t put too much stress.  You are allowed a dead week now and then.  Just make sure you get back to normal when you return.

Stopping Procrastination.

Last night, 9 pm, I am in my room staring as the clock passes, minute by minute, hour by hour.  I know I have a homework assignment due the next day and I know that it will take me at least three hours-So why, at 9 pm am I sitting at home, watching YouTube videos?

Procrastination is something that affects almost every person. However, procrastination can keep us away from success because it makes it impossible to effectively manage time.  Yet, when I see the successful people around me, I see people who never put things off until the last minute. I see people who complete tasks well and efficiently.  These are the types of people that I consider amazing.  

To stop procrastinating, we must understand why we do it.  According to prominent neuroscience theories, the need to procrastinate lies in the prefrontal cortex.  This part of our brain wants immediate pleasure, so we tend to waste time doing whatever we can to fulfill that need.  This can be anything from cleaning to watching television-just something that gives us immediate gratification.   This part of our brain battles with the part of our brain that knows doing something now will help us in the long run.

Of course, the need for immediate pleasure is only one factor in procrastinate.  Humans tend to misjudge how long tasks will actually take.  This makes sense. How many times have you told yourself that “This will only take 30 minutes, I will do it during my lunch break” only to find yourself up all night trying to finish that time consuming work?

Although it does not apply to me personally, some people claim they get a rush when putting things off to the last minute.  I once read a tip that, if this applies to you, set your own personal deadline.  If you procrastinate to the personal deadline rather than the actual one, it is not as detrimental to your grade or life style.

When I start working, I start thinking of all of the other chores I should also do.  This is a form of procrastinating. One way I have found to prevent this is my five rock list.  I only allow myself to do those rocks in a day and then, if I remember another chore that I need to complete, I add it to a master list and then choose it as a rock the very next day.

Or maybe you are a perfectionist.  Sometimes, I have this problem too.  I start a task and try to make it so perfect that I forget to move onto another one.    My five rock list has helped me here as well.  Lately, I finish my project to what is considered bare minimum effort.  Then, I finish my rock list for the day.  When my rock list is completed, I can go back.  To be honest, often times I don’t and no matter what, my work is quality.

I think procrastination is a habit.  It is something we do, but it is also something we can break.  But, like all habits that need to be broken, it takes patience and hard work.  Knowing why we procrastinate and how to stop is a step towards becoming amazing. 

Update 2/25/2013

I know I have been pretty bad about keeping to my schedule.  It’s especially difficult to write when you know nobody is even reading.  But I think that shouldn’t matter as long as I am doing this for myself.  So I have decided that I need to keep regular checkups on my goals.  So, once a month I will be writing about how my goals are going.  I have decided that it must be in the last week of the month as well.  

My first goal was eating well…which has been going miserably. I know what I should be doing better, but I procrastinate on going to the grocery store to actually buy the healthy food and find myself eating another cheeseburger. 

Exercise, has been the same.  I never can find time for the gym.

Not procrastinating has been okay. Although there are plenty of times that I find myself up half the night studying, I have been keeping up pretty well.

And, honestly, I do not feel too bad about how this blog has been going.  Yeah, I have skipped a few days, but mostly I have been keeping up and posting quite regularly. 

Anyway, if anyone is actually reading, let me know in comments if you have any tips on how to keep up on goals.  

When is it okay to be mad?

This is a serious question for me.  One of my biggest pet peeves is when people do not respect my time.  I hate when people cancel on me, no matter how good the reason.   And I mean that seriously. One time I was angry at my dad for missing out on plans we had because my sister broke her arm and had to go to the hospital.  Yes, I was nine at time, but the fact remains.

In the past week, several people cancelled on plans.  One of the biggest was my plans to attend “The Color Run.”  In this situation, I yelled until I realized that I was truly and unnecessarily hurting the person receiving.  Other times I ignore until the person understands that I am mad or I get over it myself. 

And when I get angry, I have problem letting things go.  It upsets me and weeks later I am still stewing in anger.  When you stew, when you choose not to forgive, you become less happy.  Although there are many exceptions, I have found that the less people you have grudges against, the happier you become.

On the other side, you must recognize that you should not let people push you are around.  If the person seriously wronged you, if the person is a bad influence, if the person takes without giving, then you should let them know that you do not like what they have done.  And although, I tend to let them know a little louder than is normal, I recommend keeping your composure and calmly taking them aside.

