You are about to read the words of a 19-year-old girl who didn’t graduate high school and isn’t going to college. So if you’re looking for the norm or correct grammar and spelling, this isn’t where you’re going to find it. But if you’re looking for how to get what you want in life? Then buckle down and listen.

My name is Abby Anderson. I’m the second oldest of seven kids. I’m 19-years-old, didn’t graduate high school, and I have no plans to attend college. But one day I’ll be the top selling musician/artist of my time.

Now, I know exactly what you’re thinking because when I tell people this goal of mine, most of them give me that “yeah okay kid” look, pat me on the head and walk away. And that’s totally cool, I get it, most people don’t even go after what they really want in life anyways so their reaction makes perfect sense to me. But it brings up an interesting question; “WHY?” Why is it so uncommon to do what you love? To follow your dreams or heck to even dream at all? Where along the line do we stop believing in ourselves like we did when we were five? I don’t know the answer to that, but what I do know is that if you really want something, and I mean really want it, then there’s only one starting place to get it, goals.

When I was fifteen, I stepped into my Dad’s office and told him I would not be going to college because I was moving to Nashville when I turned eighteen. Well, I moved when I turned seventeen, started writing with some of music city’s top songwriters and producers, had a billboard charting song, opened for Kelsea Ballerini and Marie Osmond, and now, a year and a half later, I’m about to sign my first record deal. I have friends in this town that are ten years older than me, have been here 10 years longer and haven’t tread that kind of ground. That said, I still have a long way to go and a whole lot more to learn. But I’d say I’ve done pretty well for a kid – and I did it with goals.

Here’s what they don’t teach you in school; You can get whatever you want whenever you want it. Just set a goal, review it every single day, visualize it with the intensity of seeing it as reality, and then work. work. work.

Here’s the formula:

1) Your goals must be first person, present tense, and positive. For example, I wanted to open for Kelsea Ballerini from the first moment I heard her on the radio. So, I wrote down, “I open for Kelsea Ballerini the summer of 2016”. I had no idea how I was going to do it because at that point in time I was just an intern at a demo recording studio. But I made it happen.

2) Make it specific. Put a date on your goals. Notice I didn’t just say “I open for Kelsea Ballerini”, I also added, “the summer of 2016”. It makes it real, and it makes you hustle. If you don’t reach your deadline, make a new one.

3) Review them daily. Put them somewhere you will see them every day and carry them with you. I personally have them all written on my bathroom mirror and as my phone screen saver. Easy.

4) Make more goals. Set goals for this year, five years and ten years from now. It’s kind of like fortune telling except you’re the teller. You have control of where you want to be ten years from now.

5) Believe. Set goals for yourself that you truly and honestly believe you can reach but also push yourself. Set the bar high and rise to the occasion, you’ll surprise yourself at what you can really do.

This new year make your dreams a reality. There’s no reason why you can’t do anything you want to. God gave us a brain and the freedom to choose what to do with it. So go get ‘em.

Written by Abby Anderson

Who do you want to be like when you grow up?  I wish I was asked this question at a young age instead of the more popular “what do you want to do when you grow up?”  I can name plenty of people who inspire and set an example for me, but naming one job I would be happy doing for the rest of my life is a difficult task.

Find Direction

Figuring out which direction to take in life is hard, but becomes easier when you surround yourself with the right people. Dory from Finding Nemo is a great example of this. Though easily confused and lacking a sense of direction, she encircled herself with sea creatures who were willing and able to help her find her way.

A couple of years ago, I learned a principle from a mentor of mine that has helped me find those that can help me succeed. He told me that “if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” From this I’ve learned that if you know more than everyone you hang out with, you gain nothing from hanging with them.

Find the Eagles

This same mentor depicts this same principle using two types of birds: a turkey and an eagle. The turkey is flightless, aimless, and is preyed upon. The turkey isn’t the smartest bird in the bunch. For example, when it rains, they turn their beaks to the sky and drown. On the other end of the spectrum is the eagle. These strong birds soar high above the others, lead the way, and are the birds you want to flock with.

When I learned the difference between these two birds, I decided I wanted to be like an Eagle but quickly realized I needed to drop the two turkeys that were in my life. Although hard at first, my friends understood my decision to move on and began to follow suit by dropping the turkeys in their own lives. In a way, I was a trendsetter. As I chose to hang out with more eagles, I realized that these people built me up, made me feel good, and were role models for my life.

Find the Future

In 1, 5, 10 years, where will you be, and who will you be standing with? The relationships you choose to have today mold you a little bit each day.  Choose wisely, because it’s your choice to make.  You control your future.  You may not have a defined path to walk on or swim down, but if you surround yourself with those who build you up and make you stronger, you will find what you are looking for and get to where you want to go.

Remember, if find those eagles you want to be like and seek after new ones each day you’ll soar through life.

“Birds of a feather flock together, and flocking together makes birds of a feather.  Be careful whom you flock with.”

—Steven J. Anderson

Written by Timmy Conlin

 

Lesley Lentz

Lesley Lentz first heard about Eagle U when she was 19 from her father who encouraged her to go. At the time she thought to herself “I don’t need this-I have good grades, good friends, etc…” After her first year in college and a traumatic event, her GPA dropped from a 3.5 to a 0.5. In her own words she says that she “decided to stop showing up for life”. After making the decision to leave college for the time being, she decided to give Eagle U a chance…

First Impressions:

Lesley walked into Eagle U like most students do–without knowing anyone  and not knowing what to expect. She says that she never felt like she was in the back of the room and that the attention she received made her feel special. She felt like each presenter was speaking directly to her.

