I found this diagram the other day, and it got me thinking about all of its applications to life in general…

Things that matter vs Things you can control

The key principle is that there are a lot of things that matter, but which we can’t control. Will my lottery ticket come up? Will it be raining tomorrow? Will I get that promotion? Those things we should try our hardest not to worry about.

There are also a lot of things we can control, but really don’t matter that much. Most people could stand up and jump up right now if they wanted but what’s the point!

SO!

How can it be applied to your exams?

Things that matter:

– Career development
– Greater future wages for a better lifestyle
– Sense of achievement
– Security of being a professional and easily able to get a job in the future

= Passing your exams

Things you can control:

– How hard you work
– The type of work you do (are you working in the right way?)
– Keeping going even if you fail

Anything else you can think of? After all these things are quite personal and MY list probably doesn’t match yours!

Once you have your list, use the ‘things that matter’ section as a motivator. Remind yourself of these things as they help to keep you moving forward. 

And remember to keep focused on what you can control (e.g. working hard) and don’t worry about things you can’t (e.g. what questions come up in the exam).

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