SEVEN STEPS TO SUCCESS
Step 1: Decide on your goal, and know your deadline
It's important to be absolutely clear on what
your goal is, so you'll know when you get there. A goal like 'become
famous' for example is no good, it's too vague.
'Complete an animation course, create a 5 minute showreel and apply
for work experience at 5 companies' is much better. It might sound like a
lot of hard work, and it will be. But now you're clear on exactly what
you need to do.
If there isn't a natural deadline, like an exam, then choose a
deadline, and write it on your calendar. This might move, but you need a
date to focus on.
Step 2: Make an effective plan
Use our Brainsmart
planner and
tips sheet to organise everything you have to do in the time you have to do it.
Step 3: Think ahead: What sort of help will you need?
Look round corners – you now know what you've got to do and when, but
will you need any expertise or practical help to get there? If so,
don’t leave it to the last minute, contact people early.
Step 4: Stay motivated
A big goal will require a lot of hard slog, and a lot of persistence.
You need to keep your energy and enthusiasm levels high, and this is
within your own control. Here’s how to
motivate yourself.
Step 5: Don't get stressed
Easier said than done when your project starts to go off the rails... but if you understand what stress is, you’ll be able to
manage it better.
Step 6: Prepare for the Big Day
Many people’s goals involve a ‘performance’ of some kind at the end,
whether it’s an exam, a job interview, or an important audition. Anxiety
about this big event can ruin all your hard work just when it matters.
However you can reduce your anxiety greatly by taking control of the
situation. Successful sportspeople know how to do this, and here's how
the rest of us can
learn from them.
Step 7: Perform like a champ when it counts.
Time for another lesson from the world of sport psychology. Your
brain’s like a computer in the sense it only has a certain amount of
capacity for conscious thought. Worrying and wobbles are the result of
your mind focusing on scary imaginings of Bad Stuff Happening. If you
can, increase your focus on the positive aspects of what you need to do,
then you’ll have less mental space left for anxious speculation. Manage
your mind, in other words. Decide in advance what you're going let it
think about - it'll make a big difference.
Got all that?
Now, go for it!
