Strategies for Success Anyone Can Use!

Think of "Strategies for Success" as an umbrella that you stand under for coverage from what the world is throwing at you.  Each one of the spokes branching out from the center pole of the umbrella, making the canvas sturdy, is a strategy that helps you prepare to deal with distractions and obstacles.  How you face every day is a strategy itself.  The spokes, or strategies, that help you face those challenges may include:

1.  Goal Setting

2. Stress Management

3. Pushing Past Your Comfort Zone

Figuring out how to set goals is an important step when trying to get things accomplished.  The steps leading you to achieve your goal can certainly be incremental, but those steps must be confidently taken and help you advance toward your goal.  Many times we are so busy that we lose track of our goals and how to set them.  One of the biggest mistakes that we do is set goals that are out of reach.  Have you ever tried to quit smoking, only to last a few hours or maybe a few days?  Is quitting smoking on your agenda for this year?  If so, you may be starting out too big.  Instead, start out with a small attainable goal, possibly to minimize your intake of soda for the month.  Complete the goal and celebrate the success.  Click here to learn more about setting and accomplishing goals.

Do you have stress in your life?  Funny question, right?  Family, jobs, school and money are big sources of stress.  It is important that we relieve this stress, since long term exposure to it can cause us to gain weight, lose sleep and develop other health issues.  When you are stressed or doing something new that causes more stress, look for outlets to relieve it.  Here's a great website that shows you how to identify stress and its triggers, along with suggestions on overcoming it. 

The one area that I find causes me anxiety is when I feel uncomfortable about my surroundings or when I try to push past the boundaries of my comfort zone that I have set for myself over years of socialization.  Giving up those self-proclaimed boundaries can cause much anxiety even in a seemingly minor new situation.  This can be true when you join a gym, walk into a new bar or enter a school setting.  Thoughts run through my head like, will people think I am weird or maybe I will not fit in.  This type of anxiety is normal for adults who may be doing something that is not normal for them.  Understanding your comfort zone is the first step in learning how to push past it.  See this link for help with analyzing your comfort zone.

Best of luck to everyone as you work through your goals and strategies for 2010 and beyond!

Wade Black, Campus Dean, Tri-County Campus

Keith Grant, Campus Director, Tri-County Campus