So, to summarize, love as much as possible but hold your ground until if it is important to you. 

Does the amount of money you make matter?

The other day, I was discussing with a friend of mine what we wanted to do when we graduated.  He was keen on the idea of making a lot of money.  I told him that I never really thought that being wealthy was important.  I mean, I want to own a house, have kids and travel as much as possible.  But, besides that, having an insane amount of money has never really appealed to me. 

I mean, once you get past a certain amount of money, what exactly do you do with it?  I buy my clothes at department stores, I love finding bargains and I am pretty happy with driving my civic.  I view most name brands as things being expensive for the sake of being expensive.     I guess, I kind of like having the expensive things as a treat rather than as my life style. 

So does money facilitate in happiness?  According to an article I found at the Kiplinger website, which I will link down below, when people reach $75,000 a year, the amount of happiness they have tends to level off.  In fact, there is very little difference in the amount of happiness between $50,000 and $500,000 is virtually nonexistent.   The article goes further to state that humans have a tendency to adapt.  So, when we make more money, it’s cool at first, but we adapt to it and want more.  So, no matter how much we make we will always want more.  

What I think happens to people, is that they have this need to want.  Part of the fun of having something, is wanting it for a very long time.  You dream about it, save for it.  I can honestly remember several times that I have wanted something from a beanie baby, to a new computer and the second I get it, no longer like it.  I love saving and hoping and I get my happiness from there.

            So, being amazing isn't about selling yourself for money, it’s about doing what you love and being with who you love.  It’s about appreciating what we have and not selling our souls for what we want.

http://www.kiplinger.com/article/investing/T031-C023-S001-can-money-make-you-happy.html

Luck

So I have been pretty bad about writing lately, but I should hope to fix that.  I am going to change my writing schedule to Monday, Wednesday and Saturday instead of the normal Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I had been following….sort of.   This is because I have more free time on Monday and Wednesday and hope to be more consistent with writing.

            Yesterday had both moments of extreme luck and moments that would most likely be considered unlucky.

            1.  It was raining. I hate rain. (unlucky)

2.  I was told I needed to go into work as soon as I got out of class for a meeting, even though I usually do not work on Tuesdays.  (unlucky)

3. While walking to work in the rain, my friend offered me a ride (lucky)

4.  Walk into the building.  It was slippery, I tripped on myself.  My friend asked if I was okay and then proceeded to tell all of my coworkers throughout the day.  (unlucky)

5.  While walking back to school from work I found a $50 bill on the ground.  (Lucky)

6.  Found homework difficult (unlucky)

7.  Made a new friend while asking for help on homework (Lucky)

The point I am trying to make, is that there is no such day, item or prayer that will make your day luckier.   The things that we believe are “Lucky” are that way due to three items: Perception, hard work, pure coincidence.   I perceived the rain and going to work as unlucky, so they became unlucky.  But if I thought that rain was a good thing or that going into work was helpful ( I still got paid after all), then they could become lucky.  On the flip side, if I perceived my friend driving me to work (I needed to get exercise) or making a new friend (maybe I would have learned more if I did it myself) as unlucky, then I could have had unlucky moments. 

People often confuse hard work for luck.  I have heard so many people tell hard working individual that they are “lucky” for all the awards and success that they have earned. Luck had nothing to do with it.  Let’s look at my moments from yesterday.  Perhaps if I had remembered to wipe my feet or wear rain shoes, then I would not have slipped.  Or, if I had paid more attention in class or had made time to go to office hours, then I would not have found the homework so hard.   

And yes, luck comes from coincidence.  Finding the $50 can really be attributed to nothing more than coincidence.    I did not know that I would find that money on the ground, nor did I expect it.  But my luck is another person’s misfortune. 

But whatever happens, happens.  The truth is we think that some person if luckier than the other.  That picking up heads up pennies on the ground, carrying a rabbit’s foot or wearing that special underwear is going to make us luckier.  But the truth is life is going to come up heads just as many times as it comes up tails.  It’s what you do with what life gives you that matters.

