Today’s post is a testimonial from one of my clients who bought my study book, his name is Abel.
Hi, Dr Dussault.
All I can say is wow. I’m studying ACCA (online) but my main problem was lack of motivation to study. Like you explain in your study book, what was holding me back was my comfort zone of past success with my studies. What bother me most was the fact that my constant thought was to study but in reality I wasn’t studying! The more I thought about it, the more I ended up sleeping without even reading for a minute! In a nutshell, your study program made me realize that I will never change my life until I change something I’m doing (or not doing) daily.
Now slowly but surely I’m following through. With my study to do list, I know if I follow it I’ll get better grades otherwise… I don’t even want to think about it anymore!
I hear myself now saying… “Abel bear in mind that you never plan to fail your exam but merely fail to plan to pass!”
As you know from my study book, I am a big supporter of identifying a student’s learning style so you learn HOW to learn. If you don’t know what learning styles are, just answer these questions:
Are you frustrated with your child’s low grades or lack of motivation?
Is your home life stressful due to homework hassles and poor report cards?
Have you tried absolutely everything to help your child get higher grades?
Do you have a bright child who seems to know information, then forgets it during the test?
Are you truly serious about doing something different to help your child succeed?
If You Answered “YES!” then keep reading to find out how you can help raise your child’s grades just in time for the very next report card…
I promise your situation is not unique. What you also need to know is that your child’s situation is NOT hopeless.
The problem is that children who suffer from learning challenges have been mis-lead with the 4 biggest myths by well-meaning teachers, other parents and even some learning authorities.
Here are the 4 biggest myths about learning that will never get you the results you want:
The first is that you must teach TO your child’s preferred learning style, because schools who teach TO every child’s learning style produce better results. (This statement is so misleading that a recent article in the Washington Post said the theory of teaching to multiple intelligences was just that – a theory, and not working in the real world at all). More about this later…
The second is that kids with low grades are lazy and unmotivated and simply do not take tests well.
The third is kids who cannot sit still and pay attention are most likely to have attention deficit disorders of some kind. ADD or ADHD can very often be something else in disguise.
The fourth is that some kids who struggle in school simply don’t like to read, or spell, or do math, etc. (This is one of the worst. It’s only when children constantly experience failure that they don’t want to read or do their schoolwork).
The plain truth is, kids love to learn when they are successful.
But sometimes, they just don’t know how to “win the school game” because no one has taken the time to show them “HOW TO LEARN”.
Think about it. Every day, your child is given assignments and told what to learn. This is like a baseball coach giving a player a written test to see if he or she can make the team. No one is showing your child “how to learn”. You can’t just tell a child, “learn this for the test” and then if they don’t do well, blame them.
Wouldn’t you agree that it’s crazy to think you’ll get different results if you keep doing the same thing over and over again?
That’s why you need to do something different… That’s where this learning toolkit comes in.
This 3 minute YouTube video is from a teacher with a special approach that will inspire you to get better grades by doing your best. It’s a source of inspiration and motivation that you can come back to whenever you need a little motivation. Even though it’s about a teacher, after all, it’s all about YOU!
Dear Marc Dussault:
I recently purchased your book. It has now been a week and while I agree with a lot of the suggestions in your book, I have yet to start implementing them yet.
I was a procrastinator in high school. Somehow though I managed to succeed enough to well and still get into the Engineering degree of my choice.
However the same methods don’t work anymore in university. University is so different from high school!
Yet for almost the past 5-6 years this is all I have done in order to complete my studies. I understand everything your book says and I appreciate the e-mail tips; I do the exercises and I try to eat well as well as sleep, but still… I just can’t seem to start.
What’s wrong with me? I’ve researched on the net, and apparently there are not only procrastinators but also chronic procrastinators as well. I think I may be one for sure, for I’ve been procrastinating so long I don’t really know what the meaning of “study” is anymore…
I make lists and lists of what I want to achieve. Each time changing and changing the detail or format, and hoping that I will implement it (I tried to start with this technique from your book first). But somehow I just become tired by the large amount of uni work covered in the day or even if I’m not tired I just would rather have fun things to do.
