A Bride Worth Billions (76 page)

Setting goals is truly an exciting start towards success; but what really matters most is your attitude while attaining your end-points.

We usually hear a lot of students saying that schooling is exciting during the first day, but later on, it gets boring and tiring as we are being given numerous tasks simultaneously. Every single day in school adds up a heavy bag under your eyes. Waking up early, doing a bunch of school works, and staying up late at night may be your routine; and it gets a little less exciting every day until semester break is finally within your reach.

What does really distinguish an attitude of a successful person from everyone else?

Almost all scientists never invented successfully with just a snap of a finger. Thomas Edison, a very well-known inventor of the light bulb and the phonograph dedicated a lot of time, effort, and hardwork to create some of the greatest inventions in the world.

Presented below are some of the ways to stay focused and organized.

1. To-do-list

From the goals you set, enumerate the specific things needed to be done. In addition, have a ranking of your priorities and list them in your to-do-list. This will help you to become more organized and more aware of your responsibilities. Place this list where you can see it easily and frequently to serve as your reminder. Furthermore, do not limit your creativity. Make this list as colorful and as artistic as you can so that you will feel happier and energized as you take a glimpse of the list.

2. Time-Management

A to-do-list should be accompanied by time-management, or it will lose its purpose. As stated earlier, the list should be done with ranking in accordance to their corresponding priority. Time is also a factor in this ranking process. Thus, while doing the list, you are also applying the concept of time-management.

Time-management is an important process and skill that a student needs in order to be successful. This entails being mindful of the time allotted for each task, along with the deadlines or target dates. It is a skill because it is only through practice that one may be able to master the art of managing time. This is difficult especially if you are not used to organizing your schedule ahead of time, but with constant practice, it will be easier and you will get used to a wise spending of your time.

Focusing in your goals should be done hand-in-hand with keeping yourself motivated. The most obvious way to keep you going is to remind yourself of your goals. Whether a short- or a long-term goal, it should be rewarding enough to keep you determined and inspired. Remind yourself that there is a benefit and gain by accomplishing your goals.

Another way to be highly motivated is to think of a way on how to make your boring routine a more fun one. For example, instead of taking a bus to go to school, why not try riding a bicycle instead? You may also choose to study as a group to make learning more interesting.

Lastly, track your progress. Always remember how you started and  compare it to your current progress. Do you want to waste all your time and effort that you spent all this time? If no, then never stop reaching your goal.

Here are some of the things that the motivated persons do:

1. They never give up.

Whenever they experience failure, they take it as a challenge. They forget all the negative feelings and think of it as an opportunity to be better and aim for higher goals for a higher achievement.

2. They rise up early.

Most of the persons are better performing during morning where less distractions occur. It also increases one’s creativity, which is to be discussed in the third of this book.

3. They will never get tired of reading.

Reading makes you smarter. A highly motivated person is always into learning something new.

4.  They are thankful and optimistic.

They are truly grateful of all their experiences, whether good or bad. They look at life in a brighter perspective compared to the less motivated ones.

5. The sky is the limit.

As stated above, they never get tired of trying until they reach their goal. After that, they set higher goals.

6. They ask for help.

They are not ashamed of admitting that they need help and guidance. They ask questions when they cannot understand something. Through these, they will become better for they accept who they are. In addition, they will also learn from others’ guidance.

Staying on the track is never an easy task especially if nothing new happens each passing day. It is truly difficult, especially if we are piled up of assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams; but this is the true test of our endurance and perseverance. You should never get tired of doing the same tasks every single day for every time you try, you are a step closer to your goal.

It is true that your health is your wealth. Nothing will happen to an intelligent, yet sickly child. Catching colds and cough frequently, having a recurring attack of asthma, or having brain drain is an obstacle to being a successful student.

Here are some of the ways to keep you physically and mentally healthy:

1.  Eat nutritious foods.

Whole grain
is needed by both our body and mind as we work physically and mentally. Choose whole grains with low GI (glycaemic index) to keep you highly energized throughout the day. This also aids in burning fat. This includes wheat bran, brown pasta, brown cereal, and granary bread.

Blueberries
, a.k.a. brain berries, are proven to enhance the motor skills of the aging rats.  It protects the brain from stress and reduces the effects of aging. Furthermore, it improves short-term memory. Lastly, it may be eaten fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried.

Broccoli
is always ignored but should be eaten as frequently as possible for  it is a good source of Vitamin K, which aids in cognitive development. In addition, it also helps the brain in healing itself when it has an injury.

Nuts and seeds
contain Vitamin E that lessens cognitive decline and aging of brain. It may be eaten roasted or raw.

Dark chocolate
increases the flow of blood in the brain and contains antioxidants that reduce the aging of the brain.

Salmon
, which contains omega-3 fatty acids, are beneficial to the brain for the said nutrient helps in preventing brain diseases and can even help in improving your mood.

Avocados
are rich in potassium that oxidize your brain. It also helps in increasing blood flow in the body. In addition, it lowers your blood pressure, thus keeping the brain healthy.

Blackcurrants
are a great source of Vitamin C, which improves your mental agility.

Red wine and champagne
are good for the brain when taken moderately. The EGCG found in red wine stops beta-amyloid proteins that harm the brain cells. The champagne, moreover, improves the spatial memory of rats with a daily equivalent of a glass.

Eggs
contain DHA, which is an omega-3 fatty acid, that establishes connection between neurons and helps them keep their shape.

