Better Know a Member--Cristina Miller!

Institution: Western Michigan University

Position: Alumni Relations Summer Initiative Ambassador (just for the summer—I’m job searching!).

What brings joy to your professional life? Working with students (and alumni). When I hear a past or current student express pride in their institution, it makes my job feel meaningful.

If you could be a candy bar, which would you be and why? Skittles because they are fun and colorful.

What did you want to grow up to be when you were 10 years old? A cook—turns out I’m not great at cooking.

Name somebody who has /have made a difference to you in your professional life? How so? Linda Varvel. She was my RA and later my roommate, and she encouraged me to consider student affairs as a profession.

If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be? I would love to work on raising money and awareness to renovate the original buildings on WMU’s campus. There is so much tradition and history there and they are just crumbling—I’m scared that we will lose an important aspect of our campus’ culture without their preservation.

What is your favorite food? Pizza, French fries, and portabella mushrooms. Not together.

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? Cook! :)

How are you involved in ACPA or the SCGSNP? I am the incoming Sponsored Programs Coordinator.

What is your favorite color? Purple.

What is a personal motto that you live by? "Do what you like, like what you do."

Nine Ways to Live the Lifestyle of a Champion

Most people recognize a champion only when he steps up the podium, but he actually has become a champion far before it. In fact, he has become a champion years before that glorious moment. Why? Because to reach that moment, first and foremost he has to become a champion in his daily life. He has to train hard for years, control his diet, and deny a lot of pleasures to prepare for the contests. While other people can live whatever way they want, he must live a disciplined life. Most people only see him in the glorious moment, but it is this lifestyle that actually brings him to the podium.

Our life is similar. Do you want to be a champion in life? Then there is no other way:

Live the lifestyle of a champion.

The way you live daily determines what you can achieve in life. Do not hope to achieve great things if you don’t want to pay the price in the first place. Live the lifestyle of a champion, and years from now people will recognize you as a champion when you step up the podium.

Here are nine ways to live the lifestyle of a champion:

1. Have a clear goal

First of all, you should know what you are aiming for. An athlete who clearly aims for Olympic gold medal will live differently from those who do not have any clear goal. Your goal will inspire and motivate you throughout all the hard work you need to go through.

2. Aim high

Having a clear goal is important but not enough. Your goal should also be challenging to inspire you to do your best. It should be both realistic and difficult enough to get you out of the comfort zone and push your limits.

3. Make a plan and do it

Besides having a clear goal, a good athlete has a clear plan for his training and contests. He knows what kind of training he will go through to prepare for the contests. Similarly, you should have a clear plan on how to achieve your goal. What kind of skills and knowledge do you need? When and how do you want to acquire them?

4. Cultivate your motivation

The journey to mastery is long and difficult. You need sustained motivation to walk it. Otherwise, there is no way you can go through the years of hard effort needed. You can’t depend on others to motivate yourself, you should be able to motivate yourself. Your goal (point #1) is a powerful source of motivation.

5. Train hard for long time

You need to have superior skills and knowledge to achieve your goal. There is no other way to have it but by training hard for long time. Study shows that people typically need 10 years of effortful study to become an expert on something. It is this kind of training that you need to go through.

6. Go beyond your comfort zone

Not all kinds of training will give you the improvements you need. The study I quote above says that you need to do effortful study to become an expert. Effortful study is the kind of study which entails continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond your competence. It takes you out of your comfort zone to increase your capacity.

7. Go one mile further

A champion won’t just do things like anybody else. Instead, he tries to add a little more to what is expected. He walks the extra mile to give superior value. This certainly is not easy, but developing this attitude will put you ahead of the game.

8. Have competitors to motivate you

A healthy dose of competition is important to make you move forward at full speed. Without competition, it’s very likely that you will do less than your actual capability. Competition keeps you alert to continuously improve yourself.

9. Put your skills to the test

Training is not enough, you must join real contests.Test your skills and knowledge with real challenges by jumping in and actually doing what you intend to do. Do your dream job, start your dream business. Put yourself out there to really hone your competence over time.

Donald Latumahina is an avid learner who blogs about personal growth and effectiveness at Life Optimizer. Read his articles on 30 Practical Tips to Make Yourself Indispensable to Others and The Art of Arbitrage: The Key to Living Smart.

Better Know a Member--Dale O'Neill

Institution: The University of New Orleans

Position: Coordinator of Leadership Programs

What brings joy to your professional life? Within my position as the Coordinator of Leadership Programs, I am able to work with an array of students in various steps of their identity development. I love being able to meet students during their first year of school and see how through Student Affairs programs, their holistic development is fostered.

If you could be a candy bar, which would you be and why? Either a Snickers because I am always smiling and laughing or a Butterfinger because I am sooo clumsy. :)

What did you want to grow up to be when you were 10 years old? Oh I totally wanted to be a children’s book writer… I even attempted to write one when I was 8!

Name somebody who has /have made a difference to you in your professional life? How so? My present supervisor, the Interim Dean of Student Affairs, has greatly influenced my professional life. She has shown me that through both challenging and supporting students, student affairs professionals can foster students’ physical, social, intellectual and emotional growth.

If you had to work on only one project for the next year, what would it be? In my present position, I also oversee service programs. I would love to spend the next year focusing on creating a Leadership Through Service Certificate Program. For me, leadership and service goes hand and hand.

What is your favorite food? Meatloaf and macaroni and cheese. :)

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be? I would love to learn sign language. It is definitely one of my five year goals.

How are you involved in ACPA or the SCGSNP? I am the co-chair for communications for SCGSNP as well as serve as the Newsletter Co-Chair for the Standing Committee on Disability.

What is your favorite color? Pink!

What is a personal motto that you live by? "Live simply so that others may simply live." Mohandas Gandhi