Small Sacrifices for Big Benefits: The Art of Long-Term Thinking

This guest post was written by the lovely and talented Kelly Pozzoli, SuperCamp lead facilitator and snowboarding enthusiast.

“Is this in line with what I believe?”

“Are my priorities straight?”

“Is it worth it?”

For some reason, obvious and logical questions like these tend to escape our radar from time to time. We do things that might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but ended up proverbially kicking ourselves in the faces.

We give in to temptation because it feels right in the moment. We get caught up in short-sighted thinking. We momentarily forget to consider the consequences, or we find a way to rationalize them.  We give in to our impulses, focusing on the now instead of panning out to look at the big picture.  We make seemingly valid excuses for our actions so that we can have what we want in the meantime.

Short Term Gain, Long Term Pain

The concept is simple. Think about any test you’ve ever had looming on the horizon.  You know you need to do well on this test, and in order for that to happen, you need to study.  You make a study plan and schedule in breaks.  It starts off innocently enough until you find yourself spending most of your nights checking in on the latest and greatest of Jersey Shore, not to mention the entire series of Breaking Bad (after all, it just won all those Emmy’s and you have a lot of catching up to do).  Suddenly it’s a few days before the test, and you haven’t so much as cracked a book.  Call off Snooki, now you have a real Situation on your hands.  The test is here, and you’re unprepared.  Cueing up Breaking Bad on Netflix was intended to be for your down time from studying and somehow turned into the main event.  It seemed all right at the time, but now you’re going to bomb the test.  You chose to indulge in TV instead of studying (short term gain), and as a result, you failed the test (long term pain).

Short Term Pain, Long Term Gain

Now think about saving money to buy a car.  You set up a savings plan and budget your cash accordingly…on paper (that’s the easy part).  However, you tend to be an impulse shopper- buying that oh-so-cute-and-trending-now sweater in the window that you just have to have, or being seduced by the samples at the grocery store and scooping up several boxes of whatever’s being dished out.  But, not this time.  You see that sweater, maybe even go so far as to try it on, but upon inspecting the price tag, decide that a car is much more important to you than having new gear.  And instead of purchasing several boxes of what you’ve sampled, you make note of what the product was and try to work it into next week’s carefully constructed grocery list.  You’re on a budget, which is kind of horrible, but you want that car, so the tears shed during your sweater heartache (short term pain) are quickly forgotten the day you hand over that sweet, sweet down payment on your first new car (long term gain).

Imagine looking in the mirror and knowing you are better than the vices that gobble up so many others in society–that you are stronger, smarter, and more in line with your values. That image looks even better from the rear-view mirror of that beastly car you worked hard to buy. That image looks better seeing those old temptations shrink behind you as you drive your life forward. That image is integrity.

What are some things that you could give up/forgo now in order to receive even bigger benefits in the future? Please share in the comments below!

10 Ways to Study More Effectively

In previous posts I have shared several study and other learning tips that SuperCamp grads receive while at SuperCamp. We’ve recently pulled together 10 of the most effective tips and put them into a free report entitled “10 Easy Ways to Study More Effectively.”

While you’ve probably seen most of these tips before, we thought you might like to download a document where they’re all in one place in order to easily review the information and share it with your kids. Also, you’re welcome to pass the link along to your friends and other family members. Enjoy!

Creativity is Key to Effective Study Skills

Karen Borbola uses Mind Mapping to enhance her study skills

For any learner, a significant gap can form between subject matter and student if the learning method isn’t approached intuitively. SuperCamp equips students with a repertoire of valuable study skills and advantageous techniques that work specifically with their individual learning pattern.

A favorite for many of our campers is Mind Mapping®, a method developed by Tony Buzan in the 1960′s that promotes active learning through colorful picture and word associations. The goal of Mind Mapping is to get creative! Personalizing the information in a way that employs both sides of the brain is the key to this learning technique. Anyone who needs to organize information easily for absorption can use this technique, whether in preparation for an exam, a book report, planning an event, or tackling a challenging problem.

How does Mind Mapping work? The first step is to turn the page horizontally. This gives you room to spread outwards. Since it is important to always be aware of the big picture, your first addition to the page should be the main idea of the subject at hand. As an example, consider the life cycle of a plant. You could choose to simply write this in the center of the page, but it would be more beneficial to the learning process – and more fun – if a picture is included that will signify the topic, like a quick sketch of a plant. From there, draw branches stemming from the main idea that represent important points: how a seed germinates, where a plant gets its nutrients, the process of photosynthesis, and the pollination of flowers. Each point can be paired with a picture and at least three different colors should be used throughout.

The use of color stimulates the imaginative part of the brain – additionally, it captures and holds the Mind Mapper’s attention. The pictures paired with words will help the brain form associations that can be easily recalled at a later date. The final product should resemble the many branches of a tree surrounding a central idea. And remember – the more unique your mind map is, the easier it will be to retain the information!

Students can build a better foundation for their academic careers if they develop engaging learning techniques at an early age. Regardless of the subject matter, a student who is able to manipulate content in a mentally stimulating way will adopt a positive stance on learning for years to come. For SuperCamp graduate James Ohnoki, Mind Mapping was the turning point for his academic career. The visual elements helped him connect facts to a bigger picture, while the drawing and coloring aspects gave him permission to be as creative as he wanted.

Just as James Ohnoki discovered, the learning techniques students develop at SuperCamp will transform them into more interactive learners for the rest of their lives. It can effectively bridge the gap between a student and his or her coursework and start them on the road to academic success. Armed with learning techniques like Mind Mapping, students will find this path to success remarkably easier to traverse.