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Being a Leader Article Archives:
Looking Good on Paper But
Feeling Overwhelmed in Real Life
Identify it, Clarify it, Visualize it.
Achieve it.
Being a Leader, Full Schedule of Classes,
Where Do I Fit in?
Identify it, Clarify
it, Visualize it. Achieve it.
by Kimberly Kirven, © 2002
Chair of Marketing, former AHUM SOCS Senator 2001-2002
The following is an excerpt from the Being a Leader article "Looking
Good on Paper But Feeling Overwhelmed in Real Life" for all
of you that thrive on Cliff Notes.
Identify it, Clarify it, Visualize it. Achieve it.
Ready to look good on paper but more importantly, feel good about
yourself and your life? The premise is simple: identify it, clarify
it, visualize it, and achieve it. It’s as simple as a nursery
rhyme. You’ve already done the emotional labor of clearing
away the weeds that clouded your vision. Now, it’s time to
refocus. But first, we’re going to start with your organizational
involvement.
Identify It
Lets take being a student at the educational organization of the
University of Denver. You’ve identified your feelings concerning
DU. You have most likely written down your current quarter or
cumulative GPA and the classes that you have. Now it’s time
to write down the GPA and classes that you want. Are you happy
with your GPA? Good. Are you not? Then what GPA do you want to
have? What do you want out of your University of Denver education?
When you receive your diploma, what do you academically want to
have accomplished? Get the picture? See yourself as your optimal
self. Do this for all of your organizations and job titles. How
do you see your optimal self in these roles?
Clarify It
Now, using the DU example, you’re going to clarify each of
your goals with the most powerful single word question in the
English Lexicon: why? Why do you want that GPA? Why do you want
to achieve those things academically? Why, why, why? Is it so
that you’re parents will love you more? Why is that a factor?
So you can have a better entry level job? Why is that important
to you? Clarify your vision as the things that it steams from.
It could be part of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs or Feud’s
definition of your id, ego, or super ego. Whatever it takes, clarify
your identified want.
Visualize it
Sounds simple right? It is. Visualize yourself with your goal.
Taking the DU example, visualize yourself graduating, with your
parents, high school friends and family looking on in happiness.
Visualize yourself happiest of all because you set out to achieve
your academic goals and you achieved them. Sure you had your set
backs, but you did it. Feel that feeling and know that you can
achieve it. How will you know when you’ve achieved your goals?
Do the process for all of them.
Achieve it
Well, you can wish on a shooting star all you want. But nothing
makes the process go faster than you taking the steps to reach
your goals. Write down manageable, simple steps that you can see
will get you to your goals. One for DU might be organizing a study
group or educational support team on your floor. Remember, don’t
lose sight of the total package. Yes, you’re here to attend
DU, but no, being book smart doesn’t help you when you want
to socialize and have fun with other people outside of the classroom.
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