Individual Responsibility, Self-Motivation and Time

Management : Pillars to Academic Success

2011

By

Masibo Lumala, Ph.D , MA (University of

Nottingham, UK), B.Ed (Hons) (Moi
University

28th May 2011

 My will shall shape the future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man's doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any
obstacle before me or I can be lost in the maze. My choice; my responsibility; win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny.
Elaine Maxwell

Introduction
Knowledge, skills and attitudes are key components of any educational system. Successful acquisition of knowledge,
mastery of important skills and development of core social values and attitudes should be the main objectives of being
in school. These calls for collective responsibility among all the key stakeholders: Students, Teachers and Parents.
But over and above collective responsibility, academic success require that all involved take seriously individual
responsibility, are self-motivated and manage their time well. This paper considers these three as the main pillars of
academic success.

Individual responsibility
The whole idea of individual responsibility is melting away in schools today like a part of butter in a hot frying pan.
It’s being replaced by thinking behaviour that emphasizes blame, dependence, and being a victim. It is eroding the
very thing that makes us human beings – self-directed thinking and acting individuals- people being responsible for
our own lives, affairs, and actions.

Individual responsibility means that we are accountable to the way we act, and that the actions we undertake are in our
best interest. When we make a decision to come to school, we must know why we are in school, and the need to work
hard in all spheres: both in class and outside the classroom. We must actively take responsibility for our acquisition of
knowledge, mastery of skills and development of the right social value and attitudes.

Being responsible is being achievement oriented. As Woodrow Wilson once said, ―You are not here merely to make a
living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and
achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.‖ I am not talking
about over-achievers out there... I am just talking about people who get things done, make things happen, act instead
of talk, and stay focussed on success. And, they make a whole difference with the rewards of their responsible
behaviour.

The flip side of individual responsibility is being irresponsible. That’s not what anybody wants. The rewards of a low
achievement oriented lifestyle and lack of individual responsibility are not very appealing at all.

I am not insensitive to people’s situations. I know that some people have it hard, and some misfortunes cannot be
blamed on anyone or anything except bad luck. Nevertheless, I need to borrow a concept from one of my doctors
because I think it holds true here in the world of education and individual responsibility: Every great mistake has a
halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied. And someone else said that we learn
wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do;
and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery. So when things go wrong, let’s not sit and
bemoan our failure. It could just be what we needed to succeed.

So what does it take to make an individual responsible? Well, one of my friends says that a key characteristic is ―what
your believe‖, especially when it comes to believing in yourself.

Let me introduce Brad Chafee, author of the Enemy of Debt . The name says it all- Enemy of Debt. I think Brad has
the right attitude. He may come on a little strong(yet polite) message that we’re sabotaging ourselves with our own
negative thinking. To succeed you must be an enemy of failure.

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In his what you believe is what you achieve article, Brad argues that to know a man that is on your side. He has to be
on your side – he is an enemy of debt. We’re talking about unnecessary and unwise failure, not just any form of
failure.

So, Brad identifies our beliefs as a key to success , a key to achieving our goals through individual responsibility and
deliberate action instead of simply floating along, letting things happen to us and responding as we may.

What other traits might we seek to have if we want others to know that we practice individual responsibility? Here’s
my list:

 Seek information- make an effort to be aware of what’s happening; watch things evolve and you’ll learn from
things you see and hear.
 Seek out lessons learned from others so you don’t have to ―reinvent the wheel‖
 Learn how to analyze- put 2 and 2 together and figure out what’s likely to happen in the future; become better
at drawing conclusions and try to extrapolate, but be careful about jumping to conclusions.
 Gather insights- use your analysis to turn life experience into meaningful and realistic insights about how
things work and people behave.
 Know how to focus- keep your ―eye on the ball‖ because it’s the important part of the game
 Become skilled at how to prioritize – know what is ―also important‖ while you keep your eye on the ball and
understand the sequence of things
 Life planning- do a little ―what if‖ thinking and make some reasonable plans(and keep them updated ) base on
likely scenarios, according to your insights
 Be someone who is committed – stay on course
 Take action – implement your plans deliberately
 Believe in yourself – have a ―can do‖ attitude and be confident as you pursue your desires.

The last item is about believing in your planned approach and your methods of obtaining what you want. It is
important therefore that you examine carefully what you believe in. For not everything we believe in is good for us!
There are those who believed that the world would have ended last week on 21 st May 2011. Did it?

Self- Motivation
"If you want to accomplish anything in life, you can't just sit back and hope it will happen. You've got to make it happen." – Chuck
Norris.

One of the most courageous things you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where
you want to go.

As young children, we have a great ability to learn and to see past setbacks. We try things, again and again, until we
get them right. Setbacks are only part of a successful process of learning. Our drive, motivation, even curiosity to learn
is personal, or intrinsic.

Take control and responsibility for your learning, and accept risks with confidence, competence, and autonomy:
Recognize that "failure" is success(!) and that learning what doesn't work is on the same path as learning what does
work.

If you are intrinsically motivated, studies have found that you will...

 put in more effort

 try different ways to succeed

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  be Intrinsic motivation includes your personal goals, values, and interests. more persistent and learn more
deeply

What benefit will you find in continuing your education? When you pass your KCSE with quality grades?

As we begin to meet expectations created by our families, schools, and environment, the motivation of our
early years shifts from our goals to pleasing others, and often our desire to learn suffers.

