Marksmen Academy

A Conversation with Eric Ries

anthony — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 01:51:37 +0000

Earlier this week, I attended ‘A Conversation with Eric Ries’ hosted by Startup UCLA. Startup UCLA is a group that just emerged this year and is committed to enriching the start-up community on campus by hosting various events. This was also the first major networking event I attended on behalf of Marksmen Academy, so I had no idea what to expect and came in a bit nervous. In this blog post, I want to share my experience at this event and how things played out for me. If you are interested in the start-up community, let me know and I’ll be sure to share with you future Start-up UCLA events!

6:15pm: Preparation at my Apartment

The event officially started for me back at my apartment as I went through some mental preparation. I rehearsed some scenarios and wondered how I could best approach others at the event. Do I bring up Marksmen right away? Should I get a feel for the other person with small talk first? Thinking through exactly what I would say coupled with my nerves reminded me of how I felt in high school before appearing on stage in theater. I grabbed my iPod, a notepad, and about 20 business cards before heading off.

6:55pm: Arrived at Schoenberg Hall

On the bus ride over I decided not to think about the event much and tried to change my nervous energy into something more productive. Music helped clear my mind and focus less on details. It was already a small victory for me that I managed to get there on time, so that boosted my confidence heading into the event venue. Eying the crowd ahead, I was surprised to find out that the event was mostly filled with people in their late 20′s/early 30′s and that there were hardly any UCLA students there. As I waited in the check-in line observing the crowd ahead, I suddenly broke focus as a middle-aged man tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Nice to meet you, I’m Al.” I realized quickly that these types of quick introductions and approaches would mark the rest of my evening. I introduced myself to him and we talked about our mutual interest in the startup community. It was comforting to me that others are looking for a good conversation too and come in with an open mind ready to listen to others ideas. I told him about Marksmen and we swapped business cards. We parted ways after the line cleared and went into the main lobby.

7:15pm: Schoenberg Hall Lobby

The lobby behind the closed auditorium doors was filled with people engaged in conversation. The only way to get around was to walk along the outside area, which was slightly calmer. It looked like most people grabbed about half a plate of food so I did the same. I didn’t have it in me yet to introduce myself to anyone as Al did, but I knew I had to take the time to get to know people at the event. I noticed a crowd of about 5 people where one man in particular drew the attention of the other four people. I figured he was someone either really important or was sharing a really interesting idea, so I entered the semi-circle around him and listened in. I didn’t understand much of what he was saying, but fortunately for me the group broke after about 2 minutes. After the group of 6 broke, three pairs naturally formed and I started talking to the closest person to me, Lutrell. He was 6’2″ and very well spoken. I found out that most of the people attending were part of StartupLA, which was a bigger movement that Startup UCLA recently became a part of. He works as a recruiter from a firm in Santa Monica that hires coders/CompSci majors. I learned that Compsci majors will never be out of a job in the near future with such a strong demand for them. We swapped business cards and he gave me some good ideas about Marksmen that I’ll look to implement.

8:15pm: A Conversation with Eric Ries
The event started an hour after the scheduled time. I learned that from how the event was conducted, there is a lot of emphasis in the start-up community on mingling and small talk. I ran into a friend from one of my classes in my Freshman year, Henry and spent the rest of the evening with him as well as his friends Evan and PA. We were among the few undergraduates there so we get along well. We sat together for the event with pretty good seats (3 rows from the front). Eric Ries appeared on stage alongside a moderator who asked him about concepts from his book, “The Lean Startup” and about some of his business experience. In my opinion, his best advice was conveyed through his outlook on running a business. He envisions a start-up as a company that runs multiple experiments by releasing products in a scientific way to improve the lives of others. Successful start-ups are those that can best identify and address the concerns of others in a timely manner.

9:15pm: Q&A with Eric Ries

The evening concluded with Q&A from the audience…there wasn’t anything notable, but it was good to see that Eric really cared about the concerns of the audience. He answered questions like, “Why is Apple doing better than Microsoft?” to “What do you think about my new folding machine idea?” After answering 4-5 questions, Eric was received well by the audience as everyone clapped for him.

This post was pretty long, but I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience! I’m definitely looking forward to the next Startup UCLA event!

