Steps to Success

Our discussion of Zulus emphasized the importance of order, specifically approaching tasks with a “step-by-step” mentality.  After the completion of our collective course statement, I cannot overstate the importance of going step-by-step and focusing on the process, rather than focusing on the end goal.I am the first to admit that I do not always do this.  I am constantly worrying and I find myself concentrating on the finish line before I have even approached the starting line. I was especially guilty of doing this throughout my undergraduate career. I have always wanted to become a doctor, and looking back I have realized that my ultimate focus on this end goal has hindered some steps along the way. While I was taking my prerequisite courses, I was planning for the MCAT rather than focusing on my classes, and while I was supposed to be studying for the MCAT, I skipped ahead by filling out applications instead. My overall anxiety caused me to consistently focus on the the end goal, which was getting into medical school, rather than the stage I was at currently.  I found this inhibited both the stage I was at as well as my ability to get into medical school. This happened once again whenever I thought about the collaborative course statement; I found myself worried about how so many people would be able to come together to write a single one page paper before we had even been given the prompt. Fortunately, through the stepwise framework provided by Dr. McCoy it was broken down into reasonable steps that facilitated the process. In the beginning of our work on the collaborative course statement I was worried about the end result but I was amazed at what our class was able to produce. Through this course I found the importance of breaking down large assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks. I plan on using this technique throughout the rest of my education to ensure quality work at all stages of the process.