Editor’s Note: Eccles School finance student Jeffrey Letsinger visited his hometown and came back with a new perspective on what success as a business student and a person means to him.
I recently had the chance to revisit my old high school in Boise, Idaho. I was a little bit nervous at first because talking to old teachers can be kind of a daunting task, especially when you were a bit noisy in school. I was no longer their student, so they could really tell me how they
felt about me now that consequences were essentially irrelevant. To my pleasant surprise they were excited to see me and were very interested in what I was up to.
One teacher in particular was welcoming and very motivational. She told me how she knew I was always destined for big things, and it was an awesome little pick-me-up. When I returned to Salt Lake City, I realized I was sort of just another cog in the machine of some 33,000 students. Then I realized that self-satisfaction never stands a chance when I am constantly comparing my success to that of others.
This idea of identifying what success means to me helps me to stay motivated and happy. Let me explain.
When I stop worrying about money and over-achieving and competing to be the best in my class, I start to perform better. Success in and out of the classroom is a personal thing that I share with no one. When I set goals and aim for those standards, then I am able to have a target to reach just for myself. I may not be the best student in Accounting or Statistics, but if I tell myself that success is learning the most I can from the class rather than worrying about cramming for a test, then I am happy regardless of what I get on the test; and chances are that test grade will be higher as well. We go to school to learn, not to compete against other minds to see who can get the best grades.
When I translate this concept into my everyday existence, I begin to have a stronger work ethic and realize what is important in life. All of the sudden, I am motivated to get to the gym and better my physique. Getting fresh air and eating healthy food are also emphasized. I might sound crazy, but in my opinion, the routines we get into during tough times at school are truly absurd. Keeping a level head and focusing on living a balanced lifestyle motivates me to succeed at everything I do. Changing my mindset and focusing on a holistic approach to my time in college gives me energy.
Think of it this way: When we are 70 years old and looking back on our time as a student and young adult in the workforce we don’t remember the grade we received in Finance 3040. Typically, we’ll look back and think of all the memories and friends made. We’ll think about how hard we had to work to get where we are today (50 years in the future), and we’ll realize how insignificant some of our biggest worries were.
Getting trapped in this big-picture mindset can be dangerous to our everyday production, and that is why it is necessary to set personal goals. Setting goals while maintaining focus on our personal statement of success is a motivating practice in itself. Next time you get in a rut or an unhealthy habit to cope with stress, remember to take a deep breath and regain focus on what is important in both the short-term and long-term to achieve personal success; motivation will follow.