Sweet potatoes
are rich in Carotenoids, which give it an orange color. It helps in producing more neurons and find connections with other neurons. In addition, it also has a low gylcaemic index.

Spinach
is a great source of Vitamin B that is very beneficial to the brain in many ways. It is also rich in folate, which helps in the formation of neurotransmitters that aid for thinking and learning.

2. Exercise more often.

Brain cells are just like any cell in the body that needs exercise. Going to the gym does not only keep you in shape but also your brain. Exercise increases the flow of oxygen to the brain. It also helps in releasing a great amount of hormones that improve the growth of brain cells.

There are exercises that involve both physical and mental effort like ballroom dancing. The rhythm and strategy in the dances greatly improve the cognitive function of the brain.

Thus, what is good for your heart is also good for your brain. An aerobic exercise should be done every day for it is good for the brain. It even serves as your repair for damaged brain cells. Likewise, morning exercise is beneficial for you as it aids in the retention of new information.

3. Get enough sleep.

For numerous laboratory tests, it is proven that a good night’s sleep results in a better memory and brain function. Lack of sleep or shut-eye increases the risk of having an Alzheimer’s disease.

Presented below are the functions of brain while sleeping.

A.  It makes creative connections.

According to a study done on 2007 by the University of California at Berkeley, sleep is a creativity-booster, which improves a person’s ability to connect two different ideas by 33%.

B. It aids in learning physical tasks.

During REM, the short-term memories located in the motor cortex are being converted to long-term memories through their transfer to temporal lobe. Therefore, if you want to play better, then sleep longer.

C. It removes toxins.

The experiment conducted by the researchers of the University of Rochester proved that sleep effectively removes toxins in the brain. While sleeping, the space between the brain cells increases that allows the brain to clear all toxic molecules that continues to accumulate while awake.

D. It aids in decision-making.

While asleep, the brain produces complex stimuli that aid in the decision-making process while awake.

E. It makes and combines memories.

During REM and non-REM sleep, the brain combines the old memories with the newer ones. Thus, it helps us to connect what we recently learned to the past lessons taken up. Furthermore, pulling an all-nighter makes you drop your learning ability by 40%.

4. Take a break.

Studying for a test does not necessarily mean staying up late at night and study all throughout. It will only make you more tired, thus unable to memorize and analyze what you are studying. It is good to take a break once in a while, straighten your back, and take a deep breath. Drink a cup of hot chocolate while studying to boost your memory and mood.

If you are not easily distracted of sounds, you may also listen to your favorite songs or even classical music, which relaxes the mind, therefore improving memory, mood, and energy. Moreover, a blue wall also affects the mind for it is known as the calming color.

Staying mentally healthy may also be achieved through:

a. sharing interests with others;

Participating in clubs and organizations that suits your interest will help you to relax and enjoy with others. It also helps you to establish a wider range of connection. Through them, releasing stress will be easier.

b. talking about your feelings with other people; and

Sharing will help you to release stress, whether emotionally or mentally. This is an aid to clear all negative thoughts to keep you going and motivated throughout your course.

c. accepting your limitations.

If you accept who you are, what you are capable of, and what your limitations are, your life will be happier and at ease. It will also help you to know which areas or aspects can be improved for a better school performance.

Students, nowadays, instead of studying, are being swayed by a lot of distractions. Instead of carrying out their tasks on time, they tend to prioritize unnecessary things. They slack off, party, and play video games before they will have the motivation to study. The day before the scheduled examinations or quizzes and deadline of the projects, they find themselves staying up late at night, cramming or procrastinating for their responsibilities that should have been done earlier.

Cramming is when you study too much information within a short period of time. This is usually done the night before the examinations. Being loaded with large amount of information is proven to be ineffective and inefficient, resulting to low scores and grades.

Cramming is always linked with procrastination. Procrastination is the act of intentionally putting off or delaying the tasks that should be done. It may also involve starting a project early but stopping when you get bored; and you just cram the night before the deadline.

The negative effects of cramming and procrastination are shown below.

1. Impaired thinking and memory

Seung Schik-Yoo, an associate professor from Harvard Medical School, suggests that lack of sleep impairs the thinking and memory capacity of a student. It also increases their risk of permanent mental damage. In addition, those students who sleep normally can consequently perform better in school than those who do not.

2. Anxiety and Bipolar Disorder

A medicine professor from Boston, Susan Redline, found a connection between sleep deprivation and psychological disorders such as anxiety and bipolar depression.

3. Obesity and Diabetes

Series of tests have been conducted that gave proof that chronic sleep loss is linked with increased risk of obesity and Diabetes. Sleep deprivation also results to increased activity in neuronal populations that make you crave for food while trying to stay awake.

4. Heart Attack

Studies have shown that too much caffeine, which aids you in staying up late, can cause stroke or heart attack. The World Health Federation said that fifteen million in the world suffer from heart attack. Six million of them died and five million were left permanently disabled. One of the common causes of this is caffeine. Thus, moderate consumption of coffee can reduce the risk of heart problems.

5. Poor eating patterns

Students who take pleasure in caffeinated drinks too much to keep the midnight oil skip meals. They tend to choose low-calorie, yet high-fat snacks that impair their thinking capacity as it starves not just your body, but also your brain. This is worsen by skipping healthy meals and foods like kiwi, salmon, and nuts.

6. Inconsistent performance and grades

The University of California Los Angeles conducted a test with participants of 535 high school students who recorded and kept track of what happened to them for fourteen days. It showed that sleeping hours declined from 7.6 to 6.9 hours each night, proving that a sleepless night cause academic problems.