WHY ARE YOU GETTING POOR GRADES AT SCHOOL?

Dr. Myles Munroe said “Success is predictable! Failure is also predictable! Success is a result of decisions.” That means you can literally design, plan and predict your academic success. The reason you are getting poor grades at school, failing and falling behind is that you have not yet decided to excel, plan and take consistent progressive actions to get the best grades at school.

Why are you getting poor grades at school?

There are two basic reasons why you are not getting the best grades at school.

·       The first is your desire.

·       The second is your decisions.

·       The third is your habits.

Develop a Strong Burning Desire to Excel

Napoleon Hill said, “The starting point to all success is desire.” The starting point to your academic success is a strong, compelling desire to achieve high and better grades. If you can’t cultivate this desire, nobody can help you.

You need to have a drive to excel; a drive to be the best; a drive to achieve more; a drive to be excellent; a drive to get the best results in any subject of study. You must be obsessed about becoming the best and being at the top in all your academic endeavours.

Highly Successful Students have a strong burning desire to be the best. Unsuccessful students have no burning desire to become the best. It is this lack of desire and drive for success that makes them to get poor grades at school.

Decide to Get the Best Results in All Your Academic Endeavours

Enough is enough! You must get to the top. You’ve got to have a strong burning desire that drives and compels you to move up and achieve your academic goals. But more importantly, you have to decide to make it big!

Success is determined by decisions. You have to decide that you want to get the best grades in every course of your study at school. And when I mean, “Decision”, I mean “I will do it or I will die”. I mean, “No Excuse is Acceptable”.  I mean, “I cannot but to get the best result!”

To decide means you have resolved to achieve the best grades and you are willing to do all that it takes to achieve those results. It means you are willing to go the extra mile to achieve those results. It means you are willing to go against the normal rule and code to achieve your results.

Develop the Habits of Successful Students

Successful students have a set of habits that keeps them at the top. When you develop the habits of highly successful students and maintain those habits, success will follow you like your shadow and you can’t get rid of it.

Your habits, attitudes, way of life, core beliefs and behaviours play a critical role in your academic success! The more you build successful habits and eliminate unsuccessful habits, the better you become and the better your results.

Please, if you have any questions or suggestions on this post, “Why are you getting poor grades at school?” leave it in the comment section below!

You can get a copy of my book, “7 Habits of Highly Successful Students” and learn all that it takes to develop the habit. You can also contact me on +233548334499 for Private Academic Coaching. I’m also open to make speaking presentation to your school, Sunday school, youth group you can call or email francis@livingpurposeschool.com.

HOW WE FORM HABITS

We are all human beings, but what differentiates us is our habits. The habits we form make a big difference in our lives. That means until we know how we form habits and how we can eliminate bad habits, we cannot change our lives.

Brain Tracy said, “Successful people are simply those with successful habit.” That means, the difference between the rich and the poor is habits; the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful is habits; the difference between the great and the mediocre is habits! To change your lives and make a difference in this world, we need to know the components of habits and how we form habits.

So, what is a habit?

The Cambridge Dictionary says, “Something you do often and regularly without knowing that you are doing it.” In other words, a habit is a daily routine that is practiced unconsciously, producing consistent results in a person’s life.

Related article: How Bad Habits Corrupts Students Destiny

Charges Duhigg, the bestselling author of Power of Habits said, “A habit is a formula our brain automatically follows: When I see CUE, I will do ROUTINE in order to get REWARD”. This definition basically explains the component and the operation of habit!

A habit has three components:

                    ·        The Cue—what triggers, motivates and makes us follow a routine.

·       The Routine—the pattern of behaviour or conduct that we follow.

·       The Reward—the benefit or the result we get by following the routine.

So how do we form habits?

Every habit is formed through a trigger. We need something in our lives that makes us to do the things we do to get those results. This is the root cause of every habit—the trigger. You go to work because you want to make money.

“Making money”—the trigger— is what causes you to work up daily to go to work! “Going to work”— is your routine. “You are paid by the end of the month, you become happy”—the reward—this motivates you to keep the habit. As long as everything goes right, you will keep your job for life.

To become an entrepreneur one day, you must have another trigger. Something must then trigger you to conceive a business, start the business and build the business. That is what is called entrepreneurial mission.

Once your trigger and purpose changes, it will change your routine and that will ultimately change your rewards! So, to form new habits, simply question your cue, determine new actions and reward yourself when you follow through on the new habit. This is ultimately how we form habits!

Learn more from my latest book: 7 Habit of Highly Successful Students!

HOW BAD HABITS CORRUPTS STUDENT’S DESTINY

Bad habits corrupts student’s destiny while good habits enhance student’s destiny!

Remember, you are a sum total of your habits. School is not just a place for learning; over 80% of our habits were formed when we were at school. During our time at school, we don’t only learn for life, we form habits for life.

