One of the most common pieces of advice I give to students and others my age is to have an optimistic, positive mindset. Having a strong mindset to me means believing in yourself, believing in your ability to be successful, believing in your small successes and believing in the process it takes to get to where you want to be.
This mentality is a lesson I learned through my experience in sports. When I learned to celebrate every point I earned in a wrestling match, I realized I was one step closer to a championship. Over the years, I have taken that into my leadership roles in DECA.
When you celebrate your small successes, you:
- Build Your Confidence - If you celebrate your small successes, your small steps of progress will help you build confidence, especially when trying to balance being a busy college student.
- Push Yourself to Achieve More - If you take a break to allow yourself to enjoy the moment, you can be more eager to achieve the Next Big Thing!
- Learn to Handle Setbacks - In life, there will always be setbacks of varying sizes, but it is how you handle them that matters. Take setbacks as an opportunity to learn and grow. Don’t allow setbacks to take away from what you have already accomplished.
Why is this important in DECA? Here are a few reasons:
Leadership
Celebrate the small moments where you step outside of your comfort zone to be a leader. A few examples are leading a chapter meeting, speaking in front of a group or taking on a new officer position. As a leader of a chapter or association, it is important to spotlight other members of your team or chapter. When people are recognized for their successes, big or small, they are more likely to feel appreciated and eager to continue to do more.
Competition
When it comes time for competition season, you should feel as prepared as you possibly can be. One way to help you feel more prepared is by spending time practicing for your event, whether that's public speaking or being so familiar with your prepared event that you know it like the back of your hand.
Each time you practice different strategies, you will see small improvements in yourself. It is important to celebrate those small successes to build your confidence going into competition. At the Collegiate DECA International Career Development Conference, if you make it to the stage for a preliminary award, celebrate that, even if it is not your end goal.
Networking
Allow yourself to make full use of the rooms you're assigned to. Celebrate the connections you create at conferences and in your chapter. You never know how far one conversation can take you, whether that's with another member, advisor, judge or business professional. In my experience, I have made so many relationships through DECA that I have stayed in contact with over the years, and to me, that is something worth celebrating!
Overall, it is important to enjoy your DECA journey as much as possible. Recognize and celebrate you and your peers' small successes because they matter. This is just one way DECA can prepare you to be an emerging leader!