Heros part 2: comparison

One of the biggest pit falls I have noticed in success, is comparison.  As I mentioned last week, comparison can be very good, but you have to be very careful with it.  Everyone is different.  The way you learn can be vastly different than how your classmates learn and the way you perceive something is by definition going to be different than the way someone else does.  It is important to keep that in mind.

Another problem with comparison is that people lie and exaggerate.  Everyone wants their accomplishments to mean something.  In order to impress, they may say something that is far from what is actually true.  That doesn’t mean that you should belittle your own accomplishments.  Just remember that you need to do what works for you.

 Maybe, you do need to study twice as long for a test than your friend, but you should just plan for that accordingly.  Success is realizing who you are and finding what you need to do with what you are given. 

Heroes part 1

Throughout your life people always talk about the importance of positive influence, idols and heroes.  This leaves a very important question:  Should amazing people look for towards other amazing people for reference?   In my experience, yes, but be careful.  There is always a danger in comparing. I think, to save time and give myself more topics for discussion, I will give this topic in two parts.

A hero can be anyone.  It really can.  You can admire a four year old for its honesty or an eighty year old for its experience.   In fact, you can admire the good in anyone and try to one day achieve it.  To be honest, I have never really been able to look at celebrities or famous heroes for guidance.  In my mind, I feel like I have to know someone in order to understand what makes them amazing. 

Although, I try to find the strengths in everyone, I can name four people I admire more than anyone else in the world:

1.                 My mother

a.       My mother is the kindest person you will have ever met.  She has this strange way of seeing the good in people, even when none of us can.  Her incredible modesty is both a trait I hope to have inherited and secretly wish I didn’t, because it overwhelms her.  But what I admire the most about my mother is how she followed her dreams even when it seemed too late in life.   After having four kids, my mother decided that she wanted more out of life than just raising kids; she wanted to become a lawyer. So, she took her bio-physics degree and applied to law school.  For three years, she was both a full time student and a full time mom.  I honestly don’t know how she slept.  She is always someone I can count on and she never lets me down.   She graduated in the top 10% of her class and is now a successful lawyer.

2.                  My sister

a.       My sister is thirteen years old and bothers me half the time.  She is an intense person.  She cares, she cries, she works and she loves harder than anyone I know.  The thing I admire most about her is her ability to achieve whatever she sets her mind towards.  She has perfect grades in school, a track star and a singer.  She is amazing and will be that way for the rest of her life.

  

3.                   My best friend

a.       My best friend has had a rough life and I could write several posts on it, if time allowed.  But here is the cliff notes version:  At the age of 16 she moved from Brazil, with her sister to live with her mother.  She and her mother never got along, but because the American schools are better, she decided the move was worth it.  At the age of 18, her mother kicks her out of the house because she could afford to keep a child.   Then, even though she had perfect grades, the high school she had spent three years at kicked her out because they claimed she had a high school diploma from Brazil.  She lost her scholarship for that.  She then had no money and had to pay for all her expenses.  So, she would 60 hours a week as a lifeguard and saved everything she could.  Eventually, she applied to school and received a large scholarship.  She now gets straight “A’s” as a chemistry/civil engineer, while going to school full time and working 40 hours a week.  She is the most amazing person I have ever met outside of my family and am glad to call her my best friend.

4.                     My father

a.       I think if I were to pick just one hero, I would choose my father.  He came from nothing.  His family was poor, his dad never around.  Beside the setbacks, he ended up recieving perfect grades all the way through grad school.  He was the father every child deserves and I can count on him for anything.  He is honest and straight forward and teaches me the value of working hard and caring for those you love.  A lot of times, people tell me that when you are a child you are supposed to realize that your father isn’t a super hero, that he is just a person.  Maybe I still have some growing up to do, because he is still my superman.

I think as a homework assignment, anyone who reads through this post should try to list their heroes and why they inspire you and comment if you have a special one.  It truly makes you appreciate all the amazing people you have in your life.

Learning to laugh at yourself

I think one of the most important traits anyone can pick up is the ability to laugh at oneself.  Because lately I have been a little bit less than perfect at getting everything out on time and because I want to be able to show importance of being able to laugh at yourself, I will tell you one of my most embarrassing stories.