All the best,

Anthony

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From Essay to Music Festival

Herry — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:07:59 +0000

I was content with teaching others how to excel at their application essays, but just last week I had to come out of retirement and see where my next essay would take me.

On Thursday, I had just received an invitation to apply to StartUp Bus, which is a week long competition that selects roughly 300 people from 10 cities to road trip on buses to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Texas. In those 72 hours on the bus, the contestants have to break into teams and come up with a business idea/product in hopes of wowing judges in Texas. Winners walk away with investments, partnerships, incubator access, etc.

As an entrepreneur, I could not let that opportunity slip by, and luckily for me, the application was in open text format. Basically I could write anything I wanted to prove to the organizers that I deserved a spot.

Unfortunately for me though, I only had 2 days to apply. Nonetheless, I took a deep breath and applied all the lessons that I otherwise teach to my students and cranked out my essay (definitely reminded me of the late nights I spent writing my application for college).

Two days later, I got the word that I was in! Although I didn’t run out of my house skipping in joy like when I did after receiving my acceptance letter from Stanford, I was ecstatic. Today basically consisted of running around my house, grabbing toiletries, notepads, chargers, etc.

I’ve never been to Texas, so I’m definitely looking forward to finding out the meaning behind the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” (it will also be my first time at SXSW!)

This is a pretty exciting time for me and Marksmen Academy. Luckily, I’ll have my partner Anthony holding down the fort here in California to carry on our mission. Until then, subscribe to us for updates, and I’ll blog as soon as I can about my exciting road trip to Texas!

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-Herry

Oh Deer

anthony — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 01:47:25 +0000

My Nine Years of Scouting

Growing up, an experience that marked my childhood years was the time I spent as part of the Boy Scouts. I was a Boy Scout for nine years, from the 4th grade up until I became an Eagle Scout in July of 2008. When I look back at my scouting career, I’m especially grateful for the diverse experiences I had, which range from funny, to useful, to breathtaking. When I was 13, I was chased by a pack of deer at summer camp just because I couldn’t find a restroom to use. (You can fill in the details yourself.) A year or two later, I learned how to build campfires and shelters using nothing but the forest around me and a pocketknife. When I was 17, I scaled the top of Mt. Baldy after a 5 hour hike and managed to run down the entire mountain in just 2 hours.

Of all the lessons and wonderful experiences I took from scouting, one memory in particular stands out to me. From the years I spent growing up as part of my troop, I learned the value of dedication to a good cause and how important it is to finish what you start. I want to share today my fondest memory and how scouting taught me how to be a grateful, humble, and dedicated servant to others.

An Afternoon At Camp Three Falls

“Anthony, what rank do you plan to earn before leaving our troop?” asked my Scoutmaster, Mr. Tucker. As a twelve year old Tenderfoot Scout, I struggled to maintain my composure against the steady gaze of the three adult leaders overseeing my advancement to the rank of Second Class. Though sincere in my answer, I stammered as I replied to the board members, “Eagle Scout”. Sensing the lack of confidence in my voice, Mr. Tucker stared into my wandering eyes and said confidently, “I can see an Eagle Scout in you.” As a vision of the Eagle Badge on my chest became clear, the cloud of uncertainty shrouding my personal goal had parted. Inspired by his words, I decided from that day onward that I would devote myself, in spite of the challenges ahead, to the trail of scouting.

Five years later, on a light afternoon at Camp Three Falls, I was called to preside upon the Second Class board of review of a young Tenderfoot Scout, Austin. The slight quiver in his voice, tightly tied neckerchief, and stillness around him had reminded me of my first major advancement as I took him aside for preparation. While I explained the importance of each of the seven ranks of scouting, Austin brushed my right arm aside for a full view of my uniform. Following his eyes, I came across the Life Scout badge sewn on my right shirt pocket.

A glance at my Life Scout emblem suddenly reminded me of the progress I had made on my journey to Eagle. As I have been asked to staff summer camps, restore life to a once beautiful stream, and scale mountaintops, I have enjoyed every moment of scouting. From my experiences as an active and enthusiastic Boy Scout, I have learned the value of commitment to a worthy goal. Dedication to my troop in community service, fundraising for disaster victims, and participation in youth programs has helped me define the quality of leadership and has also granted me firsthand opportunities to apply my talents. As these thoughts raced through my head, I felt the need to let Austin know of the wonders just ahead of him.

