Just keep swimming

“Success is the sum of small efforts day in and day out”  

–Robert Collier

For students or anyone who is going through similar things.

 We all know that if we don't put in hard work and effort, we don't succeed or at least do better than we hoped for.

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Many students, young or mature, face plentiful of 'setbacks'. Those that make us feel horrible (I had the urge to say crap, oh, I just said it), as if we're not good enough, or we're not as good as we thought we were. You see other students putting less effort than you, yet why is it that we're not getting results? Or even, why is it I can't work properly? C'mon, I'm pretty sure some of you-wait, I mean a lot of you must've felt like that or that thought like that before. You cry or get depressed over your 'failures' *shivers at the word* and then set targets and goals to 'fix' things in your life, and then basically falling back to square one again...That sucks. I've spoken people who felt as if their future was over and thought that there was no point in trying anymore because they will just fail *shivers* again. It makes me sad when I think about it. Yes it's true that their work ethic probably wasn't great, but the fact that they're giving up on themselves just makes me sad. Ok, I probably just ruined the sentimental feeling in that sentence, but I couldn't think of a different word other than sad. Think of it as like a circle that you're stuck in. We all need to GET OUT. Break from your constant returning to nothing.

"Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was"  

-Richard L. Evans

So what should you do?

Face the reality. You need to face the fact that you've probably messed up, perhaps a little bit or big time. Nothing in life is easy, but then we gotta keep going no matter what. *imagines Dory singing "just keep swimming, swimming..."* You haven't put in the effort or haven't put in enough effort to obtain results that pleases YOU. Remember, it's not about what people think you should do, it's about what YOU want to do and then beyond. The beyond part is pretty important. I'd say it is about improving one's self, looking for ways to not reach perfection but to catch excellence. So with that in mind, you gotta pay for your past. Things come with a consequence! One does not do badly in a test and then expect to just work the same or less and expect to get higher results the next time-NO! Reflect on your wrongs guys...Once you've realised your faults, it's time to move on.

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Moving on. The thing most people are scared of is failure. You may have already noticed that I don't like that word...It's just so negative! There's no point in being pessimistic, although I admit that I've thought about the negatives before, because by doing so you'll just attract the negative things. I know it sounds like a whole load of 'baloney' (I don't even know or care how to spell it), but think about it first. If you think positive then your outlook in life will be positive and bright. You'll tackle new things and challenges with a clearer mind because you're thinking "Hey, I can do this!". However, if you think negative all the time, your thinking will only be clouded with doubts, anxiety and fear. We don't want that do we?

"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty"  

-Winston Churchill

Sometimes it is difficult to think positive all the time since in certain situations, the things that we can 'see' the most are the problems and worries. I can't remember the name from the top of my head, but I remember someone telling me about a book which describes a similar thing to what I've just mentioned. Oh! I remember now: The Book of Secrets. I think? HaHa. Ok, back to where I was...Ah, oui. The thing preventing people from moving on from their 'past' is being scared of falling back again. I don't think I need to repeat what many people say about that "it's not about the amount of falls you have, but the amount of times you get back up". I agree with that, but you can't keep 'falling' back down and then expecting to get back up. It's the circle thing all over again. What we all need to think about is that this time, when you get up, you're geared to keep going and expect to achieve things this time.

"The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing that you will make one"   

-Elbert Hubbard

Set things straight. Now it's about time to finally start getting a move on. It sounds rather 'cheesey'...but whatever. Make a list of your targets. I know this may not suit to everyone's taste, but for those wanting to give it a go, try it. =) Get a piece of paper or a notebook and list down things that you want to change. Like New Year's resolutions, they can be like: "Going to sleep at an earlier time"; "Make sure I don't get distracted online": "Stop procrastinating" *ew, that word*; "Study more"; and so on. Now keep that list safe because that will be something that you should check once in a while to see if you're following it well. YES, I know many people's 'resolutions' don't go to plan-like all the time. I thought this time would be different, eh? So ya, make them do-able. =') To motivate yourself, keep a diary or an academic diary and write in a few quotes by others or even anything that helps you keep going.

Action. Words words words...They're nothing, in this situation, until you do something about it. Actually follow your action plan. We want results from the exams! This all sounds a bit military, but if you're aiming for a profession such as a Doctor, Dentist, Barrister, etc. I'm sure you already know that hard work lies ahead of you and so you need not put in 100% effort but double that! Je ne me donnerais pas à 100%, mais plus encore. > < Keep yourself up to date with things and remember, trust in God!


I hope this post will somewhat encourage at least some of you.
If any of y'all decide that "I need change!", let me know. ;)