 The quality of your future life is then dependent on the habits we form when we were at school! Again, bad habits corrupts student’s destiny and good habits enhances student’s destiny!

Zig Ziglar said, “All bad habits are formed slowly and gradually and before you know you have the habit, the habit has you.” And Robert Gilbert said, “First we form habits and the habits form us. Conquer your bad habits or they’ll conquer you!” The habits you form today will determine your destiny tomorrow!

What are some of the good habits we form at school? We form the habit of learning, socializing, taking tests, respecting authorities, punctuality, hard working and many more! In one way or another, we also cultivate some bad habits at school through our association. Bad habits such as laziness, stealing, cheating, lying, loneliness, over spending, time wasting, procrastination, rudeness, indiscipline and fearfulness.

At school, you have to watch the habits you are forming. Your destiny after school will be determined by those habits you form. How?

You can write good resume and cover letter and get a good job after school. But if you are lazy, rude and fond of procrastination, your boss will fire you and you’ll sit back at home. You may also find out that you will not climb up in the ladder of career, success and finance.

Your habits also affect your character, relationships and trust rating. People will not trust you if they realize you tell lies and you don’t take your words seriously. Your may create relationships with good people, but those relationships will not grow. All these are as a result of bad habits developed at school.

So watch your habits. Know that bad habits corrupts students destiny. Form good habits that will enhance your character, career, finance, relationship and social life! You can learn more through my latest book: 7 Habits of Highly Successful Students!

WHY DO SOME STUDENTS SUCCEED WHILE SOME STUDENTS FAIL?

Why do some students succeed while some students fail?

How amazing it is when you have students of the same age range in the same class, with the same teacher having the same text books but different grades after exams! Doing well at school is not a magic. It is a process and when you follow that process, you cannot but to produce the result.

After being a successful student myself and studying student’s academic performance for over five years, I realized that why some students succeed while some students fail is simply HABITS! The difference in core values, beliefs, attitudes and habits is what differentiate student’s academic performance!

Successful students will be successful despite the school they are attending.

When I was attending Kpong Methodist Junior High School, I was among the top 5 in class. When I was in Manya Krobo Senior High School, I was among the top 5 in class. When I was in Entrepreneurship Training Institute, I was among the top 5 in class. Nothing changed as along as my habits, core values, attitudes and beliefs did not change!

Order a copy of my latest book for students!

According to the 90/10 rule of the Pareto Principle, 90% of the reasons students fail at school is internal while the remaining 10% are external. If students deal with the 90% of the internal reasons, the 10% external will automatically deal with itself!

So the question of why some students succeed while some students fail has to do with habits, beliefs, attitude and core values! Once students change their habits and attitude towards schooling and studying, their academic results will also change. As simple as that!

In conclusion, to succeed at school, all you have to do in the whole world is to develop the habits of successful students and let them dominate your life, as long as these habits dominate your life, success will flock to you like bees to honeycomb despite your academic conditions.

To place your order simply send an email to francis@livingpurposeschool.com.

SELF-AWARENESS

Self-Awareness is the first component of intrapersonal intelligence. To maximize your potential, you need to first know what you have the potential to do. A lot of people don’t have a clear and accurate knowledge of themselves and what they can do, so they are moving to-and-fro in life!

Yes it’s true that you know the top 10 successful business people in the world; the top 10 celebrities in the world; the top 10 richest people in the world; the top 10 investors in the world. You have read about them, you have heard about them and you have listened to their programs. But do you know yourself? Your first step to bring the best in you is to develop self-awareness. It is to know the great potential in you and to bring it out! It is know yourself!

Daniel Goleman, the bestselling author of “Emotional Intelligence” made it clear that self-awareness is the first skill set that makes up emotional intelligence. In his research and book, he showed that successful leaders in the world first of all have levels of self-awareness.

Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and know your beliefs, thoughts, emotions, strength, weakness and your sense of worth. Oprah Winfrey said, “You become exactly what you believe and is not just your shadow beliefs but your subconscious beliefs.” In order words, self-awareness helps you to recognize the subconscious beliefs and thoughts ruling your life, so you can make changes to them and change your life!

Image Source: Confidence Is Quiet

According to Daniel Goleman’s research, self-awareness has three components: emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment and self-confidence. The more you know your emotions, beliefs and thoughts, the more accurate knowledge you develop about your strengths and weaknesses. And the more you know your strengths and weaknesses, the more confidence you will be about your life and in doing what you do best!

To know yourself and discover the treasures within you, take time and engage in self-reflection. Use the following questions as yardstick in making your personal reflection.

1. Who am I?

2. Where am I in life?

3. What on earth am I here for?

4. What am I capable of doing?

5. Where am I going to or what is my destiny?

These five questions will help you know yourself better and to unleash the potential within you. They will help you to develop self-awareness and live a more successful and happy life!

