Teen Success Ideas to Move Your Mind by Beatrice J. Elye Slide Show of Significant Excerpts for School Success Compiled and arranged by Carolyn Harrell Chapter 15 pages 121-127 Determination and Persistence: Overcoming Obstacles and Difficulties

Characteristics of Successful People Throughout History Perseverance Determination Persistence When you set high goals, you are likely to encounter obstacles and difficulties. That’s why these things are important

Ideas are cheap, but transferring ideas into practice is not, precisely because it requires effort, and all labor has a price. The Report Card: E enjoy thinking things up (E for effort) C conceive of ways to implement ideas B convert ideas into action A actualize ideas making them useful to others

Do not try to solve everything mentally apart from physical productivity. Commit ideas to paper. Even the tiniest success feeds determination, and problems become incentives for solutions.

Work intently. A natural tendency is to wander off-target into distractions. Pencil tapping, a finger itch, thirst, or pleasant daydreaming interrupt constantly. Discipline yourself. Cultivate a stubborn streak; refuse to quit.

Achieving Under Pressure Delete nonessential activities to spend more time on the project Get a fresh start How you handle deadline pressure, or any other pressure, is vitally important Think life would be less interesting without challenges, not “why does this always happen to me” Don’t give in to the “paralysis of perfection” and fail to accomplish what is possible.

Meeting Deadlines When deadlines are set, try to understand clearly what steps will be involved. Try to meet deadlines honorably. If you cannot meet a deadline, address the problem immediately (postponement, get help, do something to work it out) You aren’t a failure; you failed in this, so fix it. Be aware of procrastination so you can do something about it.

Summary Determination and persistence get the job done. Time pressures can be creatively managed. Habits of procrastination can be changed with effort. Patience and impatience affect your use of time.

Words of Wisdom When I keep putting something off, it may not be procrastination, but a decision I’ve already made and not yet admitted to myself. -Judith M. Knowlton Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. -Christopher Parker There is a time to let things happen and a time to make things happen. -Hugh Prather Studies indicate that the one quality all successful people have is persistence…There’s a very positive relationship between people’s ability to accomplish any task and the time they’re willing to spend on it. -Dr. Joyce Brothers Never let your persistence and passion turn into stubbornness and ignorance. -Anthony J. D’Angelo The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in determination. -Tommy Lasorda I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. -Douglas Adams