How to Have an Academic Comeback in 2024

Summary

In this video, Dr. Justin Sun, a learning coach, shares his perspective on why he avoids making New Year's resolutions and instead advocates for a method of continuous, monthly goal realignment. He explains that traditional resolutions often fail due to vague plans and all-or-nothing thinking. Sun suggests reflecting on long-term visions, identifying barriers to progress, and focusing on consistent, small actions that compound over time. His approach emphasizes adaptability, motivation, and the importance of removing barriers to achieve meaningful life changes.

Takeaways

• 📅 The speaker has avoided making New Year's resolutions for over a decade and considers it a good decision.
• 🤔 The speaker explains why traditional New Year's resolutions often fail, citing the common pattern of high initial motivation that quickly fades.
• 💡 An alternative to New Year's resolutions is introduced: a method of ongoing, consistent planning and goal setting throughout the year.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The speaker shares personal experiences, including a career change from medicine to education and entrepreneurship, as an example of successful goal achievement without traditional resolutions.
• 🔄 The importance of recognizing the difference between ventricular fibrillation in the heart and consistent, synchronized effort in goal setting is highlighted.
• 🚫 The 'all or nothing' mentality associated with resolutions is critiqued as a barrier to sustained progress.
• 🔄 The concept of 'monthly realignment sessions' is suggested as a tool for ongoing self-reflection and goal adjustment.
• 🎯 The need for long-term visions to be broad and adaptable, while short-term goals should be specific and actionable, is emphasized.
• 🛑 Identifying and addressing barriers to progress is key to aligning actions with long-term visions and ensuring continuous movement towards goals.
• 💡 The speaker encourages a solution-focused mindset, where each monthly check-in is an opportunity to find ways to overcome obstacles and move forward.
• 📈 The process of removing barriers is likened to a series of small wins that compound over time, leading to significant life changes and achievements.

Q & A

Why does the speaker avoid making New Year's resolutions?

The speaker avoids making New Year's resolutions because they believe it's one of the best decisions they've made, as it has allowed them to transform their life without relying on the traditional yearly resolution approach.

What is the primary issue with New Year's resolutions according to the speaker?

The primary issue with New Year's resolutions is that they often lead to a burst of motivation that quickly fizzles out, resulting in a lack of sustained effort and ultimately failure to achieve the set goals.

What is the speaker's profession and how does it relate to the topic of the video?

The speaker is Dr. Justin Sun, a learning coach and the head of learning at I Can Study. His profession involves researching learning and self-management, which is directly relevant to the discussion on goal setting and achieving resolutions.

What is the analogy used by the speaker to describe the initial burst of motivation for New Year's resolutions?

The speaker uses the analogy of a commercial gym being packed during the first few days of January due to people's New Year's resolutions to get fit, only to find it empty again by February, illustrating the temporary nature of the motivation.

What are the common problems the speaker identifies with setting too many goals?

The common problems include having vague and ambiguous plans, not knowing enough about the goals to create perfect plans, and the accumulation of barriers that derails progress and stops the achievement of goals.

What is the 'All or Nothing' thinking that the speaker mentions in relation to plans?

'All or Nothing' thinking refers to the mindset where one believes they will either achieve a goal perfectly or not at all, which can lead to giving up when faced with obstacles or deviations from the plan.

What alternative method of goal setting does the speaker propose instead of New Year's resolutions?

The speaker proposes having monthly realignment sessions with oneself to assess and realign actions with long-term visions, ensuring consistent progress and adaptation to changing circumstances.

What is the significance of the medical term 'ventricular fibrillation' in the context of the speaker's view on planning and goal setting?

The term 'ventricular fibrillation' is used as a metaphor to illustrate the ineffectiveness of uncoordinated actions in goal setting, emphasizing the need for synchronized and compounding efforts to achieve meaningful change.

What are the key questions one should ask during a monthly realignment session according to the speaker?

The key questions include: What is my long-term vision? Is it the same as in my last checkup? Are my current actions aligned with my long-term vision? What barriers or missing elements are preventing alignment? What focus should I have until the next session?

How does the speaker describe the process of achieving a goal in terms of removing barriers?

The speaker describes the process as one of consistent and diligent barrier removal, where the focus for the initial months should be on identifying and addressing the obstacles that prevent progress towards the goal.

What is the final recommendation the speaker gives for those interested in improving their learning or time management skills?

The speaker recommends checking out a video on 'Reverse goal setting' and staying until the end of the video for a curated playlist of videos that can help with learning, time management, and task management skills.