Last week, we talked about how important it is to do your best while you’re in college. This week’s advice is a prerequisite to doing your best. It is one of those things in life that is so simple that it should go without saying. That being said, you will find that most people, your father included, often fail to take this simple step to help them guarantee success in what they do. That step is getting started.
The first step is often the hardest. That is because we often don’t know exactly where to start, or we simply dread the large amount of work that it is going to take to accomplish the task in front of us. Your first step in a new endeavor will sometimes be in the wrong direction, and you will have to change what you are doing in order to achieve your goal. You are going to make mistakes, and that further emphasizes why it is so important that you start as soon as possible. If you give yourself extra time, the mistakes that are coming are much easier to fix, and the stress related to fixing those mistakes is much less severe. As far as the large amount of work, every step you take means there is one less step. Every small step toward your goal gets you closer than you were before you took it.
Think of each semester as a marathon. It is much easier to cover 26.2 miles if you break it into weekly runs and don’t save it all for the last week. Every mile you run in the early weeks is a mile that does not have to be run later. That means that, toward the end, you will have less to do and will be able to finish stronger. You will find many people that will treat school like a sprint and wait until the end of the semester or test period and try to beat the clock. Some will do okay with that, but you will also see that the best students are the one that run the whole semester.
Simply put, don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the enemy.
On a side note, please remember how lucky you are to live in The United States of America. Even in tough times, this country is willing to let you do your best and allow you to accomplish more than you could ever imagine. The freedom and opportunity that you experience did not come without cost, and you should never forget that many gave their life so you can live in the society that you are in. Take advantage of the opportunities you have, but never forget the sacrifices that have been made for over 200 years so that you can have them.
God Bless America! Even those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway and Fayetteville, Ark. His primary area of practice is criminal defense. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com.