The Tools Won't Work Unless You Use Them

What you’ve just read are your tools to create your starting point for student success. But the tools won’t work unless you use them. A hammer lying on the floor can’t do anything by itself, but in the right hands, it can help build a home. The hammer is useless unless it is used. That is why this blog is your starting point for success.

This blog gives you a new lens to see your life through. I hope you are ready to take the journey to success and do something every day to become better than yesterday, whether it’s reading, taking action, or stopping activities that are unproductive in your life.

And here’s another success principle you can add to your war chest:

Pareto Principle 80/20 Rule
The Pareto Principle states that roughly
80% of the effects come from 20% of the cause.

Another way to think of this is to say the results we achieve are the result of about 20% (and sometimes less!) of the stuff we do.

In our case, the 80% is you taking the time to read this blog. It has taken you time and focus to spend time learning about these life-changing pillars of success. The 20% represents your application of these principles to your life. The 20% is making that one uncomfortable phone call—it’s the action it takes to move you toward the goals you want to achieve. Just reading this books means absolutely nothing unless you actively apply the principles to your life.

This blog wasn’t created just to be a form of entertainment (however, I do hope you’ve enjoyed spending some time with me). This blog was meant to change your mindset and help you to take the necessary steps forward in life and in school, right now. If you just wanted to veg out, your time would have been better spent looking up stupid videos on YouTube.

But since you’ve come this far (assuming you just didn’t skip ahead to this part!), you are a person of action and greatness—and not of future greatness, by the way. You are great right now, in this moment. Not just great... you’re awesome!

Completing this blog serves as a milestone along your journey. It’s a point of reference so you can say: “This is my starting point. Today, I am in control of my life. Yes, I am successful. Yes, I am an awesome student. Yes, I am smart. Yes, I will start today truly living the life I know I deserve and I demand from myself.”

We started with a congratulations, and I’d like to end with one, too.

Congratulations! The real fun starts now, wherever you are in this journey called life. The satisfaction is in fulfilling your dreams, goals, and aspirations. The fun is in the work it takes to live as the true success you know you already are.

Arel Moodie is widely known as America's Top Young Speaker. He has spoken to over 65,000 students in 39 states and 2 countries on the topics of student success, student leadership and student entrepreneurship. He is a leading authority on helping students of this generation succeed in school and in life. He is also the best selling author of the book Your Starting Point For Student Success. To find out more about Arel's book, go to www.startingpointbook.com. To find out more about Arel's speaking please go to www.arelmoodie.com.