0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views7 pages

Key Habits for Personal Success

Uploaded by

api-242679612
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
10 views7 pages

Key Habits for Personal Success

Uploaded by

api-242679612
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Running 1

head:

Draft

of

Final

Paper

Draft of Final Paper Kristin Elam California State University, Chico

DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER

Every person is made up of hundreds of different habits. We have so many that come naturally, we would never even think to call it that. Even though here may be numerous habits, only eight of those can lead to success. As we grow up, we learn which habits matter and which ones we could probably live without. The three that have the most impact in a persons life are responsibility, flexibility, and creativity. When was the last time you saw someone get a job lacking authority? How are you supposed to deal with unexpected problems if you refuse to change yourself? Can you really get far in life if all you can think about are the simple things? These are the questions that should always be asked when we go on with our everyday lives. The way we act defines who we are. Who do you want to be? I guarantee the word successful, or words closely related to that, popped into your head. To be successful today, a person must have the ability to strive for the best. And these three habits are the answers to all of these questions. College is a very difficult time in a young adults life. All of the new experiences, changes, and people can be very intimidating. Luckily, we are blessed with the skills of having or learning to obtain many helpful habits. Throughout this paper, I will be expressing the importance of these habits and how they have affected my life personally. Im not perfect. I know for a fact I dont possess all of these habits flawlessly. Just like every single person, I have habits I need to work on as well. Before I get into the most successful habits, Ill explain all of the other ones I could improve later on in my life. Curiosity has been in the back of our minds ever since we could crawl. Im sure I wasnt the only little kid who would run into things and do the strangest things because I was full of questions. I dont think curiosity is a bad thing necessarily. If it werent for our curious ways, there would never be any discoveries made in the world today. Its only natural to want to know how things work; its how we as humans are wired. We only have these wants because we can

DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER

acknowledge that there are gaps in our understandings of the world (Loewenstein, 1994). Sometimes, the wants our curiosity creates are not always going to end in a happy matter. When a person is curious, they will investigate. Over half the time, you will discover something you didnt want to see. I am definitely a victim of curiosity. I have ruined relationships in my past by asking too many questions. Ive also destroyed some studying opportunities a few times because I wanted to experience the night life of Chico. Sometimes, I wish I hadnt been so curious. The need for curiosity will ultimately lead to a new discovery or theory, rather that success itself. Getting someone to come out from under their shell could possibly be one of the most difficult things. Luckily, one of the habits to success is openness. Being able to open up to your peers will really help you later on in life. I was actually very surprised how open I felt with my assigned English group this semester. When we had to travel for our video project and spend hours together trying to create a video, it was very fun. Being open with my peers really helped me accomplish group work with them. Openness helps with making connections, feeling more comfortable about yourself, and being more aware of your surroundings. Im not saying these traits dont lead to success, because they most definitely do. The fact is; how open a person is really depends on their own personal traits. Openness as a fundamental dimension of personality (McCrae, Costa Jr., Hogan, Johnson, and Briggs, 1997). This quotation clearly explains the openness of a person can only be determined on their personality. Even though openness does help when trying to be successful, it isnt the most dominate habit to have. When the word engagement comes to mind, you probably think of a wedding. When someone becomes engaged, they are making the decision of devoting their whole life to be with one person. This doesnt just have to fall under being in love. Being engaged, to or about anything, is a huge commitment. Throughout the semester, we all had to maintain our own blog.

DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER

No, we didnt just write about our troubles and feelings. We would submit our write-ups onto them. This is something I really need to work on. I get distracted so easily and it really starts to affect my grades if it gets bad enough. When we were assigned to do an annotated bibliography, I did not engage myself well enough at all. I didnt have the desire to research what was needed in one, and I was marked down for it. Ill be honest here. This semester, my group and I really struggled on our persistence. I swear, we could never stay focused on anything for longer than fifteen minutes. Every now and then, I would harass my group members to do their work. They probably though I was nagging them like a mother, but we needed to complete our assignments. Even if as a whole we werent persistent with our work, I was definitely persistent when it came to deadlines. Thats something that I really like about myself. When I know a deadline is coming up, I make sure to meet it on time. Having this habit is something that will make me successful later on in like when I can master it. For now, I really need to work on how well and often I deal with my problems. I can guarantee the habit I need to work the most on is metacognition. My understanding on this habit is limited. According to the article Metacognition: An Overview, the author states Metacognition enables us to be successful learners, and has been associated with intelligence (Livingston, 1997). From this quotation, we see that this way of thinking can make us be successful when were learning. But what happens after we learn? My problem with this is that when I learn something new, all of my focus needs to put into that one certain aspect. Then, when I think Ive finally mastered it, my focus starts to weaken. I dont think about it as often and soon Im doing it wrong again. This happened when we had to write a love letter to one of our trees. We werent allowed to use the word love at any point throughout that letter. After I was done writing it, I had to go back and erase the world love a few times. I would stop thinking

DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER

about it and then I would end up writing it. Dont get me wrong, I think that metacognition can help someone be very successful. Its just a habit this is very hard to master properly. All of these habits listed above can indeed lead to a very successful life. Personally, they did not lead me to success in this class, or in my life in general. These next three habits have made this class more successful for me. Throughout the whole year, we have gone deeper and deeper into writing about nature and places. Not just how it makes us feel and all that other sentimental nonsense. We really had to be careful with what we wrote and exactly how we would interpret it. This is where the habit of flexibility came in. All of high school, I was forced to write a certain way or only keep things at a certain length. Then when I came to college, my writing seemed to gain for freedom than I did. Having this habit has only helped me improve with my writing. At the beginning of the semester I had a very concrete way of writing. Luckily, my ability of having flexibility in my work only benefitted me. I was able to change my writing style easily, and able to adapt to a new style also. This has really helped my success from a creative writing standpoint. To be successful, you have to be creative. You cant expect to get far in life if you continue to be dull and stay with the crowd. My whole life Ive always gone a little above and beyond or did things differently than everyone else. I have my own personal standards, so this called for some creativity. Even though this was not on my specific blog, it was on my groups tree project blog. On one of my trees, the Tam Juniper, I had to do a creative writing. It was actually quite fun trying to write as someone, or better yet something else. Even a little mite needs to sit back, relax, and enjoy some tea from a Tam Juniper (Elam, 2013, October 27th). In this writing, I wrote about insects that lived in this shrub, but it was actually their favorite coffee shop. Its relaxing just being able to let my mind wander; letting it create all of these new things

DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER

for me to write, paint, or design. Being creative makes you different than everyone else and being different will lead you to success. When we were younger, Im sure all of our parents had yelled at us some point in our lives about being responsible. This is because they want us to be successful later on in our lives. During the whole semester, especially in this class, I had to be very responsible when it came to group projects and turning in assignments on time. Looking back on my blog now, Im very happy with how much work and time I put into it. My first post on my website seemed more like a diary entry rather than a college level assignment. My more recent postings are much more thought out because I finally understood that I needed to apply myself if I wanted to succeed in this class. A lot of people could argue that being successful is bossing employees around, having tons of money, or even earning the best grades. All of these are just myths. Success is not defined about what you have accomplished, its how you got there in the first place. Flexibility, creativity, and responsibility are the habits that help you get to success the most efficiently. Of course the other five habits play a huge role in becoming successful as well. Either way, every single one of these habits will lead you to success. They help, or will help as a work towards them, on making me more successful as a student.