Written by Francis Sabutey,

Content Writer & Content Marketer,

Accra-Ghana.

THE 7 COMPONENTS OF INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

To lead and manage yourself, you’ve got to develop the 7 components of intrapersonal intelligence. Intrapersonal Intelligence is simply the ability to understand, manage and lead yourself well. The 7 components of intrapersonal intelligence form the foundation for personal and career success.

In order to succeed in your personal and career life, you have to know yourself. Somebody said, “ Know Thyself”. You can’t lead yourself, without understanding yourself and you can’t understand yourself if you don’t study yourself and finally you can’t study yourself without the 7 components of intrapersonal intelligence.

So what the heck are the 7 components of intrapersonal intelligence?

1.    Self-Awareness: this is simply how well you know yourself. It’s you ability to study and know your strengths and weakness. Highly successful people have a high sense of awareness. Because they know who they are, what they like, what they don’t like and where they’re going in life. It guides them to lead themselves well.

2.    Self-Reflection: To know yourself, you have to review your thoughts, intentions, feelings and abilities. By constantly examining yourself, you’re able to know who you are and this help in your daily decision making.

3.    Self-Control: This is the ability to make yourself do the right thing, whether you feel like doing it or not. You control and discipline your feelings and simply do the right thing.

4.    Self-Motivation: To achieve success in life, you need to be motivated from within to do things. You need a vision and a purpose to drive you to do things. Purpose oriented people are highly self motivated people who become leaders and entrepreneurs in the world.

5.    Self-Confidence: To do what must be done, you need confidence and bravery. When you know who you are, you’re brave and that gives you the courage to excel in whatever you’re trying to do.

6.    Self-Esteem: Many people in life look down on themselves with inferiority complex. The think and feel that they’re not “Good enough!” So they don’t achieve much in life. So achieve greater levels of success, you must develop your self esteem and have superiority complex.

7.    Self-Responsibility: If you know yourself, you have self-confidence. These give you the ability wake up and take full responsibility for your life. You make no excuses, you blame no one, but what you do is to simply take responsibility and change your life and circumstances.

By developing the 7 components of intrapersonal intelligence, you will build the foundation for your personal and career success. This will give you the winning edge in your life and in everything you do.

Written By Francis Sabutey,

Content Writer & Maketer,

Accra-Ghana.

INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE-THE KEY TO SELF-MASTERY

Becoming successful in the career world is not just about your academic results. To succeed in the real world, it takes more than being brilliant and academically wiz to make it. You need high level intrapersonal intelligence.

 Intra means “within” and personal means “self”. So intrapersonal intelligence simply means the ability to look within oneself and manage one's feelings, emotions, outlook, thoughts and motives. Interpersonal intelligence simply makes you smart and wise in leading and managing yourself.

We all know that in life if you don’t manage your feelings, your feelings will manage you. Students with high intrapersonal intelligence understand their feelings, thoughts and motives. They are clearly aware of their strengths and weakness likes and dislikes, they also have a clear idea of what they want to do in life.

Intrapersonal intelligence is the key to self mastery. Self-mastery then is the key to personal and career success in life. Aristotle said, “I count him braver who overcomes his desire than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory is victory over self.”

 The reason you are where you are in life is “your-self.” If you can conquer and master your-self, then you can master the challenges of your life! But you can’t master your-self without developing your intrapersonal intelligence.

Intrapersonal Intelligence has 7 components which are well developed in students who make it in school and in the real world. The components entail the following:

1.    Self-Awareness

2.    Self-Reflection

3.    Self-Control

4.    Self-Motivation

5.    Self-Confidence

6.    Self-Esteem

7.    Self-Responsibility

All students who are looking up to surviving and thriving in this challenging world must develop and master intrapersonal intelligence. Once you master yourself, you can then master the challenges of your life and finally be successful.

Written by Francis Sabutey,

Content Writer & Marketer,

Accra-Ghana.

HOW TO DEVELOP A 20 YEAR PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE

In a youth meeting which took place on 19^th March, 2017 in my church, Global Evangelical Church-Kotobabi, the speaker was asked to speak to the youths on “ How to Develop a 20 Year Life Plan.” I thought to share the lessons with you all through this blog post.

The message was delivered by a Presbyter in our church who is also a successful banker with Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, Mr. Ewoenam Kpodo. The meeting was well attended with approximately 42 youths of the church.

The speaker spoke on three questions to be used as a guiding tool in helping to plan the next 20 years of your life. 

These questions are:

1. Where am I?

2. Where am I going to or going to be?

4. How do I get there?

Where am I?

The first step in developing a plan for your life is for you to really access where you are in life now. You’ve got to access your strengths and weakness at the moment and ask yourself what you have been sent on this earth to do. 

