The other day I was watching King Richard, a biographical sports drama film about the life of Richard Williams, the father of tennis superstars Venus and Serena Williams. The film narrates the story of Richard Williams and his instrumental role in making successes out his daughters. Williams provided Venus and Serena with the planning, guidance, and mentorship to became who they are.
While watching the film, I could not help but think about how crucial it is to plan if one wants to succeed in life. Williams was meticulous in his planning. When his daughters were toddlers, he wrote a 78-page plan to ensure that they would become successful tennis players. Though the success of the Williams sisters may beg the question of nature verses nurture, it does not leave doubt on how planning can increase the likelihood of success. Planning and attention to detail can make or break.
In the educational setting, planning is also key. A simple example to illustrate this is the essay plan. When I teach my students about essay writing I tell them that they must first plan. Whatever sort of plan it is, brief or detailed, it provides a guide on which to move towards the right direction. Without a plan there is a risk of going off tangent and missing the whole point. And this is true not only for essay writing but any project, small or large, that one takes up in life.
People who see success often devote a part of their day to journaling and planning. Journaling gives clarity while planning gives a pathway to that clarity. Last year I journaled every single day for over 9 months. I did not miss a single day. Every morning, I spent about 10 minutes writing about my previous day. I kept it simple and gave a brief narrative of what I did during the day. It was a fulfilling experience and I found that I had a lot of clarity in not only how my day, week or month was going, but also my life. I no longer journal in this way but instead try to write a little bit every day about any topic that is on my mind. Along with journaling, another important habit with which I start my day is to create a plan for the day. I create a to-do list of tasks that I need to complete. I break down the projects I am working on into smaller, more manageable tasks. This allows me to not be overwhelmed by the quantum of work, but rather feel motivated and in control of my responsibilities.
Throughout King Richards, we hear Williams say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. This could not me more apt in the context of educational and academic success. Keeping in mind the larger picture of whatever task is at hand, we can plan for success rather than failure.
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