| In many ways, going back to school is like starting a | | | | - a copy of your W-2 from last year |
| new diet or workout program. You initially are very | | | | - pictures of family and friends. If you have children, |
| excited and do everything and even more than the | | | | in particular these pictures are important. An |
| program calls for. You eat the right foods, carefully | | | | overwhelmingly popular reason for going back to |
| measured and you attend the classes and lift the | | | | school is to provide a better life for your family |
| weights. This diet thing is easy! | | | | down the road. |
| But then the novelty wears off. The foods | | | | - a picture of someone wearing graduation robes and |
| recommended by the diet grow boring. You come | | | | that little hat that nobody knows the name of. |
| home from a long day at work and there are your | | | | - a picture of a toy you are going to get yourself |
| workout clothes waiting for you. Life starts to get in | | | | after completing the fifth class, the tenth class, the |
| the way-family obligations, overtime at work, a | | | | fifteenth class and so on until you graduate. The 'toy' |
| simple thing like a social life all contribute to diminish | | | | can be as simple as a candy bar, a new pair of |
| your focus. We have all been there! | | | | shoes, or a power tool, but it needs to be something |
| One thing I recommend that students do immediately | | | | specific and tangible-an action you will take as a |
| upon taking their first class is to create a 'motivation | | | | reward. |
| kit', that will remind them why they went back to | | | | I think you can see the reasons for the kit easily. |
| school in the first place. I also ask them to take it | | | | Adult students respond to both short and long term |
| with them wherever they go and keep it in a highly | | | | motivators. Only put in long term motivators and it |
| visible place (like a cubicle at work or posted on the | | | | may seem impossible to reach. Only put in short term |
| refrigerator door). | | | | motivators and you risk forgetting about the |
| The contents of the kit can vary, but they should all | | | | importance of the long-term goal. |
| have at least these elements: | | | | |