How can you motivate yourself?

o recognize your sense of discovery

o take responsibility for your learning
o accept the risks inherent in learning with confidence, competence, and autonomy
o recognize that "failure" is success:
learning what doesn't work is on the same path
as learning what does work
o celebrate your achievement in meeting your goals

Time Management
“Manage your work, don’t let it manage you”

List three goals or objectives that are most important to you,

and indicate whether they are long range, medium range, or immediate:

1. Goal one:
(long range) (medium range) (now!)
2. Goal two:
(long range) (medium range) (now!)
3. Goal three:
(long range) (medium range) (now!)

 How much time have you set aside to meet each goal during your week for each of the goals?
 Does your time allocation reflect the priority of your goals?
Can you change your hourly commitments to meet your priorities?
Where do you have the most flexibility: weekdays or weekends?
Can you change one or the other? or both?
 Can you change your goals? What are your options?
 Can you postpone any goals until school breaks?
 How will assignments and tests affect your time allocation?
What can you change to meet your class responsibilities?

How to effectively manage your time:

1. Be organized : Have an organized workplace(don’t waste time constantly looking for your work);
use your appointment calendar for everything, including listing your study time; use ―to do‖ lists for
both long-term and for each week/day
2. Plan ahead (schedule it and it will happen). Determine how long your tasks will take (do this before
agreeing to take on a task); consider whether any activities can be combined; determine if big tasks
can be broken down into smaller tasks that may be easier to schedule (such as studying for exams
and visiting the library as part of an assignment to write a composition/essay)

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 3. Prioritize your tasks:You cannot do everything at once. Use an A-B-C rating system for items on
your ―to do‖ lists with A being of highest priority; set out what you want to accomplish, both long
term and short term; consider the time required for each item; do not postpone what you can do now!
4. Avoid overload: include time for rest, relaxation, sleep, eating, exercise, and socializing in your
schedule; take short breaks during study and work periods; don’t put everything off until the last
minute; learn to say ―no‖ when appropriate and to negotiate better deadines when appropriate
5. Practice Effective Study Techniques:
 Have an appropriate study environment.
 Split large tasks into more manageable tasks.
 Read for comprehension, rather than just to get to the end of the chapter.
 Be prepared to ask questions as they come up during study, rather than waiting until just
before an exam.
 Do the most difficult work first, perhaps breaking it up with some easier tasks.
 Don't wait until the last minute to complete your projects.
 Read the syllabus as soon as you get it and note all due dates (and "milestone" times) on your
calendar.
 Be a model student! (be attentive and participative in class, and punctual, prepared, and eager
to learn)

6. Be Able to be Flexible
 The unexpected happens (sickness, car troubles, etc.); you need to be able to fit it into your
schedule.
 Know how to rearrange your schedule when necessary (so it doesn't manage you - you
manage it).
 Know who to ask for help when needed.

7. Have a Vision (why are you doing all of this?)

 Don't forget the "big picture" - why are you doing the task - is it important to your long-term
personal goals?
 Have and follow a personal mission statement (personal and career). (Are your activities
ultimately helping
 you achieve your goals?)
 Know what is important to you. (What do you value most?)

Organizing Your Life Towards Academic Succes....

Managing your time well is an important element of success — especially if you are a student. If you set
priorities that fit your needs and lifestyle, you will have a better chance of achieving your goals.

Here are some tips for taking control of your time and organizing your life.

1. Make a To-Do List Every Day.

Put things that are most important at the top and do them first. And don't forget to reward yourself for your
accomplishments.

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2. Use Spare Minutes Wisely.

When you’re commuting on the bus to school or simply resting in bed on a hot afternoon during the
weekend, use the time to get some reading done.

3. It's Okay to Say No.

If your friend asks you to go to a movie on a Friday night and you have an exam the next morning, realize
that it's okay to say no. Keep your short- and long-term priorities in mind even with your best friends.

4. Find the Right Time.

You'll work more efficiently if you figure out when you do your best work and in what subject. For example,
if your brain handles Mathematics better in the afternoon, don't wait to do it until late at night.

5. Review Your Notes Every Day.

Reviewing helps you reinforce what you've learned, so you need less time to study before a test. You'll also
be ready if you get called on in class or have to take a pop quiz.

6. Get a Good Night's Sleep.

Your brain needs rest to perform at its peak. Lack of sleep makes the day seem longer and your tasks seem
more difficult.

7. Communicate Your Schedule to Others.

If phone calls or text messages are proving to be a distraction, tell your friends that you are only available at
certain times of day and not to expect a response at other times.

8. Become a Taskmaster.

Give yourself a time budget and plan your activities accordingly. Figure out how much free time you have
each week before you add any commitments.

9. Don't Waste Time Agonizing.

Instead of agonizing and procrastinating, just do it. Wasting an entire evening worrying about something that
you're supposed to be doing is not productive, and can increase your stress.

Conclusion
All said and done, success and failure are in your hands. The choice is yours. You are not different from the girls who
will score plain As in next year’s KCSE from all over the country. The time to lay the foundation for quality results is
now. Excellent results do not drop from heaven like manna during the days of Moses in the desert. You have to
deliberately, systematically and genuinely work towards achieving your best. As Joyce Lock once said, "Build upon
strengths, and weaknesses will gradually take care of themselves." Start building on your strengths from today,
individually and collectively, and failure will be history in this school. Take the first step in faith. You don't have to
see the whole staircase, just take the first step.

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