            So it was a few years ago.  After a long day of tests, my friends and I decided to go out to dinner. It was a large group of people and almost all of them shared a few classes with me.  The table roared with conversation and laughter and the large table had split into many side conversations as it usually does.  At this point in the story, I was conversing with maybe one person and was being largely ignored by the group, so the waiter sees me and walks up to me and ask me if I would like a refill on my drink. 

            My drink wasn’t completely empty and I am pretty sure he only offered to refill my drink because he was bored and wanted something to do.  So he reaches over and picks up my cup and then looks at me and says through the noise:

            “Oh, would you like to finish this off?”

            I thought this was a strange request, but I figured he just wasn’t a wasteful person and didn’t want the amount of soda left in to cup to go to waste.  To this day, I do not know what compelled me to do this, but, for some reason, I decided to get up, out of my chair and sip the soda out of the cup WHILE the waiter was holding the cup.  Suddenly, the table got quiet and I looked up to see the waiter have a look of shock and disgust on his face.  It was at that moment I realized the waiter didn’t say, “Would you like to finish this off,” but rather, “Would you like to take your straw?”

            I sit in a quiet embarrassment as my face glows red and the waiter scurries away, straw and all.  The table gets quiet for a bit, until one of my friend looks at me and says, “Well, you are a dork” and the table bursts into laughter, me included.

            So yeah, the next day, everyone, including my teachers, made fun of me when hearing the story.  And yeah, even years later, I get people walking up to me with a cup saying “would you like to finish this off?”  But, I laugh alongside them.  Because if you laugh alongside them, then the world is filled with a little more laughter, and we all feel a little more amazing because of it. 

Doing what makes you happy.

I was talking to a friend just a minute ago and she told me that she is considering switching majors from biology to education.  She told me the main reason that she didn’t want to is because of the stigma that goes along with education majors.  This raises an important question: does it make you less amazing if you do something that is stereotypically easier? 

The answer to this question depends on why you are doing it.  If you are taking an easier path because you want work less, then probably not.  Hard work is a key to being amazing.  But, if you are doing to make you happier, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, then you are becoming more amazing.  Being amazing comes from within.  No matter how successful you are, there will be someone that will not think highly of you.  That’s just the way of life.  But, if you find yourself amazing, then you are making a step towards becoming amazing. 

So, change majors, take a chance, do something you love and don’t let anyone try to stop you.  You are in charge of your own happiness.

Knowing your faults

I know that I forgot to write Tuesday.  I could give you a list of excuses, but the honest truth is that I forgot.  This slip-up reminded me of a post that I have been meaning to write since I started this blog nearly a month ago: knowing your faults. 

A piece of advice given to me by my dad that I still use today is: unless it becomes necessary, don’t tell people your faults.  People will figure out your faults anyway, you probably do not want to give them a head start.  It’s not that having faults makes you less amazing, because I still hold the idea that everyone can be amazing. It’s that constantly telling people your faults shows lack of confidence and makes it so people can’t see past your faults.

  Of course, you should be able to laugh at yourself (a blog post I will give later).And, every once in a while, it is okay, or even encouraged, for you to make your faults public.  But, don’t make it a habit and remember to love yourself in the process.

            But, just because you don’t announce your faults in public doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t know them.  If you can’t dance and are not willing to take the time to learn, then don’t sign up for a dance contest.  If you know you are a slow reader, you should then plan more time to read a book then someone else who is a speed reader.  I think one step to become amazing is uncovering you faults and either try to conquer them and if that is not possible, then account for them.   

A quick update

So I am going to keep today a little bit short.  I actually do not have much to write.  My resolutions this week were going fine, but went a little sour when I grew ill.   So, once I completely recover from this illness, I will be back towards making great strides towards my resolutions.  Also, I want to apologize for being a day late on my post.  Days tend to run together when you are sick.

In other news, classes are going well.  I ended up breaking one of my cardinal rules of college and skipping class on Friday because I was under the weather.   I encourage college students to always attend class.  You never know what important material will be covered.  Also, attendance in class is critical to receiving those important professor recommendations.  Luckily, I only have one class on Friday and a friend who is willing to let me copy notes.

I will be starting back up on my research assistant job this Wednesday.  Because I was supposed to start on Friday, but grew ill, I have been working a bit from home.  They are giving me more responsibilities, which is both scary and exciting.  Alright, See you all on Tuesday.  