DRAFT OF FINAL PAPER

References Elam, K. C. (2013, October 27). Tam juniper. English Group #5. Retrieved from [Link] Livingston, J. A. (1997). Metacognition: An Overview. Metacognition: An Overview. Retrieved from [Link] Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. [Abstract]. Psychological Bulletin, 116(1), 75-98. Retrieved from [Link] McCrae, R. R., Costa Jr., P. T., Hogan, R., Johnson, J. A., & Briggs, S. R. (1997). Conceptions and correlates of openness to experience [Abstract]. Handbook of Personality Psychology, 24, 825847. Retrieved from [Link]

(author, year, month&day) citing blog

Common questions

Powered by AI

The document identifies personal traits as key factors determining the level of openness in individuals. This trait significantly influences their ability to engage with peers and form meaningful connections. Open individuals tend to be more accepting of new experiences and ideas, which can enhance social interactions and make group work more effective. The importance of openness in facilitating comfort and awareness in social settings is highlighted as it can lead to improved collaborations and relationships .

According to the document, metacognition is the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes, and it is closely tied to successful learning. Metacognitive skills enable individuals to evaluate their knowledge and understanding, helping them to identify gaps and focus on improvement areas. These skills are associated with intelligence and are crucial for becoming a successful learner by allowing individuals to plan, monitor, and assess their learning strategies effectively .

The document views curiosity as a driving force behind discovery and new theories, essential for understanding and innovation. However, it acknowledges potential drawbacks, such as the risk of uncovering undesirable truths or outcomes that can negatively impact relationships and opportunities. The author personally attributes curiosity to ruined relationships and missed study opportunities, highlighting that while curiosity leads to learning and discovery, it can also lead to unintended negative consequences if not managed carefully .

According to the author's perspective, responsibility plays a critical role in achieving success by ensuring that one is accountable for their tasks and commitments. It requires being disciplined and reliable, particularly in collaborative settings like group projects where others depend on one's contribution. The author reflects on the importance of responsibility during their semester to manage assignments and meet deadlines, emphasizing its value in building trust and dependability, which are essential for long-term success .

Flexibility in writing style is considered essential in a college setting because it allows students to adapt to diverse writing requirements and expectations across different disciplines and tasks. The document highlights that the ability to change writing styles helped the author benefit from college-level assignments by fostering creative expression and ensuring that the writing met varying criteria. This adaptability not only enhances academic performance but also builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills, essential for success in higher education .

The main challenges associated with maintaining engagement in tasks include distractions and a lack of intrinsic motivation, which can significantly affect academic performance. The document notes that the author struggled with staying focused on tasks, like maintaining a blog or completing an annotated bibliography. This lack of engagement led to insufficient research and lower grades due to incomplete or poorly executed assignments. Thus, engagement affects academic performance by determining the quality of work and the ability to meet academic obligations consistently .

The document suggests that creativity contributes to personal differentiation and success by encouraging individuals to think beyond conventional boundaries and approach tasks in novel ways. Creativity enables one to stand out among peers by offering unique perspectives and solutions. The author mentions enjoying creative writing as a method to express distinct ideas and narratives, implying that embracing creativity allows one to exploit their personal strengths and create innovative paths to success that are not bound by traditional norms .

The document suggests that openness as a personality trait influences a person's ability to succeed by facilitating better connections and peer interactions. Being open allows individuals to engage with others more freely, enhancing collaborative work and increasing comfort in social settings. However, the degree of openness depends on personal traits and is not the most dominant factor in achieving success compared to other habits like flexibility or creativity. While it is beneficial, its impact on success is individualized and contingent on personal temperament .

The document identifies responsibility, flexibility, and creativity as the three key habits crucial for personal success. Responsibility is important as it involves being accountable for one's actions and ensuring tasks are completed on time, which builds trust and dependability. Flexibility is necessary to adapt to new challenges and changes, allowing individuals to adjust their approach and improve their problem-solving skills. Creativity fosters innovation and allows individuals to differentiate themselves by thinking uniquely and developing new ideas. These habits collectively ensure a well-rounded approach to facing life's challenges and achieving goals .

The document explains that persistence is crucial for achieving educational goals as it involves maintaining focus and effort even when faced with challenges. The author shares personal experiences of struggling with persistence in group work and individual tasks. Despite these challenges, the author emphasizes the importance of being tenacious in meeting deadlines and pushing through difficulties, which are critical behaviors for overcoming obstacles and reaching academic success .

You might also like