Renewed with appreciation for scouting, I finished explaining the final ranks of Star, Life, and Eagle. In doing so, I made sure not only to mention the set requirements, but also the joy in fulfilling them. As we stood to walk to the scoutmasters’ table, Austin asked, “What if Eagle is too much for me?” I simply replied to him, “Don’t worry; I can see an Eagle Scout in you.”

Scouting in my Life Today

The advice Mr. Tucker gave to me that day and that I later passed to Austin has shaped my mentality in mentorship and all my interactions with others. I look to see the good in people and remind them about the excellence that they can achieve. My scouting experiences did more than teach me how to believe in myself-they also taught me the importance of believing in others. Marksmen Academy will always feature this lesson I have learned from scouting and I hope that as readers, you will pass on this value as well.

Thanks again to all our wonderful readers and please subscribe to us! =]

Anthony

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Looking Back to Move Forward

Herry — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:13:33 +0000

This weekend I attended my cousin’s Sweet 16. I’ve never been to one, but to my surprise it was pretty fun. A lot of family members that I have not seen a while were there, along with some new faces I had not met before. Her parents looked proud at their grown up little girl, and her friends were happy to be sharing this seminal moment with her. Together, there were about a hundred people talking, dancing, and enjoying themselves at a room at the Baldwin Park community center, with my cousin as the center of the attention.

Feeling a tinge of nostalgia, not to say that I had a Sweet 16 of course, I wished I were back in high school, when things were much easier, and the only thing I had to worry about was who to ask to the school dance.

I’m a senior in college now and have my own celebration in a few months at my graduation. I am excited to see my friends and family gather, hear faculty speak about our class, and absorb the last bit of advice our school has to offer. I am, however a little nervous about my future. But before I take another step forward, I wanted to step back to reflect on my past.

As I look back I am proud of a few things that I have accomplished. I went from hardly being able to hold a conversation in English 8 years ago, having just moved to the United States, to being able to teach others how to write a successful application essay. I never would have dreamed that I would become fluent enough to write my own blogpost.

Although I had many other private victories, I consider my biggest accomplishment conquering a personal weakness, namely that of procrastination.

When I say I am going to do something, like study for my test early, or spend time with my parents, my resolve is rock-solid. But as time goes on, things come up, and I start making excuses for myself to escape those commitments. I get tempted by distractions, or downplay my commitments. I would then tell myself: “I can always hang out with them later right? Ah, I can always study later. That email can wait for sure. It will be okay.”

Well, one day it wasn’t okay. I had it coming for a long time, so when I got my first C in college, I knew I had a big problem. But instead of trying to solve it, I started thinking that I had been dealt a bad hand and made more excuses for myself. “If only I were smarter, or if only the topic wasn’t so boring.”

But that again is dissociating myself from the root of the problem. The only way to change the problem was to change my habits. I finally admitted that I had a procrastination problem and that it was out of control.

I recorded how much time I wasted everyday, which came out to be around 5 hours of accomplishing absolutely nothing. Who knew that Facebook and 9gag could be so addicting?

Appalled by what I was looking at, I began to cut those “lolling around” down and forced myself to use those extra minutes to change my terrible habit.

I hand wrote signs like “Stop! Don’t go on 9gag” and put it as my wallpaper, or gave my Facebook password to my friends, a gesture to which my friend responded by posting obscene statuses in my place. Apparently I really like… well you can go figure.

It was tough for the first few days, as my natural instincts tried to overcome my determination. But after a while, it wasn’t such a big deal anymore. I didn’t need distractions, or a break. I needed to hold true to my commitments.

My grades came back on track, and I have beat procrastination, for now. Although I still slip occasionally, it’s gratifying knowing I have ousted that disease from my body.

My friend once posted this quote that I finally understand the meaning of:

Commitment is doing what you said you’d do, long after the mood you said it in has left you.

Bear Grylls

Thanks for reading again, and don’t forget to subscribe to us!

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-Herry

What the Lone Wolf Needs to Know

anthony — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:20:43 +0000

40 Lone Wolves

Yesterday, I was at Rieber Hall co-presenting a Career Center outreach event titled, “Discovering Your Dream Job” to about 40 first and second year students. The dormitory lounge we presented in was nicely set up with pizza, root beer floats, and couches arranged in a comfortable movie theater style. Yet from the onset of our presentation, I noticed that the students in the audience seemed somewhat anxious and even afraid of what we were about to present.

