Character Traits

Motivation is a powerful tool for success. The degree to which you can remain motivated and continue to make forward progress determines whether you realize the life goals that you establish. But the reward for being motivated isn’t just raw goal accomplishment. The accompanying benefits of being motivated are numerous - and they can change your life.

When you fully understand these benefits of motivation, you can make motivating yourself a lifelong habit. Take a look at the following motivating traits and choose which ones (or all) can help you:

1. Creativity: Motivated people think more clearly. They focus more intellectual resources on their current project, and the result is more creativity.

2. Energy: People who are motivated actually need less sleep - not because they’re on a constant adrenaline rush but because they possess a genuine, energizing excitement.

3. Flexibility: Motivated folks have discovered that flexibility is a developed skill that doesn’t depend on circumstances. When their circumstances change, they’re more open to bending to deal with the situation rather than being rigid about an outcome.

More to come tomorrow...stay tuned!

What's Your Motivation?

Which is more important? (a) a student who wants to do well in school (b) or the student has the ability to do well in school? What are your thoughts?

Motivational Monday! Let's make it happen!

Motivation is one of the most important keys to success. When there is lack of motivation you either get no results, or only mediocre results, whereas when there is motivation you attain greater and better results and achievements. Compare a student who lacks motivation and who hardly studies, to a student who is highly motivated, and who devotes many hours to his studies; they will get absolutely different grades.

The question is what to do when interest and enthusiasm wanes? How to persevere when there isn't enough willpower and self-discipline? The program or goal might seems worthwhile, but there isn't enough inner strength to pursue them. Self-defeating habits, negative programming, and lack of inner strength stand in one's way. You need to keep your desire and inner flame alive and focused on your goal. So what can you do about it?

# Devote 10 minutes a day to reading and thinking about the benefits of what you want to do or accomplish.

# Read every day about people who achieved success by being tenacious and persistent.

# Every day, find a quiet place, and for several minutes visualize yourself acting with enthusiasm and motivation.

# Every success requires dedication, time, perseverance and tenacity. This means that you should not give up quickly. There is a well known story about a gold prospector, who, after digging to some depth did not find anything, gave up and went away. Then someone else came, and after digging just a few inches more, struck gold. You need to be patient and persistent, even if you see no progress, because success might be just a few inches away.

# Never condider what you are doing as drudgery. With some thinking and some changes you can turn it into a pleasurable activity.

# Once you decide about anything, go on with it, even after you lose enthusiasm and desire. Don't give up, even if what you are doing seems to be like a burden and drudgery. Don't give up, even if you feel bored. Just keep telling yourself about the benefits of what you are doing, and keep thinking and visualizing how it will be like after accomplishing what you have set to do.

Remember, this is your own life, and you are responsible for it. Why succumb to laziness and negative programming? This might not be easy, and there might be obstacles on the way. Yet, keep thinking about how happy you would be after achieving success, and how your life would change, if you disregard laziness, negative thoughts, negative programming and the fear of hard and sustained work. You need to keep your mind on the goal, no matter what!

Be and stay Motivated!

The number of college admissions officials using Facebook to learn more about an applicant has quadrupled in the past year, underscoring the effect social media has on U.S. culture and academic life, a survey shows. Googling is nearly as prevalent...

Nearly a quarter (24%) of admissions officials at 359 selective colleges say they used Facebook, up from 6% the previous year, and 20% used Google to help evaluate an applicant...

Is it ok for college admissions officers to search for you on social websites?

Agree or Disagree and why?

CLASS OF 2012!

Ready! Set! Smile!

PDA is preparing for senior pictures on October 19th!

Your portrait day is approaching, this is one of those senior memorable moments, so make it special! Your senior pictures will be with you for the rest of your life, so come with your best smile, best look and most fabulous poses!

Some of the best ideas for senior portrait poses come from you! Let your creativity reign and imagine the impossible!

"We do not remember days; we remember moments."

The weekly theme at Princeton Day this week is...."What's your motivation? Think about it what drives you to want to perform or do your best in every area of your life?  What makes you want to get up each morning come to school and give it your best?

Motivation is a driving force. In order to accomplish anything, you need a driving force, otherwise nothing will happen. A wish is not strong enough to make you take action. A wish is a weak desire. Only a strong desire can drive forward, to act and accomplish aims and goals.

In order to get motivated, you need to know exactly what it is that you want, to possess a strong desire, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish your goal.

Motivation is the powerful engine that moves you towards success and accomplishments in every area.

Today I choose to.............

