"He who hesitates is lost." – Cato. These wise words were spoken by a philosopher who knew the importance of purpose and commitment. Whilst there is a time and place for hesitation, too much of it can really ruin your potential for success. If you’ve chosen to study a BEd foundation phase, you’ll be aware that there’s a large amount of dedication in mind. When you’ve got a purpose to stand in front of a classroom and lead the next generation through their learning journey, there’s no way you can afford to hesitate.
Yale University conducted a study on the impact of hesitation. The results show that if you feel inspired to do something and hesitate for a mere few seconds, your chances of actually doing what you set out to do drop drastically. It’s even the case when the time of uncertainty lasted only 2-4 seconds. Scary right? All the more reason to act when you feel passionate about doing or achieving something.
Living a life that you’re in control of means being aware of when you’re self-sabotaging your own progress with negative patterns of thinking and behaviour.
World-renowned motivator Tony Robbins says that the key to this takes place in three steps:
- The first is making a decision, something that should be done when you are in your peak state. This can be defined as when you are in a clear and positive mental space. When you are in a peak state, you are more likely to see yourself in an elevated way and believe that you are capable of greatness. As a result, you’ll set your sights on higher standards and greater goals. An example of this could be deciding that you’re going to get a B.Ed foundation phase teacher degree.
- The second step is to commit to those goals and decisions. This means promising yourself that you’re going to make it happen, without any excuses or bailing halfway. Once you’ve committed, there can be no going back. You made your choice, now you need to fulfil it.
- The third and final step is to decide within yourself that it will happen. This is a self-fulfilling prophecy in which you will yourself to achieve what you’ve set out to. When you have decided it is meant to be, you’re more likely to get your desired outcome.
It seems so simple but why do so many of us still hesitate? The issue lies in the fact that we want certainty and guarantees that what we want most will come to be. Sadly, there are no guarantees in life and if we were to wait on them before taking action, we’d be waiting for the rest of our lives. All you need to ask yourself is whether or not you’re prepared to sacrifice your internal freedom for external security. The answer to this is simple, you want to live your best life possible and that means taking risks and doing things that will lead to the fulfilment that you want.
New world thinking opens doors
Whilst you don’t need to have all of the answers right now, all you need is the confidence to go after what you want. At The IIE’s Varsity College, our dedication to problem-solving and critical thinking is the first step to helping you live the life that you want. For more on how the IIE Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching can kickstart your career, please contact The IIE's Varsity College.
Varsity College is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE). South Africa’s leading private higher education provider that’s registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training, and accredited by the British Accreditation Council (BAC).