What’s the secret key to earning a degree?

Stop relying on hope to succeed in college + understand how commitment drives Determination, certainty, and confidence.

The key to earning a degree is giving up hope. The thesaurus would have us believe that the loss of hope is despair and darkness, but I completely disagree. Getting rid of hope means you have the opportunity to choose something else that serves you much better. In fact, to earn a college degree you have to lose hope because hope is preventing you from achieving your goals.

What?!?

Hope is an emotion that seems like a positive thing. In fact, when things aren’t going well we love to tell someone not to lose hope. Google quotes on hope and you will find over 50 million results. Our society loves hope! In the short term, hope feels really good, but have you thought about what value hope offers?

Let’s say that you meet someone for the first time and you know nothing about them. They tell you that they hope to earn an MBA and start a million-dollar business. Then they ask you to invest in them.

What would be your first thought?

Mine is a HARD pass. I don’t know this person. Do they hope to get a degree? Do they hope to start a business? I’m not investing in someone’s hope.

I mean, c’mon.

The key to earning a degree

The problem with hope is that it is easy. Hope is a passive way to feel good about something.

Relying on hope means we aren’t accountable to take any action. We become passive bystanders waiting for an outside force to give us something.

Being hopeful about your future keeps you from creating your future. You know I am all about you creating a future that includes a degree.

Consider these thoughts:

• I hope to pass this exam.
• I hope to earn my degree.
• I hope to get a better job.

What do those thoughts make you want to do? What action do they inspire you to take?

Bupkis.

They make me want to sit on the couch and browse pictures of people who have what I want…which then leads to jealousy…beating myself up for not having it…and I’m getting out the Ben & Jerry’s…

The key to earning a degree is to stop relying on hope and wondering why the universe doesn’t deliver for you.

(p.s., if you’re struggling with procrastination, don’t miss out on the #1 way to beat procrastination)

Hope is Hurting your college success

When you are hopeful about your college success you are not taking responsibility for it. Hope for a specific grade or a degree leaves us waiting for some force outside of our control to deliver the result to us.

Dude. It ain’t gonna happen.

No one is going to give you an A on that paper unless you earn it. No one is going to confer a degree on you for the heck of it (unless you are uber-famous and important, then you might get an honorary degree).

Hope feels good because it is a way of acknowledging a desire without asking much of ourselves.

What to do After giving up hope

Here’s the truth: hope doesn’t believe in you.

When you give up hope you need to choose commitment instead. This is the #1 key to earning a degree. Commitment thinks that you are kick-ass. It flips all of the negatives of hope around.

Compare the two:

Let’s return to our friend from earlier that we met for the first time. We still know nothing about them, but they tell us that they are committed to earning their MBA. The outline where they are in the process and what the next steps are, even telling us how they’re going to take those steps. They are committed to starting a million-dollar business. They discuss their business plan, the obstacles prevented and ways they will overcome them. Then they ask you to invest in them.

What is your first thought?

I’m in! This is a person who is going to realize their future because they are creating it.

Do you want to join me in giving up hope for a college degree? Let’s let go of hope right now and instead get committed to it. Commitment creates the future that you want by fueling determination, certainty, and confidence.

It’s a subtle mindset shift, but mindset matters more than any study technique. Change your mind and you will literally change your world.

Do you know the most important factor in college success? It may surprise you…