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Contents
of this issue:
IN
THIS ISSUE:
O
YOUR
FUTURE:
O SUMMER PLACEMENT EXCHANGE
O GRAD
SCHOOL INFORMATION
O FEATURE
ARTICLE: “KICK ME! A FEW THOUGHTS ON MOTIVATION by speaker
and author Nancy Hunter Denney
O
RECOGNITION
DAY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR CAMPUS??
O
CALENDAR OF
FEBRUARY DATES AND HOLIDAYS
O
STUDENT ISSUES AND CONCERNS
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YOUR
FUTURE:
JOBS!
-- If you are thinking about pursuing a residence life job next
year, check out the Summer Placement Exchange (SPE)! It’s a
great opportunity to connect with potential employers in residence
life. For more information, go to: http://www.residentassistant.com/spe/
or
you can call (605) 688-5148 or email: sdsu_spe@sdstate.edu
GOING
TO GRAD SCHOOL? -- Whether you plan on staying in student affairs
or going into another field, check out this great resource page!
Over 51,000 searchable graduate school listings, as well as links
to other useful information! Click here: http://www.residentassistant.com/gradschool
Please
support ResidentAssistant.com by visiting these sponsors!
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FEATURE
ARTICLE
A
few months ago, I had the opportunity to experience a keynote
address by Nancy Hunter Denney, of POTENTIAL Leadership Training
and Lectures. Nancy has kindly agreed to write an article for this
month’s newsletter.
Kick
Me! A Few Thoughts on
Motivation
Wherever
you go, there you are…a reasonable assumption.
However, the challenges of being a resident assistant (or
any title with a similar function) can catch up to you by second
semester. Your
academic workload, personal relationships and other demands on
your time have also found you by now.
You can run, but you can’t hide!
So, how do you stay motivated.
There
are many ways to give yourself a “kick in the seat of your
pants!” Some of
which are fun and some leave you unable to sit down for a few
days. Either way, the
reality of your situation is under your control.
That’s the good news.
You possess what it takes to re-energize your spirit so
that this semester is time well spent. You can (and will) continue to become a better individual,
get smarter, and make a difference in other’s lives. Maybe, you also desire to get more fit, start
volunteering in the community or eat healthier.
Whatever your goal (or New Year’s resolutions) the choice
is yours.
“How
you spend your time is the only true measurement of your
priorities in life.”
Choices.
We all make them. Some take us to where we want to go and others get us in
trouble. That’s
right. You mess up. I mess up. Your
residents mess up. It’s
a fact of life that allows us to grow, change and become
different. That’s also the point.
But, the challenge is to make more right choices.
If you find yourself unmotivated, apathetic about your
leadership role, or just “going through the motions” it’s
time to change. It’s
time to adjust your attitude – not by chance, but by choice.
You are meant to live your life the same way – by design!
“Boredom
is not a state of mind. Boredom
is the state of not using your mind.”
Care
enough about yourself to do what it takes to value your time –
from the seconds to the minutes and from the minutes to the hours. If you don’t like your major, change it!
If you are in too many organizations, select the one or two
that meet your greatest needs and resign off of the others.
If you want to get in better shape, start working out.
If you are hanging out with friends you really don’t
like, find some better friends!
Change will only happen when you act.
Act now.
Change
may require that you let go of those things – including people
– that are not consistent with your priorities.
Your leadership role is one of the most significant on a
college campus and it takes time.
You have made that commitment already (duh) and it should
be among your top priorities – maybe it is priority number two
after academics. (Yes,
I do believe academics is number one!)
Often it takes a careful review of how you are currently
spending your time to examine what needs to get adjusted.
One of the greatest causes of second semester burnout is
TOO MUCH TOO DO (i.e. stress).
Stress
is not a friend. Don’t
be fooled because stress is loyal, always around and widely
accepted as part of your social circle.
Stress makes you do (and say) wacky things.
Stress makes you wear to class what you wore to bed the
night before. You say not just “stupid” stuff when you’re stressed
out, but “really stupid stuff.”
Stress reduces your immune system and can make you tired,
sick and just no fun to be around.
Your emotional state is also significantly affected by
stress, tension and too many demands on your time.
I learned long ago never to ask a second semester RA,
“How’s it going?” The
most civil responses I would get included “Why do you want to
know?” and “Did I do something wrong?”
Now I just say “Hello.”
“Man
is not disturbed by events, rather
the view he (or she) takes of those events.”
Epectius
So,
you’re going to take better care of yourself.
You’ve just decided that it’s time to adjust how you
spend your time and to consider how to reduce (or eliminate) those
things – including people – that are not consistent with your
priorities in life. Time management is key to enhanced motivation.
It suggests that you are in control of your destiny and
that your direction in life is exactly that – yours!
Given all the training you’ve received, I won’t go into
the role of daily exercise as a means of reducing stress, because
you already know that… right?
But, I will provide you with a few additional ways to kick
yourself in the seat of your pants (and these won’t hurt as much
either.)
-
Seek
out new motivational sayings and hang them around your room or
place them in a text book so you see it whenever you open the
book. (I’ve got over 200 sayings on my web site – check it
out! www.nancyhunterdenney.com
-
Spend
15 minutes a day contemplating life.
Be by yourself in a location that says “solitude”
and “peace.” Just
be there to be there.
-
Identify
the most motivated person you know and hang around them more.