How to succeed and learn when you have a terrible professor

After just starting a new semester, I have had to face a pretty significant problem- I have a terrible professor.  This class is supposed to be one of the easier classes that I would have to take.  But because my professor is a terrible communicator and just over all clueless, I have had issues understanding the material.  So I have been researching and using my own personal experience to compile a list of ways to cope with a bad professor.

1.     If possible switch to another section or wait to take it a different semester

·         The first week in many colleges is an add/drop week.  If, when first meeting your professor, you realize that he/she is not a good fit for you, switch to a different professor, if possible.  Or, take it a different semester.  Unfortunately, for me, I must take it this semester and with this professor or else I will not be able to continue my major. Also, if the reason you cannot switch to a different professor is that the other class is full, then just sit in on the other class.  However, do not take this as an opportunity to skip your main class.  Only your teacher will know what is going to be on the test.

2.    Form a study group

·         No matter how bad the professor is, there is going to be someone in the class that understands the material.  Forming a group with other students can help you grasp important concepts.  Just be aware that study groups can just turn into unhelpful hang out sessions if you are not careful in keeping on task.

3.    Go to the Professor’s or TA’s office hours

·         Even if the professor is unhelpful during class time.  Some one–on-one help might be useful.  For example, I one time had a physics professor who I had trouble following during the lecture.  I began attending his office hours and he gave me extra help.  Because he was more focused on me and was able to move at my pace, I ended up with an A in the class.

·         Also, professors often have TAs that not only took the class with that professor, they received a high grade.  The TA knows how to survive the class and can give you helpful tips on the material.  If the TA is unavailable, you can try to find a friend who has taken the class before.

4.    Follow the book

·         Often times, bad teachers are lazy teachers.  This means that the material they have is straight from the book, and sometimes, (yes is has happened to me on more than one occasion) the tests are DIRECTLY out of the book.   If you keep up and take notes, you can succeed.

5.    Get a tutor

·         Some of my friends are fundamentally against getting a tutor- even if they are free.  It’s almost as if they would rather fail than admit they need help.    Tutors know the material and, unlike professors, were not hired for research.    The tutors are not hired if they don’t know the material, nor if they are poor teachers.  Often times, colleges have them for free or at reduced cost.

6.    Try to change your perspective

·         On personal experience, I have noticed that if I think a teacher is bad, then I can only see them as a bad teacher.  The truth is, sometimes it is our own minds that are keeping us from learning.  If we can see the teacher in a more positive light, we are able to affect our own ability to learn.

A strange surge of happiness

When I first announced to myself that I wanted to start the amazing quest, something occurred in me.  A strange surge of happiness is the best way to put it. I think it has something to do with the fact that I am actively trying to make myself a better person.  And when you put yourself out there and announce to the world that you want to be a better person, a funny thing happens- you start to feel like a better person

.

So becoming “amazing”  is a never ending battle, but I guess the first step is the hardest to take.  For those who are wondering, here is an update on how I am doing on the resolutions that I started yesterday:

            I did make it to the gym yesterday and spent 20 minutes dying on a stair master machine.  It is going to be a bit of time before I can make it the full thirty minutes, but I am getting there.  Today (meaning Monday) , however, I was forced to skip.  I grossly under estimated my homework load today and didn’t have time to go to the gym.  I know it is just an excuse, but I am allowed two rest days a week so I guess I should take one. 

            On other news, I did sign up for the color run this February in Jacksonville, Florida.  for more information click here: http://thecolorrun.com/ I am far away from completing a 5k, so this month’s exercise routine will be mostly dedicated to completing that. ( do prefer cardio anyway)

            I did eat five fruits/ vegetables both today and yesterday.  It is actually a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Who knew I had so little fruit in my diet?

            Finally, the procrastination has decreased.  I restarted a tried and true productivity technique.  I call my five big rocks.  This technique basically requires that the night before I write the five most important things I need to do for the day on a small post-it and place it in my agenda.  I most do nothing on that note and do not need to do anything more.  Even though it might seem like you are not doing enough.  (I mean, we all seem incredibly busy, right?) but five things a day, done consistently, adds up  to a lot. Anyway, here is a picture of my "big rock" list:

            Alright, see you all on Thursday!

An Update

Because of my trip to Italy, my last few posts have been very formal.  Which is good for the most part, but it is not exactly how I see this blog going.

