Success Checklist and Grantham Pathways

Professional basketball player, Michael Jordan, said the following: “I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.  I have lost 300 games and missed the game winning shot 26 times.  I have failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” 

Many students, when working toward their degree, allow setbacks to become barriers to their success. Everyone faces obstacles from time to time, but being able to identify those obstacles and developing a plan to overcome them is essential to reaching your goals. At the same time, it is important to recognize our strengths, and many or us aren’t really good at that either. Knowing what we are good at can help us make better decisions when planning our work. This week, you have the opportunity to address your strengths and the obstacles that may affect your success in college and beyond.

Using the success checklist below to guide you, determine whether each category is one of your strengths or a potential obstacle (sometimes it can be both). If you can think of any other categories not on the list, add them. The main point is for you to be as honest as you can. The more potential problems you can identify and plan for, the better your chances of overcoming these potential problems as you work toward earning your degree. Likewise, the more strengths you can identify, the better you will be in planning tasks you will face.

Instructions

• Complete the success checklist below as honestly and thoroughly as you can. You can download it here (ATTACHED BELOW), or just write it on a sheet of paper. It might be a good idea to keep it handy so you can refer to it later in this course and/or in your future courses.
• In the discussion this week, share a few (or all) of the items on your list and how you might further develop your strengths or overcome your obstacles. Be sure to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts. As you engage in the discussion, think about how your classmates’ ideas might work for you, too.