Motivation wears off on people.
Let go of the “downers.”
-
Stop
speaking negatively of other people.
Negativity leads to negativity.
-
Give
out five (that’s right five) compliments a day. Wait to you see how many start getting returned.
-
Take
a morning run or walk around campus.
Invite someone to go with you so you know they are
waiting for you – this gets you out of bed.
Note – just get in the habit of daily exercise.
You don’t have to be training for a marathon.
-
Reduce
your caffeine intake to no more than two cups of coffee a day.
Don’t panic! Start by doing half decaf and half caffeine.
Then go to mostly decaf.
The ideal would be to reduce completely down to herbal
tea with lemon, which is actually healthy!
-
Listen
to Aretha Franklin and sing a long.
-
Clean
out your closet. It
will give you a false – but oh so rewarding – sense of
organization. Then clean out your desk.
Work up to cleaning out your life – now that’s
rewarding!
-
Read
a motivational book. Might
I suggest Life by Design?
To order: visit www.lifebydesignbook.com
-
Write
a letter (pen to paper versus hands to keyboard).
-
Call
home to say “hello” and forget to ask for money.
-
When
you go to bed tonight remember to thank God (or whoever you
worship) for the gift of a day.
Every
day is a gift. In
fact, there are only two things in this world that are certain.
The first is that you get 24 hours in a day and the second
is that you don’t know how many days you get.
Value the time you’ve been given.
Take advantage of the goodness in others.
Continue to be the terrific person that you are – the one
that was selected as a resident assistant.
And, when you don’t feel like playing or have lost that
spunk, look in the mirror and remind you of your potential.
In fact, might I suggest that you say to your reflection,
“Gee, you’ve got potential!”
When the person in the glass smiles back, respond with
“Thank you, you’re very perceptive.”
Nancy
Hunter Denney is a former resident assistant and enjoys using her
eleven years as a professional in student affairs as the basis for
her public speaking career. She
began POTENTIAL Leadership Training and Lectures in 1993 and has
become a nationally recognized keynote speaker, residential life
staff trainer and author. To inquire about her speaking services or about her line of
motivational products visit www.nancyhunterdenney.com or
call 888-566-7536.
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RECOGNITION
DAY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON YOUR CAMPUS??
The
second annual “International Residence Hall Student Staff
Recognition Day” (Student Staff Day) is this February 21st
(annually the 3rd Wednesday in February).
Housing staff all over the US and Canada are recognizing
their student staff on this day.
If you have an idea for recognition that is not listed on
the website, let me know! If
you are a student staff member, and your supervisors don’t know
about this, direct them to the website, or forward them this
message! http://www.residentassistant.com/recognitionday/index.htm
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CALENDAR
OF FEBRUARY DATES AND HOLIDAYS
Black
History Month, National Dental Month, National Heart Month,
vegetation Month, Potato Lover's Month, Creative Romance Month,
Celebration of Chocolate Month, Canned Food Month, International
Friendship Month, International Twit Award Month
February
-
---
6 Pay A Compliment Day
-
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7 Ballet Day
-
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7 Lantern Festival
-
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7 Wave All Your Fingers
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7 Women in Sports Day
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8 Full Moon Day
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8 Snow Festival
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8 Tu B'shvat
-
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12 Abe Lincoln
-
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12 Freedom to Marry
-
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12-18 Int. Flirting Week
-
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14 Ferris Wheel Day
-
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14 Read To Your Child
-
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14 Valentine's Day**
-
---
15 Canada Flag Day
-
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16 Lithuania
-
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17 St. Theodore Tyron
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18 Gambia
-
---
18-24 Engineer Week
-
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18-24 Friendship Week
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19 Presidents' Day
-
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20 Hoodie-Hoo Day
-
---
20-27 Eating Disorders Week**
-
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21 Love Your Pet Day
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21 Maha Shivratri
-
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22 George Washington
-
---
22 Robert Baden-Powell
-
---
22 Thinking Day
-
---
23 Tennis Day
-
---
25 Renoir's Bday
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26-3/1 Ayyám-i-Há - Bahá'í
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27 Mardi Gras
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27 Pancake Tuesday
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27 Shrove Tuesday
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28 Ash Wednesday
For
more dates, go to: http://www.residentassistant.com/calendar/index.htm
March
-
---
1 National Pig Day
-
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1 St. David's Day
-
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2 Read Across America
-
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2 Texas Independence
-
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3 Nat'l. Anthem Day
-
---
4 Gen. Pulaski's Bday
-
---
6 Dentists' Day
-
---
6 Michelangelo's Bday
-
---
8 Intl. Women's Day
-
---
9 Full Moon Day
-
---
9 Holi
-
---
9 Panic Day
-
---
12 Girls Scouts Bday
-
---
12 Mauritius
-
---
14 March Madness Begins
-
---
14 Pi Day
-
---
15 Ides Of March
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STUDENT
ISSUES AND CONCERNS
ISSUES:
---
Fall housing decisions
--- Cabin fever
--- Burn out
--- Job anxiety begins
--- Summer job worries
--- Academic pressures increase
--- Social Calendar is less active
--- Excitement/anxiety over spring break plans
--- Relationships either get stronger or weaker...pressure for
Valentines day
--- Health related issues (increased drinking to relieve stress,
irregular diets) *Thinking about summer jobs, internships, etc.
--- Pressure to declare a major
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