I really want to succeed and do well… that should be enough motivation… but I still can’t keep it up. I did the 8-minute technique and it seemed to work well, that I actually kept going. But the next day, I looked at the same piece of math homework and I could not bring myself to continue doing it. I literally was having a mental argument inside my head for the pros and cons of not doing the homework, that I physically felt like I was actually getting stressed.
Where do I start? And why can’t I stay motivated?
In saying all of this, I have a mathematics exam this Friday…
Sincerely requiring help………….!
Ann
First of all, Ann, you’re “owning” the label of procrastinator just a little too seriously – what that means is that you SEE YOURSELF and THINK YOU’RE a procrastinator, which means you’re going to continue to procrastinate. Let’s face it – the label of regular every day LOSER is not enough, you need an even WORSE label… “Chronic Procrastinator!” which is a TOTAL LOSER!
How does that make you feel? Because it’s true – procrastinators, especially chronic ones never achieve anything because they never get anything finished – many don’t even start – LIKE YOU!
How do you feel about being branded a LOSER?
Procrastinator sounds better doesn’t it?!?!
You’re still a LOSER…
UNLESS you are just “doing procrastination”… That means you just slipped and got into a bad habit and are in fact a winner who just slipped up…
Is that it? Are you really a WINNER who just had a lapse of judgment and discipline?
Or are you really a LOSER? If you are a LOSER, good riddance, I have no time for you – seriously.
If however you are a WINNER who just lost her way – watch this YouTube video for the cure to procrastination – it works even better for CHRONIC PROCRASTINATION!
Quite a few students have asked me which books I recommend after they’ve read my study book. I post my top book recommendations on my Linked In Profile. It includes all the books I recommend for Business, Professional and Career Development. If you’re athletic, you’ll want to subscribe to my Mindset Of A Champion Blog, which lists a different collection of books that I recommend for serious (elite) athletes – focused on Mental Toughness. With these two book lists, you can learn the foundations of an Exponential Mindset. If you are not English Speaking, I am sure most of the classics have been translated into your language.
Today’s blog post is a clarification from my Speed Learning Video Program. The quote was “The brain stops reading fast it does not want to get dizzy”. It was after I mentioned you can read 200% faster on screen using Rapid Reader because your eyes don’t have to go from left to right.
Someone contacted me and was wondering if this has any thing to do with past negative programming that the brain can work against you. For example if you have not had a lot to do with a subject and tried to take it for a study course, would the brain work against you automatically?
This is a great question – and you’re not going to expect the answer I’m about to give…
Today, Nick shares with us some of his challenges that will help you to see that you’re not alone. We all do this to some extent. Self Mastery is about controlling our emotions. My study book is about relieving the pressure and stress of studying so that you don’t put yourself in a pressure cooker.
Read Nick’s e-mail below and my response that follows.
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Hey Dr. Dussault,
I understand where you’re coming from and I deeply appreciate your concern for me in reaching my full potential.
Ever since I was little, I was the reader who struggled to Excel on standardized tests and to comprehend books. I always felt like I was the slowest reader in the class, as it continues to be a great insecurity of mine.
I also tend to beat myself down when I don’t succeed at say playing sports, improving my reading and grades, etc. But when I look at myself now, I have a 4.0 GPA in high school right now and I’m also a starter on a premier soccer club. Why am I always beating myself up?
This was why I bought your speed reading videos. I was so frustrated with the reading course I was taking at home, that I wanted to try yours. However, like you said, things takes time.
Thanks
Nick
P.S. In regards to your study book, my goal is primarily to become more efficient with my studies, since I procrastinate like you cannot believe. However, I have seen only a slight improvement because I keep going back to my old ways and having trouble following through with your techniques. As you said, It’s not easy, but I am up for the challenge and will continue to strive “onward and upward”.
First of all, Nick is being VERY honest and forthcoming. That is the first thing you have to do to be a great student – well great at anything – it’s to be self-aware. Know yourself so you know what you’re trying to improve.
One of the things Nick MUST stop using is the LABEL of procrastinator. if you see, hear and feel yourself as a procrastinator, you will remain one. Instead, whenever you say that word to yourself, INSTANT correct yourself and say “No, I am an action taker who is taking control of my life and destiny.”
I know it sounds childish – just try it and trust the process.
The next suggestion I have for Nick is to stop beating himself up, but to REWARD his victories and accomplishments.