Be Happy

Be Encourged

Be Excited

Smile

Laugh

Help someone

Be a good friend, daughter, sister, aunt

Be the best, accepting nothing less

Love

Forgive and move on

Look defeat in the face and perservere

Be faithful

Be patient

Be unique

Listen

Be fair

"Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it."

Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.

At what do you want to succeed? are you willing to "knock long enough and loud enough at the gate" and keep at it?

We make choices. Every day, we choose many times, from the moment we wake up, until the time we choose to fall asleep. What makes this interesting, however, are how many times we believe that we didn’t have a choice, and acted as if something was decided for us, including our reaction.

Answer some questions:
■ Is rest and sleep important to you? What time did you go to sleep and wake up? What did you do instead of going to sleep? Which choices did you make instead?
■ Is your health important to you? What did you choose to eat yesterday? How much time did you schedule for your fitness?
■ Is your future important to you? What moves did you make yesterday towards advancing that future? What did you do with your time instead?

If you stopped and answered those questions honestly, you’d see your choices in action. But more interestingly, you’d hear the voice of guilt, the voice of justification, the voice that excuses make to dull your guilt. You’d hear many little decisions and self-talk click in, all of which serve a purpose (most of which is the purpose of avoiding pain and discomfort, or the perceived pain and discomfort we associate with guilt).

What I’m saying is that we all grow very comfortable with our excuses and justifications. This impacts how we do our job. This impacts how we relate to those we love. This impacts how we face every moment of the day.

And the gravitational PULL of excuses and justification are huge. Think about it. “I really should work out today, but I’ve got so much stuff on my plate.” The word “but” is your indication that you didn’t mean what you said in the first half of the sentence.

The truth is, in the above example, you will always have so much stuff on your plate, and if you don’t, the excuse will be that you really should work out, but you’ve gotta search for work, so that you can have a lot of stuff on your plate.

I’m right there with you. I’m addicted to excuses the same as you, the same as everyone. But that’s also not an excuse, not license to do nothing. It’s a call to action.

If you don’t have a direction or goal or path in mind, how will you know you’re going the right way?  I recently set some short and long term goals/committments in my life, I now have a very simple path that I can clearly explain. When I’m not on the path, it’s really clear. So I make choices that keep me on that path. There are no excuses allowed for this! The trick to this all is creating enough simple paths and putting success in our way every day. But then beyond that, it’s becoming acutely aware of choices, and of seeing each moment that they come up as an opportunity to practice the response that is in better alignment with your goals.

One last point and then I’ll let you go. The more times I choose to honor my paths and avoid excuses and justification, the more times I can leverage that success for other things. There’s a snowball effect at play here. The more we can work on our choices, the more times we can have small victories and bring that success to bear on other choices in our lives.

If you stopped right now and just wrote five choices you’d like to think about today and for the rest of the month – just five, I bet you’d have a better time of things. If you had even the simplest of guides to the path you’d prefer, versus what comes up or what can be excused and justified, even if this is just a starting point for something else, I promise you’d feel better.

What do you think? Are you willing to make that choice?

Play or Win?

If you were a top-flight athlete, would you go to a team where you knew you could play, or would you go to a team where you thought you would win?

If you had to choose between sitting on the bench until your number was called for a team with a real chance at greatness or being an important contributor to a team that had to overachieve just to succeed, which would you pick?

Actually, it's never as simple as "play or win." But let's make it that simple. I'm asking you, directly, what you would do. Would you choose to play or would you choose to win?

Organize your college selection process.

For many, the prospect of choosing a college to attend can be overwhelming.  Because it’s such an important decision, the idea of managing all the applications and remembering all the deadlines can seem overwhelming.  By purchasing some basic office supplies and following these simple directions, you can set up a system that will keep you organized.

What to buy at your office supplies superstore:
•A large, academic year, laminated wall calendar
•Packages of colored pens, hi-lighters, and dry erase markers (match the colors and get as many colors as there are colleges you’re considering)
•A pocket-sized calendar
•A piece of posterboard
•A box of 1/3-cut, manila file folders, with adhesive labels
•A file box with hanging files

What to do with it:

The file folders and box are to hold materials you receive from colleges and scholarship applications.  Use half the hanging files for each purpose (college materials and scholarship applications), and label accordingly.  One folder should be labeled for each college (i.e. ohio university, thomas more college, kentucky state university).  One folder should be labeled for each scholarship you know about, plus several extras should be placed in the back for scholarships you become aware of later.