 

Lessons Learned:

Lesley’s favorite topic from Eagle U is the Law of Attraction. “What you are seeking is seeking you!” For this reason, Lesley sits with her vision board to the left of her office desk so she can see her goals all day long. Put simply, Lesley says, “IT. WORKS.” She also believes very strongly in having a “10 mentality” and the importance of surrounding yourself with positive self talk. To this day she encircles herself with positive self talk around her house with notes and reminders. 

 

Favorite Memory & Quote:

Lesley’s favorite Eagle U memory is the friends she gained. She says she has friends from coast to coast and loves how she has a community outside of her regular life. A particular quote that sticks out in Lesley’s mind is “People will forget what you said but they will never forget how you make them feel”. This taught her the importance of being genuine and sincere with the people that she has met throughout her life.

Where is she now?

After attending Eagle U Lesley was motivated and confident in her ability to succeed in school. She gave college another shot and earned a 4.0 her first semester, and graduated in three years with honors-all while working two jobs! One of the most valuable things Lesley learned from Eagle U is the power of ASKING. Fast-forward a few years later and she landed a job at Edward Jones. When her husband got a job offer in another state, Lesley didn’t hesitate to ask her employer if she could work remotely. The company was great at accommodating her not only because she asked, but also because of her hard work ethic. Lesley says that she has been able to achieve the “stress free life at work” she has always wanted by just asking! Lesley now lives in North Carolina with her husband and 15 month old daughter, loves her job, and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

The Oscars, the red carpet, the flashing lights, the awards, the dresses, the winners.

What does it take to be an Oscars winner?

During his acceptance speech for Best Actor, Matthew McConaughey’s said that his “HERO” was him in 10 years. Matthew McConaughey saw who he wanted to be in the future and made the decisions that would get him there. So, who do YOU want to be in a month, three months, a year, or ten years? How do you plan to get there?

TOP 20 LIST

Your top 20 list is an action plan for your goals. The top 20 list is based on a research study done by Dominican University on goal setting. The results of the study were that 70 percent of the participants who sent weekly updates to a friend reported successful goal achievement compared to the 35 percent of those who kept their goals to themselves, without writing them down.

The objective of the top 20 list is to write down your goals and find a friend, mentor, or family member to report your weekly progress.

TOP 20 LIST EXAMPLES:

IDEA/GOAL	FIrst Step/Action
Get straight A’s	Put my phone in a “parking spot” while studying so I can focus
Manage my time wisely	Spend 10 minutes every morning planning my day
Make Eagle friends!	Talk to a new person everyday and make them feel important
Become a leader	Read a “self-help” book every month
Build my professional network	Interview a mentor every week.

The Top 20 list gives you the action plan to accomplish your goals and get you on your way to becoming your own HERO.

Action Item:

Identify & ASK someone to hold you accountable for your TOP 20 LIST!

Got an interview coming up? A networking event at your university? Or maybe a holiday party at work?

The way you present yourself in the business world is important and may seem like common sense. However, folks mess it up all the time! 

For that reason, we put together a quick cheat sheet for you to refer back to whenever you need! In fact, you can download it and even print it if you want!

Remember: dress for the job you want, not the one you have. 

 

  Also, here are some good articles for further reading if you really do have an interview coming up:

• Forbes’ 7 Ways to Fail a Job Interview
• Click to check out Hired’s awesome blog.

 

This week we got the chance to catch up with all-star team leader, Hayden. He shared his experience facing failure, ditching turkeys, must read book titles to stay motivated and more!

 

“Go out of your comfort zone as much as you can and take advantage of opportunity when it comes even if it scares you.”

Hayden Spitz is not your average freshman in college. When he’s not busy as a full time student at University of New Hampshire, he’s volunteering, reading books like “Richest Man in Babylon”, singing in his acapella group, brainstorming new business ideas, and making time to call every member of his family every single week.

 

If that wasn’t enough he even scheduled time for a phone interview with us on his birthday! Thank you Hayden! Can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year!

Here are some applicable takeaways from our conversation:

1. “If you’re in college, be sure your goals are up in your dorm. Even though you’re sharing a room with one or more roommates, it’s the most important element of your room decor, no matter what other people think when they see it.”
2.  “After I attended Eagle U I realized I needed to focus more on my relationships. They are the most important and rewarding element of my life. I make a point to spend quality time with the people I cherish most and call my parents, and grandparents at least once per week. It’s just so important to check in & you can’t take it for granted.”
3. “For me, negative energy is enough to warrant someone as a turkey that I don’t have time for. There are way too many awesome people worth spending time with. That’s why I join so many clubs, and extracurricular activities. I don’t leave myself any time for turkeys.”
4. “A book you should DEFINITELY read is The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason. I’ve read it three times now and no other book has resonated so much with me about true success in life. I think it’s valuable for all ages.”
5. “As an S, and for other S’s out there, we care a lot about other people’s opinion. I’ve realized that it’s not about validation, it’s just an awareness because I care. It’s important to be able to distinguish that as an adult.”
6. “My biggest challenge is time management because I’m involved in so many things. Every night I go over my schedule and adapt it as needed. I try to keep in mind that it’s also important for me to enjoy and relax each day too.”
7. “I’ve definitely failed and I think that’s part of life. All I can say is if you’re not prepared, you’re going to miss the opportunity. I think that’s why Eagle U is so important.”
8. “My advice for high schoolers about college, be sure to do/major in what YOU are passionate about and enjoy. Not what your teachers think, or parents wish for necessarily. Surround yourself with like-minded people and make decisions carefully. There’s no such thing as throw away years! The extra stuff you’re doing will be worth it.”