I was working through a Powerpoint presentation that my supervisor developed, which included several questions and activities for the audience. At first, nothing seemed to be working-one person would raise their hand if I was lucky, but for the most part I was staring into a sea of blank faces. I wished there was something I could have done while presenting to change the atmosphere of the room. “Discovering Your Dream Job” should be an exciting process after all, right?

Fortunately, in the middle of our presentation, He devoted an entire slide to this quote:

“There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.”

- George Shinn

I felt that throughout our two hour presentation, this quote was the single message that truly resonated within the audience. It was a powerful reminder to everyone that our goals were not simply our own, and to reach them, we will need the help of other people.

Coming Together

After displaying this quote, we had students discuss their dream careers with each other in small groups. Despite their varied academic and personal interests, they had a lot in common. Virtually everybody wanted a job that would harness their talents to benefit others. I addressed the group and asked students to share their dream career with the entire audience. It was a pleasant surprise to see five hands shoot up immediately.

Our presentation was no longer about helping individuals discover a ‘dream job’ that they would be satisfied with. All of the students there already knew how to dream-but what they didn’t know, was how to share their dreams with others. Sharing their goals made all the difference, and slowly the collective anxiety of the group was replaced by laughter and enthusiasm.

One Pack

Keeping your personal aspirations to yourself denies your goals the opportunity to be shared and shaped by others. A recently published article in Forbes Magazine also attempts to debunk the myth that it’s all up to you to make your goals happen. While preparation, hard work, and persistence are requisites for success, those factors are heavily influenced by the support you have as well. Support can often make the world of a difference and is observable in many ways. Why does ‘home court advantage’ play such an important factor in sports events? Think of family or close friends who you know are your biggest cheerleaders: What does their support mean to you?

To Herry and me, the support of others is what keeps us writing and working today. The support we have received for Marksmen Academy has blessed us with confidence and hope for our future that we could never have found elsewhere. Thank you to everyone who has provided kind words of encouragement, liked us on facebook, or told friends and family about us. For all that we are given, we will pay everything forward to all the students that we encounter.

And finally, let us know about your dreams and aspirations as well! We really value our readers and if there’s anything we can do to help, we’re there. Feel free to share in the comments section below and subscribe to us too!

All the best,

Anthony

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The First Step To Success

marksmen — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:05:49 +0000

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.

-Alexander Graham Bell

I reflected upon this quote and remembered when I first learned the importance of preparation. At one point or another, I feel that all of us have experienced something similar growing up.

Ready to play?

“Sounds good! I’ll head over now. Don’t start without me!” I slammed the telephone on its holster as I eagerly ran downstairs and laced up my basketball shoes.

It was the first day of my Christmas break and a well deserved vacation after finishing my first semester at Chaparral Middle School. My friends were playing basketball at the park in my neighborhood and I didn’t want to miss a second of it. Already halfway out the door, however, I was stopped by the piercing sound of my mom’s voice. “Get back here right now! Do you know how cold it is? Where is your jacket?”

“Who cares! I’m playing basketball!” I shouted back. Before I could take off, she met me at the door with my jacket in hand. Annoyed, I grabbed my jacket and barely managed to get out a “Thanks Mom.”

As I walked to the park, I remember being so flustered thinking about what had just happened. Why do I have to listen to her anyway? I can’t even shoot well in a jacket. I have to carry it everywhere. It’s not even that cold! However, my anger quickly faded when I came to the park and every single one of my friends had a sweater or jacket on. Walking home from the park later that evening, I felt humbled knowing that I’d be freezing if I didn’t have my jacket on.

10 Years Later

Now that I’m 21, my parents don’t stop me every time I head out the door. Nonetheless, every time I’m about to leave home a cold winter day, my mom’s voice still rings in my head as I take the extra time to grab something to keep me warm. That afternoon, I learned something valuable from my parents: To always consider my future environment, and to prepare myself to be successful in that environment.