The posterboard is to keep track of the pros and cons of each of your schools.  Using a marker, simply divide up the posterboard into boxes, one for each school.  Using the colored pens, write the name of the schools, one at the top of each box.  Next, write a plus sign in the top half and a minus sign in the bottom half.  After you’re done, post it on your wall (somewhere everyone can see it).  Then write down things you like and don’t like about your schools in their boxes.

The laminated wall calendar is for posting on your wall with the posterboard described above.  On it you will label all the important deadlines at the schools you are considering, as well as college visits and college fair dates.  Assign one color marker to each school and write all of that school’s dates in that color.  Assign one color to all individual scholarships, and use that color to list all of their deadlines. 

The pocket-sized calendar is for you to have a copy of your wall calendar with you all the time.  Copy everything off the large calendar into the small one.  Carry it and use it.

Now you have a system to organize applications and scholarship materials, as well as a look at your deadlines and your thoughts about each college.  It will help insure you don’t miss any deadlines and keep all the information you receive together and organized.  It will also allow your family to keep up with what you’re doing and thinking about the process.

This week at Princeton Day our focus theme is "Choices"......

"You are the product of the choices you make..."
Wayne Dyer

Life is all about choices. We create our life with our thoughts and the choices we make. Each choice leads to a consequence. We create our own possibilites. We are making choices all the time; so we have to learn to be careful and make responsible decisions - since they will be affecting our lives in a negative or positive way. We have to learn to act in a responsible manner if we want our lives to be better and more fulfilling. If we act irresponsibly, we will pay the consequences. We are responsible for what happens to us!

We all have the ability and the freedom to make choices... make the right ones!

• Consider other people's feelings and reactions and the consequences that your choices will have.
• Our choices affect our self-esteem!

Life can be an adventure if you make the right choices and become a positive thinker. Just do your best and listen to your heart.

So... CHOOSE to be aware!

milquetoast \MILK-tohst\ , noun;

1.A very timid, unassertive, spineless person, especially one who is easily dominated or intimidated.

He played the quintessential meek, scrawny, milquetoast character.

-- Iris Johansen, Fatal Tide

It was hard to believe that a milquetoast coward like myself could be involved in such a clandestine and dangerous operation.

-- Walter Mosley, Fear of the Dark

Excuses

The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours - it is an amazing journey - and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins. ~Bob Moawad

Legendary basketball coach John Wooden famously had three rules for success he demanded of his basketball players. “Do not whine, do not complain and do not make excuses.” These rules are not just designed to bring success in basketball; they are designed to set up a mentality that helps you succeed in all areas of life. Making excuses is one of the most powerful things to limit your success in life. Making excuses means you never confront a problem and take responsibility, ensuring it is never solved. You merely look at it through a different lens and justify failure for an external reason.

1. Decide what the final outcome you desire is and recognize when you are making excuses
2. Take responsibility and always look in the mirror as an initial reaction. There is an old saying that rings true: "Things are not how they are, they are how we perceive them to be.” People who make excuses see problems and blame some other person or external event for why it happened. This may protect your ego and give you justification when people ask why you did not succeed. It will not help you succeed
3. Be persistent when failure comes along and keep fighting. You do not always have to justify and make excuses for failing

Good Night~

Good Morning

Too often I hear teenagers say that nothing they do makes a difference. You do not have to effect change on a global level to make a difference. You change the world with the daily interactions you have with your family, friends, and people in your community. The simple things you do make the world a better place.

• Kindness is a trait that many people seem to be lacking these days
• Volunteer for a local organization.
• Teens can be politically active.
• Get the education you need to have a successful career

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
 
—Steve Jobs, Visionary Apple co-founder transformed everyday technology, from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhone. Steve Jobs 1955-2011

No one ever excused his way to success. ~Dave Del Dotto
 

Good Afternoon All! This week at PDA we have been focusing on the topic of excuses. Each morning I have the privilege of sharing, inspiring and challenging our scholars with quotes and life lesson thoughts that they can apply to their everyday life.

As we continue with this week's theme, here are a few thoughts I wanted to share with our scholars: Finding the power from within to claim responsibility for your life and success, as well as moving toward fulfilling your goals and dreams, can be both frightening and overwhelming. It's only when you realize your potential for greatness, however, that you can do great things. Stop making excuses and be the powerful person YOU are!

