Being a proactive student

Hi, I'm Dr. Nathalie, and today we are talking about being proactive. So this is a whole new series. We're going to speak for the different groups about what it means to be proactive and how this is useful in your life and what you can actually do. So to start off, let's go with students. As a student, I feel like you're very young and you have all this time and energy and all these big dreams. At least I hope so. Dream big. It's an important one. But I think it's also easy to get sort of shuffled into different boxes of life. Like, you get lots of different opportunities, or someone gives you like an internship or suggests you do something. And it's good to say yes to everything, especially in the beginning and especially if you're not very sure exactly about what you want. Even if you are sure, it's good to try different things and you see how you do in different environments, which skills you pick up on. But I think with being proactive, you want to firstly be intentional. So instead of just saying yes to absolutely everything, if you don't know what you want to do and you have all this time in the world, say yes to everything. It's a very good way to learn, especially when you're confused about what you want to do. But once you start to have an idea or you have interest in like a particular sector or a certain type of skills, then it's important to start to be intentional with your time and your energy. So you need to think things through, think about, like, the consequences of something or what would be useful to to you later. And you have to start to think in that way. And I feel like it's a bit different because you start to think for future you. And that's something that's really helped me with making decisions and making the most of opportunities. Because you think about how will this help me in the future? And there's always an upside. Even things that you think are useless, even things that are boring, even jobs that you hate, there's something useful in that job. There's some lesson there for you to learn. So be intentional about how you're spending your time. If you're going to a job you hate every day and you're just complaining all the time and you're not making the most of it, you. You're wasting your time, essentially. However, if you're going to a job that you hate every day and you're being proactive and intentional, you're making friends with all the people who Work there because you don't know. They might be married to someone who will give you a job somewhere else, or they might be related to someone, or they might see an opportunity for you, or they might vouch for you or give you a good reference. You never know what you're squandering, what's around you. So you want to be proactive and be intentional. You can be building your network, you can be building your skills. Some jobs don't use all your brain capacity, let's be honest. You don't need to sit there from 9 to 5, from 9 to 12, and you're done with work, and now you're just bored in the office. Don't play solitaire. Don't go on Facebook. Do an online course. Go watch something on YouTube that's useful. Listen to a podcast. Volunteer in the office to do something else. I'll do this extra project. I'll do these deliveries because you get to go and meet other people. I. I'll do sales and talk to clients. Find a good way to use your time. And this is why I'm saying be proactive. Because the opposite of being proactive is to be passive. You just let life happen to you, and if you just keep letting life happen to you, you're just going to find yourself somewhere one day. And you don't want to wake up one day and be like, what am I doing here? How is this my life? How did I end up here? I'm in so deep. How am I going to make these changes now? Don't wait till it's too late. So be proactive. So. So don't just say yes to everything without thinking about it. Say yes to opportunities. But think, how can I make the most of this opportunity? What is in it for me? What is the lesson here? How can I get close to this person or learn this new skill? What questions can I ask? What research can I do? What can I do to make sure I'm making the most of my time and I'm being proactive about my life? The next thing that I would suggest is you always do research. Research helps you be more informed for yourself and for the people around you. For the people around you, it's good if you're informed, because look knowledgeable. You look like someone who is prepared, someone who knows what they're talking about. So you're making a good impression. I would really emphasize research. Google is your friend. But learn how to filter things on Google. Not everything is true. Not all sources are credible. You need to take yourself and get used to doing that and see what is the easiest way for you to research something. Know your learning style. So do you need to listen to it on a podcast? You need to watch it on YouTube? Do you want to read a book about it? An article? Talk to someone? Research is also good for you because it informs you of something that you are assuming that you know. I want to say this, and I don't want you to take it badly, but it's true. For the rest of your life, you know nothing. The amount that you think you know is so, so small. It's. It's unbelievable. I feel like the older I get, the more I realize how little I know about anything. So the more you can research and learn, the more you inform yourself, because the more things that will surprise you in this field. If you are sure that this is what you want to do, but you've never had any experience of it, try and do some research. And when I say research, I don't just mean Google and read about it or see it in movies. Talk to people. Go to those offices. Go to that factory or that sector or where you want to work and actually experience it. Or talk to someone who works there. And don't just ask, what's it like? You know, ask specific questions. Try to understand the experience, the challenges of that career. What has helped them, what has been useful, what have been the obstacles they've had to overcome. What is that field like for women or for young people? Where is this sector going? Be specific, because you'll be surprised about the answers that you'll get. And there's always something new you can know. No matter how well read you are on something, there's always someone who has experience in this area and will surprise you with information. It's just life. Because if someone is doing something every day, they will always have more knowledge about it than someone who just reads about it or thinks about it or listens about it. So the more research you do, the more useful it will be to you. The last thing I would say is apply your energy. And I mean this in the best way. Enthusiasm costs nothing. So it's important that you use your energy effectively. The energy that you bring to a room, the energy that you show up with for an interview or for work. I've been in interviews and I'm just like, I would never hire this person. I don't want this attitude in my office every day before they've even said anything. You don't want to seem tired. You don't want to seem Slow. You don't want to seem like. You don't want to be there, like your face is upset. Your energy is in your control. And any small task or something that someone asks you to do, do it with enthusiasm. Do your best. Do it to the best of your ability. Even if you think it's beneath you, even if you don't like this sector, even if your mom got you this job and you're just doing it until you get a real job, do it to the best of your ability. The people around you are watching you. You, Your reputation is going to open doors for you in the future. So if they know that this person does things properly, they show up on time. They work diligently, they don't make mistakes. They put in the research, they put in the time, the effort. They are a delight to have in the office. They'll have nothing bad to say about you. So when you move on to your next opportunity, your references will be good. People will even offer you opportunities. They'll vouch for you, they'll open doors for you. So make sure you're applying your energy in an intentional way. You're showing up every day in the best way that you can. I'm not saying everyone has perfect days and show up with super energy every morning even though you're going through a rough time. But you have to do your best every day. And that is an intention you wake up in the morning with and say, you know what? Today I'm going to try my best. Today I'm going to make the most of this situation, even with this horrible boss, even as I look for a job and I haven't found1 in two years, I'm going to make the most of today and do what I can to the best of my ability. Just switching your attitude like that makes a huge difference in your energy and in the opportunities that now brings for you. So those are the three things I would suggest for students. We are trying to be more proactive about our lives. Okay? Think about it like you are getting in the driver's seat of your life. Most of the time when you get up to like a certain age, maybe your early 20s, other people in your life are making decisions for you for a reason. That's the system we're all in. Whether it's parents or school or circumstances, you are not in the driving seat. But by the time you're in your early 20s, you start to get to drive. And it's sometimes hard to push off someone who is making decisions for you. But the more you show that you have the ability to drive and drive your own life, the more you will drive to the destinations that you want and the people around you will respect that. So get control of your life. Start to make decisions. Don't be passive. You want to be proactive. Think about your future and where you are trying to drive yourself. Because the longer you go passively into other people's detours and down the wrong roads, you just wasting your own time. Sure, you'll learn lessons because we're making the most of different situations, right? But it will take you longer to get where you are trying to go. So if you don't know where you're trying to go, you want to try and drive down as many roads as fast as possible to see what are all the different opportunities, the experiences. So you have more information and you're better informed to make that decision. But get in the driving seat. That's the most important thing I would say for when you are still young and trying to make the most of your life and your career. I hope that's helpful. If you found this video useful, be sure to subscribe on my social media channels so you can get more information. I believe in you, I want you to succeed and I am here to support you.