So I would like to give a quick update on how my resolutions are working out.   So the short answer to that is well, about 50/50.  Once again, because I just got back from Italy, I have had trouble starting up.  This is why tomorrow, 1/13/2012 will be the first day on many of the resolutions.

However, my first resolution, this blog, has felt like a huge success to me.  Yes, I do not have followers and get really excited when I get a new page view, but I have been keeping at it.  I am sure to publish on promised days and I say things I truly believe.  Therefore, resolution one is at top status.

My second resolution, eating five fruits and vegetables a day, has not been quite as successful.  This has been mostly because I had not had time to go shopping since I had returned.  But, today, I changed that.  My fruits and vegetables have been bought and tomorrow will be a success.

The third resolution, exercising will start tomorrow.  It is very hard to exercise too much when you already walk ten miles on the 7 hills of Rome.

My final resolution, not procrastinating, probably needs some work.  Yes, I did finish my thermodynamics homework as soon as it was assigned as well as other big projects accomplished before the deadline.  But, I am less than thrilled about my work this week and hope to improve again.  

I will try to send another update pretty soon!  Here is a picture of me in italy to keep you going.

What does it mean to be amazing?

The word amazing is just as broad of a word as it could ever be.   And it is of common knowledge that dreams are accomplished easier if we can give a concise definition to them.   So here is how I define amazing:

1. Doing well on things that you spend your time

            It is alright to have different interests than everyone else.  In fact, it is encouraged.  But, for whatever you spend your time on, remember to put your best foot forward.  That being said…

2.  Except don’t do well on everything

            It may seem a bit contradictory to what I mentioned earlier, but it is important to try new things.  So, pick one or two things to do well and choose wisely, (Later, I will explain the importance of practicality) and then spend the rest of your time getting acquainted with what life has to offer.  The world is a book; make sure you don’t stay on one page.

3.  Love and be loved

            Think people often forget that love is not just between a significant other, but also, between so many people in your life.  Amazing people tell their friends and family they love them.  They form bonds and create memories.  You can never feel amazing if you are going at it alone.

4.  Be yourself, but a first rate version of yourself

            Everyone has something that makes them unique.  Everyone has their own series of faults, talents and just personality traits that we can really only associate with them.  Some people try to hide who they are.  They want to fit in, so they wear the same clothes and act the same.  They do things they don’t enjoy doing and they become something that they think they should be instead of something that they are.  To be amazing, you must not only accept who you are, you must embrace it.  Love your weirdness, your talents, and your quirks because if you didn’t have them, you wouldn’t be unique and that’s all that matters.  

An Amazing Look

Something I have noticed, mostly with woman, is issues with personal appearance. Makeup brands, clothing stores, hair products all make millions of dollars a year trying to improve the way we look. Many people furiously argue that society should not be so look concerned.  However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that the way that we present ourselves creates a sort of symbol to how we want to be treated. For example, a backwards baseball capped man with pants that ride lower than expected will be, and arguable want to be, perceived differently than someone dressed in clothes that one could only find on Madison Square Avenue. Regardless of whether you agree with how society perceives you, it is important to remember that it does. Because of this face, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1.     Style and fashion are different

o    Fashion changes with the season while style is the personal look that you have created.  Fashion changes all the time while style only grows as you do.  It is more important that you are comfortable with how you dress regardless of how what is fashionable in the season. 

2.     Know your look

o    How you want to be perceived is something that you need in mind. As the popular saying goes "dress for the job you want, not for the job you have."  Although showing up to work in a batman costume is not encouraged, it is vital that you look the way you want to be perceived.  I am not saying that you should spend your fortune buying clothes only found at high end stores. In fact, I am a frequent costumer of J. C. Penney and Target.  However, loving the way you look is a step toward loving yourself.  

3.     Be comfortable in your own skin

o    I have thick, wavy hair and for years I have been fighting it. I have spent hundreds of dollars on straitening irons, hair creams and anything else that might make me wake up looking like a movie star.  But recently I had the epiphany that if you can be comfortable with the way you look at your worst, then no amount of money will make you love the way you look at your best.  So, in order to boost my self-image.  Once a week, even it is only for an hour, I go outside embracing what I call my "natural beauty."  Sometimes it is just letting my hair stay curly and other times it is going out without make up on.  What surprises me is the amount of compliments I receive when I do this.  Everyone is naturally beautiful in one way and it is something you must believe.  