~Ms. Myra Allen
School Administrator
Princeton Day Academy
EXPECT EXCELLENCE!
Imagine... Dream... Believe... Achieve

Excuses are harmful because they prevent one from succeeding. When we make excuses and repeat them often enough, they become a belief. The belief then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. For example, a sales rep discouraged by his poor sales starts to blame the price of his product. "No one wants to buy it because it's too expensive." he says. After repeatedly making this excuse, he begins to believe it is true. The result? Dismal sales. Compare this with a responsible sales rep. After hearing many prospects complain about the high price, he accepts responsibility. "It is my fault they are complaining," the rep says, "for I haven't justified the cost of my product by adequately pointing out its value." Once we accept responsibility, we can evaluate our actions and take corrective measures to find solutions to our problems. Excuses, on the other hand, are like stop signs; they halt our progress.

By refusing to make excuses and embracing responsibility, we reap many rewards. The successes brought by this attitude act as a foundation for self-respect, pride, and confidence. Responsibility breeds competence and power. By living up to our promises and obligations, we win the trust of others. Once we are seen as trustworthy, people will willingly work with us, for our mutual gain. So, you see, making excuses can put the brakes on our progress, while accepting responsibility can lead us to the top.

• Realize that your success or failure depends on you. It depends on the choices you make. It depends on your attitude. Resolve to start accepting responsibility today. Don't find an excuse, find a way. Don't make excuses, make good. Remember what Winston Churchill said, "Responsibility is the price of greatness."
• When you make a mistake, accept responsibility; learn from it; and don't repeat it. Use your time for discovering solutions instead of inventing excuses.

Learn a new word everyday!

endemic
\en-DEM-ik\ , adjective;

1.Belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place.
2.Natural to or characteristic of a specific people or place; native; indigenous.

Corruption has become so endemic  that it is perceived as normal.

With the first set of admissions deadlines looming, October promises to be a busy month for local high school students preparing to go to college.

Action Plan:

• Pull Your Applications Together
• Narrow your list of colleges to approximately five to eight, and review it with your counselor. Get an application and financial aid info from each.
• Visit as many as possible.
• Make a master calendar and note: Test dates, fees and deadlines, College application due dates Required financial aid applications and their deadlines
• Recommendations, transcripts and other necessary materials
• Your high school's deadlines for application requests, such as your transcript
• Ask for recommendations.
• Give each person your resume, a stamped and addressed envelope, and any required forms.
• Write application essays and ask teachers, family members and friends to read first drafts.

College can be intimidating for high school seniors. The rigorous elimination process that many aspiring students endure after applying to colleges often leaves them feeling inadequate and unqualified even after they are accepted into a university. Don’t despair - your college career will be manageable if you make the effort! Students who arrive equipped with an abundance of potential and an eagerness to succeed find that they are more than prepared to handle the challenges that await them at college.

Class structure
Group projects are out and class discussions are in—in college. Some classes will use them, but no where near as much as they were used in high school. The larger the class, the less interactive it tends to be. Small classes typically revolve around some combination of lecturing and group discussions, whereas large classes typically rely solely on lecture

STAY TUNED.........

Prioritizing your responsibilities and engagements is very important. Some people do not know how to prioritize and become procrastinators. A "to do list" places items in order of importance. One method is the ABC list. This list is divided into three sections; a, b, or c. The items placed in the A section are those needed to be done that day. The items placed in the B section need completion within the week. The C section items are those things that need to be done within the month. As the B, C items become more pertinent they are bumped up to the A or B list. Try it or come up with your own method, but do it

*Friday September 30th- No school Independant Study day! Please use this time to prepare, prepare and more prepare.

1. Make sure all work and up coming projects are completed.

2. Email any questions or concerns to teachers.

3. Review

Use your time wisely...relax a little as well :).

Enjoy your weekend!

Go Storm!

Prepare:To make ready beforehand for a specific purpose, as for an event or occasion

It's really important to be prepared for class because if you weren't you would suffer academically. If your not prepared for an exam for example it would mean you've not revised or done what is necessary to pass, putting you at a disadvantage, and meaning that you would probably fail the test. If your not prepared in the sense that your always late for class then this would be recorded on your school record which gets shown to universities and colleges, and it could be the difference between being able and what you want to study, or being stuck in something you don't want to do.

Get wise and get prepared people! ;)

Next week's theme......."Excuses"

How much am I really going to have to study in college?  I’ve heard people say they hardly ever study, and others who say they do nothing but study…

The simple answer is that at different times in college, you’ll probably do both.  I think most college students take the opportunity to not study when they have the chance, and they also cram for days at a time when they have to – like during finals.  I like the old adage I was told when I went to college – that you should study two hours for every hour you are in class.  If you were enrolled in 15 credit hours and did two hours for each of those hours, you would spend 45 hours a week on school.  That would be roughly equivalent to a full-time job, and that’s just about right.  Of course you need to remember that is just an average, and some classes, and yes, some majors, will dictate more.