If you haven't discovered your passion yet then you will need to send out a search party to find it. Consider identifying your top 5 character strengths - www.viacharacter.org.
Ask yourself what gives you a buzz in life - I don't mean an energy drink but something that really excites you. Or think about things you are awesome at in life. If you can combine a bit of talent with a lot of passion then you are destined for success.
-Figure out when you study the best.
Whether you study best in the morning, evening, in sunlight, or on the 11th moon cycle of the Helios Beta System (for all closet Trekkies!), we all have our differences in when we can do it most effectively.
For instance, I HATE studying to music, whereas my son needs music to concentrate. I could never study after midnight but some people are productive throughout the night. I prefer to study at home, whereas others prefer to study at a library.
Have a think about where, when and how you study best and try to do so consistently under these conditions. We learn and remember things best when we study under the same circumstances.
-Work-life balance.
It is definitely a good idea to study each day, preferably at a time when you concentrate the best. But I've come to realise you don't learn effectively if you don't take regular breaks.
It is pretty much a given that exercise helps tackle stress, improves concentration, fosters creativity and enhances learning. Positive emotions do the same. So if you want the most out of your brain, allocate at least an hour a day to exercise.
-Believe that with hard work and enthusiasm you can accomplish most things.
If I had relied on natural ability to get where I am today then, well, I wouldn't be where I am today. I sucked at Year 13 and failed lots of exams, yet here I am doing a PhD. I attribute this success to my growth mindset.
Someone with a growth mindset believes that hard work, overcoming setbacks, practice and persistence with challenges is what leads to success, versus natural ability and talent.
With a growth mindset, I realise that the process of achieving a qualification is just as important as the final outcome.
There have been many setbacks and disappointments in my PhD so far but instead of making me want to quit I have embraced them, knowing each experience has helped to grow and strengthen me, as an academic and as a person.
School is as much about the journey as it is about the destination, enjoy the ride and do the best you possibly can.
-Don't compare yourself to others.
I will try to say this as respectfully as I can. If you compare yourself to other people, then you are bonkers.
If you define your success as it compares to others, you set yourself up to fail. There is a whole lot of awesomeness in this world and your awesomeness is different to someone else's.
Embrace the difference and march to the beat of your own drum. All we can do in life is to strive to be better than we were yesterday.
-A registered psychologist with a master's in applied psychology, Wanganui mother-of-two Kristen Hamling is studying for a PhD in positive psychology at Auckland University of Technology.