Preparation is a key to success in virtually every endeavor. Farmers work tirelessly to ready their fields for the harvest season. Actors rehearse their lines for weeks just for their two hours on stage. And in the United states, 34 million people each year make the decision to attend college after high school to prepare for their future careers.

Despite its importance, why are so many people unprepared? An important component in effective preparation is balance. Successful people can effectively balance what they want to do in the present and what they need to do for their future. This is no easy task-often, what feels right in the present is absolutely wrong in the future and it takes exceptional judgment and strength to consistently pick correctly. To be prepared for the future, you will often need to make sacrifices in the present.

The Next 10 Years

However, the rewards of doing so are tremendous. By taking steps to control your future situations, you are paving the road ahead for success. Rather than have your present and future desires clash, you can learn to make those desires work in harmony and create a lifestyle that is driven by preparation and progress.

I hope that through this post, you find that preparation is not only necessary but fulfilling as well. Whether or not we ever get the payout that we desire, it enough to know that we’re doing what is right and have something valuable to work towards. That encouraging thought is what fuels me to give everything I have for Marksmen Academy.

Thank you for reading through this blogpost and for all the help and support we’ve received in the last week. Our success will be yours as well.

All the best,

Anthony

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Dreams Worth Fighting For

Herry — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:46:34 +0000

While watching the news yesterday I found out that Prop 8 was overturned by the U.S. Appeals Court. Judge Stephen Reinhardt, the author of the majority opinion, said that “there was no evidence for the claims of Prop. 8 sponsors that banning same-sex marriage would promote children’s welfare or responsible procreation, and no legal basis to exclude an entire group of people from marrying merely because of tradition.”

Many times I had been an opponent of changing the status quo as well, using the excuse of tradition as my justification. Standing against something came easy to me because I was afraid of change.

Standing for something is much more difficult, as the fight to strike down Proposition 8 proves. But after seeing the supporters of equal marriage rights moved to tears and embracing each other to celebrate a small victory in a long uphill battle, I too became a believer that dreams are worth fighting for, no matter what you are up against.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and subscribe to us to get our weekly posts in the morning to inspire you for the day.

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The Five Best Decisions I Made at UCLA

anthony — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:18:56 +0000

“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” -Pythagoras

Today is the beginning of Week 5 of my last Winter Quarter at UCLA and marks the halfway point of my senior year. I took the time to reflect upon the above quote and how it relates to my college experience.

Our choices not only shape who we are today, but also dictate who we will become. Where we will be, with whom, and when, are all components of our destiny that we can control today.

Below is a list of five decisions I made in college that I believe have shaped my destiny:
________________________________________________________________________________________

1. I built a strong relationship with a professor.

In my freshman year, I took Education 92F taught by Professor Bruce Barbee and on the last day of class, I felt that I still had more to learn from him. I sought him out in the hopes that he could help me build my college career at UCLA. Today, he is invaluable to me as a mentor and I still see him about twice a week. He has helped shape and strengthen my character and has opened many doors of opportunity for me. Professors are an accessible source of experience and intelligence and working closely with one has greatly enhanced my college experience.

2. I joined a faith group.

After freshman orientation, I made a quick mental list of things that I needed to find at UCLA and at the top of that list was a church. My faith has always been one of my core values growing up and I knew that I had to maintain it in a new environment to have a successful college career. I found a faith group in Amaranthine early in my first year and as a member, I was able to not only maintain but also grow my faith through meeting others who had similar values to me. The friendships I have made through Amaranthine are special to me and friendships that I believe will last after I graduate.

3. I found a valuable internship.

Getting accepted to the Peer Advisor Internship Program at the Career Center was a defining moment in my college career because it was the first competitive position that I had ever earned. The application process and eventual acceptance built my confidence and helped me realize the value that I can provide to future employers. I will never forget that value when applying to future organizations for a job position. I’ll be sure to also find a job that I enjoy-my coworkers are great and I take a lot of pride in my daily work at the Career Center.

4. I attended the gym regularly.

Attending the gym taught me the importance of persistence, discipline, and resolve in all that I do. I also learned to take care of my body at the gym and became stronger physically and mentally. Regularly going to the gym is one of my best habits and I’m glad that I continue to reap the benefits of doing so.

