THE "DASH" GUY

 

As a new school year begin; I see and hear parents moaning and groaning about the challenges of finding the appropriate clothes and/or uniforms for their children. Also, the “sticker shock” they have experienced when they try to purchase these items. All of the stress and strain parents go through to help their children be successful in the up coming school year. 

 

However; I believe there is another important ingredient to academic success that is often overlooked or totally omitted by parents in their quest to help their child be successful? And that important ingredient is an academic blueprint (plan).

 

I hear you asking, “Why is an academic blueprint (plan) needed?”

 

If we want to be successful in anything in life we need to have a plan. 

 

Could you imagine a home-builder trying to construct a house without a blueprint (plan)? Just think what would happen if the electrician, the carpenter, the plumber and the brick mason were just allowed to “do their own thing” as it relates to their specific trades in building a house? You can be 100 percent sure of one thing, you will not like the results when it is complete!!

 

Likewise Dads; if we think that our children will be successful academically without a blueprint (plan), we are fooling ourselves and setting them up for failure.

 

Developing a blueprint for academic success, just like in developing a blueprint for a house; you must start with the end results or goal in mind. In other words, you must determine what the final outcome should be or the end results you want to achieve looks like.      

 

You must create a blueprint for academic success that supports the overall vision you have created for your child’s life. See “Dads, You Must Create A Vision For Your Child’s Life” for more information. 

 

In my own life, because I did not have an overall vision for my life, academic success was not important to me. I once viewed school as just something you had to endure for 12 years; which provided very little benefit to my long-term success in life.

 

I remember graduating from high school and did not have a clue what I would be doing for the rest of my life. As a result, I spent the next 5 years of my life, working on “dead end” jobs and trying to find “my place” in life.

 

A turning point came in my life when I was about 22 years old. I was working for a company in the House Keeping Department. One day as I went into this office to empty the trash cans, I saw a guy in the office with his feet on his desk. Since I went into this office area everyday as a part of my job responsibility, I knew this guy well and we often talked about various things.

 

On that day, I say to him, “I can’t believe this, you are sitting here with your feet on this desk making a lot of money and they want let me sit down for a minute and I am only making pennies.”   He told me something that day that changed my view of life in general and education specifically. He said, “Randy, they don’t pay me for what I do, they pay me for what I know.”

 

His comment to me was like someone hitting me on my head with a brick!! I had a “light bulb” moment that day!!

 

I think I made some “smart” comment back to him that day as a way to protect my bruised ego, but his words stayed in my mind.

 

I decided that day, if he could get paid for the knowledge he had, I could too!!

 

I enrolled immediately in a technical school and received a certificate in computer programming. Later, I went back to school and earn two degrees.

 

About 20 years after my conversation with the guy in that office, I had the privilege to talk with him again. I told him he probably did not remember that conversation, but I wanted to thank him, because what he told me that day changed my life.

 

I know you are asking by now, “What is the point of that story?” 

 

I learn on that day, the importance of education. Also, financial success in life is not about how hard you work, but about the value you provide to others.

 

Since I lacked an overall vision for my life, I thought having an academic blueprint was not important. But, I later found out how wrong I was!!!

 

Therefore; as a Dad, I didn’t want my children to repeat my mistakes. I wanted to make sure they understood the importance of education in helping them to accomplish the overall vision for their life.  See “Dads, You Must Create A Vision For Your Child’s Life” for more information. 

 

I sat down with each of them one-on-one and helped them to develop a blueprint for their academic success!!

 

In a follow up article, “A Dad’s Blueprint For Academic Success Part 2”, I will share more details on how to develop and implement an academic blueprint. 

 

 

Please provide me your comments on this topic. If you have additional topics you would like to see us discuss, please send me an email or post a comment.

 

Also, refer this site to other men you know, so we all can journey together!! 

 

For the woman in your life, my wife (Sylvia) has a personal development site focused specifically on the needs and concerns of women. The site is called, www.thedashlady.com. 

 

Also, we have a joint site focused on the needs and concerns of couples (i.e. married, engaged, and seriously dating). This site is focused on helping couples to grow together through personal development. The site is called, www.marriagerhythm.com.  

 

Please visit these sites and leave us a comment about the current posts. 

    

Again, thanks for visiting this site.   

 

Randy

The “DASH” Guy

randyclark@thedashguy.com

www.thedashguy.com

Uncategorized academic, achievement, education, fatherhood, fathers, parenting, personal development, success