First we make out Habits then our Habits Make Us

A few good habits will carry you a long way, said the master to his top student. They’ll get you through some tough times and set you up for consistent success. They'll make you a pacesetter."

The student asked what a pacesetter is.

"Well sometimes you're in a position to lead and sometimes you're not. But you're always in a position to be a pacesetter."

When you are handed the reins of leadership, you want to take them and do well. But I'll tell it to you straight. You need to make good things happen around you whether or not you're the leader. Do that consistently and any position of responsibility you want will be offered sooner than you can imagine. Don't seek any type of advancement by looking for promotions. Seek the opportunity to make good things happen around you now, and the rewards will follow."

Every student trains hard and does good work said the master, his student was perplexed. After a moment, the master spoke again. "You need to be different in a way that doesn't detract from the others efforts, but allows you to make an even greater contribution.

Are you helping students that are junior to you, or do you volunteer to do privates for the leadership team? You must seek ways to contribute. Like Mr. Zigler says “when you help others get what they need and want, you will always get what you need, want and deserve.

The next habit I want you to internalize is First in and last out which means you put in more effort and work harder than anyone else -- and not just busy work, but a meaningful, higher level of contribution. Get to work, school-- or meetings, presentations, leadership team meeting sessions -- early, and don't be the first to leave. Those times, early and late, are often when some of the most meaningful contributions are made. When we practice Tae Kwon-Do it means being the first one to show up for practice and the last to go home. It means doing more to prepare and develop than your competition. It means putting in more meaningful effort to produce a better end result.

Say to yourself before going to bed each night the first thing out of my mouth will be something positive when I wake up. It really doesn’t matter if you are alone or not, just say aloud something positive to yourself or to who ever you see first thing in the morning.



Respectfully,

Master Dan Zaleski