Establish a purpose and mission for your life. Ask yourself where you are now in relation to your academic, career, financial, ministry, and spiritual and relationships life.

Order your custom designed journal to plan your life!

Where am I going to or to be?

The next step to take after you have finally accessed where you are in life now is to “develop a clear mental picture for your life”. The speaker stressed, “One of the worst things that can happen to any man is that you have eyes but don’t have a vision”.

Ask yourself:

 “What do I want to achieve in life”

 “What 10 things am I proud to achieve in life”

 “Where do I want to be in the next 5 years”

“Where do I want to be in the next 10 years”

“Where do I want to be in the next 20 years”

“Dreams are free; Dream big,” says the speaker. It’s good to have a dream, than not having a dream. So dream big and follow your dreams. Pen down your dreams in a journal and it is also good to think about your dreams, so you can register it in your mind.

Schedule a Career & Personal Life Planning Session 

“How much the dream has consumed you will determine the level of effort you put into achieving it,” says the speaker. So, think and meditate over the dream until it has sunken deep down into your subconscious mind.

How do I get there?

The very last thing to do  to develop a 20 year plan for your life is to make a provisional strategic plan on how to achieve your dreams and visions. List at least  7 things you will do to achieve any item on your list. And then start immediately to work on your plan to achieve your dreams.

Prior to this you need to understand that “everything we do in life is a preparation,” the speaker noted. Don’t dwell on the "How" and paralyze yourself from achieving the dream. The most important thing is to have the dream, be obsessed about the dream and the “How” will come. Remember, Rome wasn't built in one day.

Schedule a Career & Personal Life Planning Session

In summary, there are 6 things you have to do to develop a 20 year plan for your life:

1. Have a dream.

2. Write down the dream.

3. Be obsessed with the dream.

4. Develop a plan on how to achieve the dream.

5. Work on your plans to achieve the dream.

6. Trust God to guide you to achieve the dream.

Order your custom designed journal to plan your life!

Written by Francis Sabutey,
Content Writer and Content Marketer.
Accra-Ghana.

HOW KEEPING A JOURNAL HAS CHANGED MY LIFE

Two (2) years ago when I was in third year in the University, I kept a particular green notebook as a journal where I documented my prayer requests, thoughts, feelings, plans, goals , life experiences with the various lessons I learnt from them and many other things of great importance to me. In the course of time, it got filled up, thus I left it and got another book for a journal.

Recently, something happened to me. I had to move to a new residence because of my work. During the period of parking and moving some of my belongings, I came across this old green journal of mine. 

Quickly I picked it and began to go through it. Wow!!! It was a nice time having to flashback on my past though it slowed down the parking I was doing.

In going through it, I saw that God had answered most of my prayer requests and that He deserved my thanksgiving.

Secondly, I realized how slightly I had gone off track with regards to some of my plans and aspirations. Immediately, I resolved in my mind the necessary steps I needed to take in order to align myself with what I had written and voila, the girl is back on track.

Lastly, my face beamed with smiles as I read my past life experiences and the lessons it taught me. The feeling was good.

This is just a few of the many reasons of keeping a journal.

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Six Things Keeping a Journal Will Do for You

Image Source: That It Girl

1.    Keeping a journal gives you the avenue to write out your goals. The importance of committing our desires to paper cannot be understated. It provides the opportunity to articulate them clearly and makes their achievement appear closer.

2.    Health wise, research has proven that keeping a journal improves ones cognitive functioning such as brainstorming, clarity in thinking and being articulate in speech. This is based on the reason that, the act of writing accesses our left brain which is analytical and rational.

3.    In addition to that, if an individual is struggling with stress, depression or anxiety, keeping a journal can help in gaining control of ones emotions leading to an improvement in the emotional and mental health of the individual.

4.    It also provides accountability. Keeping a journal allows you to track your progress, see how far you have gone and refocus you. Moreover, success attained can be quickly forgotten and so is failure thus having them documented in a journal gives you the chance to refer to them later.

Image Source: An Eclectic Mind

5.    Nonetheless, it also accelerates one's learning process in life. By writing down your thoughts, achievements, goals, experiences and others, you are taking an additional few minutes to process both what you have learnt and what you want to do and engrain it into your brain or memory

6.    Lastly, keeping a journal is like writing your story.  Thus if rightly shared, can inspire others.

Do you need a motivation to keep a journal? Then think about the following;

“You are a better student when you take notes”

“The shortest line is mightier than the sharpest memory”

“A journal is a friend you can confide in anywhere, anytime and any day without being objected or rejected”

To get your own customized journal for personal or business uses, kindly click the link below and place your order for your own customized journal!

Order your custom designed journal TODAY!

Written by Yayra E. Dordoh,

Journal Designer & Producer,

Accra-Ghana.