Small Victories

Everyone has goals; things that they want to accomplish, but cannot for some reason or another. However, time after time as much as we want and need to accomplish these things, we often give up after a couple of weeks, days, or even just moments.  Stopping this trend is a way to excellence.  One way I have found to stop, or at least deter the trend from happening too often is celebrating the small victories.

I define "Small victories" as the tiny milestones you hit before hitting your overall goal.  For example, say you want an A in your history class.  Receiving an A on your first test would be a small victory. How you choose to celebrate the victory is up to you.  Sometimes, I choose to reward myself with high marks by buying something that I would otherwise I would find a little too crazy to buy regularly. (It doesn't have to be something expensive; one of my rewards is buying the more expensive pen at Wal-Mart for acing my Calculus test).  But it can really be anything, really: letting yourself watch a movie, telling your mother, doing a cartwheel.  Just being afraid to be proud of you for the small things often deters us from accomplishing our big things.

Lately, I have been working on increasing the documentation of my life and trying to increase my writing skills.  So, I have started writing a journal.  Every night, before bed, I try to write in my journal.  Sometimes, it is just a sentence and sometimes it is a few pages.  I started the journal on June 12th and every month, on the 12th I write a sentence in the journal congratulating myself.  It sounds so silly, but honestly I get very excited about writing that sentence every month.  It brightens my day and lets me know that I am accomplishing a goal.  

I think celebrating the small victories is important. As I once read on interest "People say motivation doesn't last.  Well neither does showering, that why recommend it daily."  So celebrate the little things and remember that it takes thousands of steps to run a marathon. 

Where I Start

                 I am the type of person that wants to do everything at once.  I feel like I start running at full speed, which, at first, seems great, but eventually I run out of energy and revert back to a life style that no one would call amazing.  

                The best thing for me is to take one step at a time.  So I would like to share with you, a list of New Year’s resolutions that I have been debating on doing for a long time:

                The first of which is this blog. I feel like if I have something to call to every night, then I will be more likely to succeed. This blog will highlight my findings while trying “The Amazing Quest” along with different observations that I have found throughout life.    My goal is to post three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  And maintain the blog every off day.

                The next resolution that I am starting this first month, is eating better.  I eat terrible. I go to fast food, I have way too many sweets and I constantly miss my five servings of fruit and vegetables. Now, despite my terrible eating habits, I have managed to maintain a fairly thin body, so I do not want to exactly lose weight.  However, I would like to create a fairly balanced diet.  To begin, I would like to make sure that I receive my five servings of fruit and vegetables. Obviously, I will add more to my resolution as the year progresses, but I must do just one step at a time.

                My next resolution is exercise at least five times a week, thirty minutes a day.  I was about to accomplish this goal once before, by keeping an exercise journal.  But, unfortunately, that habit was lost when I lost access to a gym.   

                My final and most important resolution is to stop procrastinating.  Procrastinating is my worst habit.  I have a tendency to find all sorts of things more important than my work.  My goal is to do all simple homework (worksheets, math problems etc.) as soon as they are assigned and give assign unbreakable appointments with more time consuming projects.

Why I started

Why I started “The Amazing Quest”

                Everyone in life is given a certain set of gifts, an amazing set of talents that we are born with.  Life is about finding those talents and using them to make us happy.  Unfortunately, many of us don’t live up to our potential.  We waste time and money, give minimal effort to what is important to us and forget to do what we love.  The craziest part of all of this is we all have the potential to be, for lack of a better term, amazing. 

                I think that this idea came to me when I met this girl in my Physics class.  At first glance, she seemed completely normal.   However, after talking to her I realized that she was an amazing person. She double majored, with a 4.0 GPA and was looking into minoring in Physics. About month later, I found out that she had been nominated for a full bright scholarship.  After a rough semester at school, I realized that I was not doing the best that I could.  So I knew that I had to change.  After a few months of trimming and refining a set of resolutions, reading books and researching how people become successful.  I decided that it was time for me to start a new life style.  A life style where the hours I waste are dwarfed by the amount of hours that spend succeeding.  I want live up to my potential and become an amazing person.