5. I pursued a long term relationship.

My decision to pursue a relationship with my girlfriend Neesha 3 years ago is the most influential decision I have made in college. I promised myself that I would give my best each day in my first relationship and never look back. Doing so has helped me build a relationship today in which I am constantly learning and growing. Finally, being in a relationship has truly made me happy-I’m so glad to be able to share much of what I’ve experienced with someone I love.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed reading through this list. For those of you who are graduating soon or have already graduated, try listing out 5 decisions that defined your college career and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much you have accomplished.

Finally, I would like to invite you to subscribe to us! We really appreciate our readers and hope that you enjoy our weekly posts.

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All the best,

Anthony

The Partner System

Herry — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:51:32 +0000

While watching the movie The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I was struck by one particular scene. It didn’t quite make sense to me, but upon thinking about it further, I forgot how powerful one particular notion of our existence is. For those who have yet to see the movie and want to enjoy it, skip over the spoiler section.

Start Spoiler

__________________________________________________

While breaking into Martin’s house, Mikael heard Martin’s car pulling up to the driveway. Immediately, he begins to sneak out of the house. Mikael went unnoticed, until he tripped and fell while going down a hill, which prompted Martin to come out. Pretending to be unaware of the fact that Mikeal is onto him, Martin invites Mikael to come into the house for a drink. Mikael obliges and takes him up on the offer. Once they settled inside, Martin suddenly pulls out a gun and captures Mikael.

Martin then mused:

“Why don’t people trust their instincts? You knew something was wrong, but you came back into the house. Did I force you, did I drag you? No. All I had to do was offer you a drink. It’s hard to believe that the fear of offending someone is stronger than the fear of pain. But you know what? It is.”

End Spoiler

__________________________________________________

Although the example is fictional, you see it in action everyday, most prominently in peer pressure. You don’t want to give in to it, but people will often go do something against their will because they don’t want to disappoint or let down their friend.

If that energy is so powerful, is there a way to use it to our advantage? What if you could channel the typically negative effects of peer pressure to become more productive?

That’s what the Partner System is about. It is a system designed to motivate you to accomplish routine tasks through the fear of letting someone down.

Partner System In Workouts

Last summer, I told myself that I am going to get in shape through P90X, which is an intense 90 days workout routine. I did it together with some friends, and since we didn’t see each other everyday, one of us created a Facebook group where we had to “check in” by posting on the wall after we finished our workout.

One day, I found myself in a dilemma. I had gotten home from a long day of work, and was in no particular mood to do my workout. Usually, my mind will give me a get out of jail free pass and let me off the hook. However, when I logged on Facebook and saw that many of my buddies on the list had posted their daily check-in, I started sweating.

The weight of my laziness started settling. Surely no one would ask if I didn’t post, right? I mean it’s just one day; no one is going to notice. Maybe I should just lie? Dang it, I should just get my ass up and get it done.

I was close, but wasn’t able to follow through. I admitted defeat, leaving the cursor blinking on my screen.

The shame of not having done the workout and not being able to post for the day spurred me to do all the workouts from there on out. In the end, I was able to complete 45 days out of the 90, more than I had ever hoped to accomplish if I went through the program myself.

It was an inspiring thought that opened my doors to many other possibilities.

Partner System In Early Birds

I usually have a hard time waking up early, but that bad habit wasn’t going to cut it when I enrolled in a difficult class that started at 9am in the morning. Fortunately, an idea came to my mind where I implemented the Partner System to help me accomplish my goal.

I asked one of my friends to do this routine with me where we would take turns giving each other a wake up call. On Monday, I would have to wake up at 7am and give him his morning call. On Tuesday, he woke me up by persistently calling my phone.

This technique of accountability works extremely well. By myself, there would be days where I would just press snooze too many times and feel no remorse. Doing so this time, however, meant that I would let down my friend. No matter how difficult each morning was, I had to pull through.

As a result, we made it to almost every single class.

Partner System Everywhere

Although the pain of disappointing someone is great, the reward for doing a routine together is even greater. It was fun having breakfast together, and it made it a lot easier to know that there was someone else suffering through the routine with me. The Partner System has become a powerful tool in my life because like many others, I am able to accomplish much more with someone else.

Here are some suggestions of activities and routine you can do together with your buddies:

-Studying Together

Whether it’s the SAT or for an upcoming test. I found that if you guys alternate playing the “bad cop” and force each other to work for say 30-40 minutes at a time, you guys will get so many things done. No big groups though, those tend to turn out chaotic and unproductive.

-Cooking and Cleaning

If you’re in college, you know that no matter what, the dishes pile up, and there would often be no warm dinner when you home from school. Use the Partner System where you alternatively cook and wash dishes after. Your roommate can make dinner on Monday while you take care of the dishes after. Then switch off. Your apartment will become spotless. The best part is you get to enjoy a home-cooked dinner every other day.

-Getting Work Done

Have a tough assignment coming up for work? Let one of your co-workers or friends know, and have them remind you periodically through a call or in person to keep going. Anyone who has run a marathon or a race knows how important having encouragement along the way is. If they have an important assignment too, you guys can both encourage each other. Try this, and you’ll see that the assigment doesn’t seem to be that intimidating anymore.

Doing routine tasks doesn’t have to be difficult; involve a friend and you’ll see that it gets done in no time, all the time.

If you have any other suggestions on how to use the Partner System, leave them down in the comments below!

Also, don’t forget to subscribe to us (we promise we won’t send you any spam, we hate it too) if you want to keep getting awesome content!

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-Herry

How I Overcame Shyness

marksmen — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:44:31 +0000

“I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.”
― Harun Yahya

Looking to the Skies

As a freshman at Diamond Bar High School, I remember the day I declared my mission: “Whatever it takes, I’m going to study hard in my four years here and get into UC Berkeley.” I promised to not let anything else distract me from my studies, whether it would be my friends, games, or even scouting. However, after one semester in school, I found it difficult to uphold my mission. Focusing all my attention on studying often left me restless and I wasn’t really enjoying high school. I felt that my dedication to academics was hindering me from developing in other equally important areas.

After reflecting upon my freshman year during summer break, I decided to rewrite my mission. When I looked back over my freshman year, what was most memorable and gratifying to me were the conversations I had with my peers. I could remember all of them so well. I remember how happy I was to have a friend to talk to during passing period to my next class. I remember how a simple conversation by my locker was the one thing that brightened my day.

Despite this discovery, I was still uncomfortable because I was very shy early in high school. Though I loved talking to people, it was hard for me to initiate conversations. Sometimes, I’d do things to avoid others because I was nervous. I’d do my homework twice in class just so I wouldn’t have free time to chat. I’d look down so I wouldn’t make eye contact with anyone in the hallways. And after doing all these things, I absolutely regretted it.

Taking Flight

In response, I took a risk that would impact the rest of my years in high school: I signed up for Beginning Drama. I took drama because I knew it would help break me out of my comfort zone. Although the first few weeks of drama were difficult, I slowly adjusted. We did icebreakers for three straight weeks before actually doing plays, and spent a lot of class time getting to know each other. Each time I appeared on stage chipped away at my shyness and as a result, I had more conversations and a more enjoyable experience in school. I was overjoyed that my plan was working.

I proceeded to take Intermediate Drama in junior year and Advanced Drama my senior year and continued to break out of my shell. Those years were easily my favorite. Besides classtime, we put on productions, traveled to plays, and attended competitions. I was honestly never a good actor, but nonetheless I appreciated all that my experience in drama had given me. I met a group of friends that I still keep in touch with today and overcame my shyness.

Reaching my Destination

I’ll never forget the day late in my senior year when my two missions converged and became one. I was rehearsing backstage for a production after school when I got a text from my friend that the UC Berkeley admission decisions had been released. I asked the director to use his computer to check my admissions status and found that I was accepted. I took some time to savor the moment. I closed my eyes as memories from the past four years flashed by. I exhaled knowing that my work in school had paid off. I heard the muffled noise of my classmates through the stage door and smiled, knowing I had to join them soon. It was so fitting to me that in the drama room, one journey and ended and another had began.

For all of my days ahead, I am blessed with the gift to freely engage others in conversation-a gift that I may not have today if I did not take the risk of joining drama in my sophomore year. I promise to use my gift to help others reach their goals and encourage them to take the necessary risks that will get them there. Whatever is holding you back from being who you want to be-whether it be shyness, anxiety, self-doubt, or any external influence, remove yourself from your comfort zone and allow yourself to grow. You’ll get everything you want and more.

All the best,

Anthony

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