Writing down goals, learning to communicate effectively and going beyond the call of duty are all themes from author David G. Cartwright’s lecture series held Jan. 17 in Watkins Auditorium.
Cartwright is the author of “Achiever Fever: How You Can Climb The Mountain of Achievement One Step at a Time.” He is also a 1983 graduate of UTM and returned to the campus to encourage students to achieve their goals both while pursuing a degree at UTM and after graduation. Cartwright says his series was designed to encourage students that what they are doing while at UTM is in fact worth the time and money spent.
“[Achiever Fever] will help [students] appreciate what they are doing; it will help them see what they have to look forward to,” Cartwright said.
Cartwright held two one-hour lecture series including a question and answer series where members of the audience were encouraged to ask questions both about the book as well as topics discussed during the lecture.
During the presentation, Cartwright gave the audience real-life examples of how he has personally reached the top of the success mountain. He talked about his time at UTM and how he faced several adversities but was still able to graduate with honors.
Cartwright encouraged students to do more than the bare minimum to get by in life. He informed the crowd that so many in the work force are just average. Rather than being like everyone else, Cartwright suggested students find out what the minimum requirement is and do whatever it takes to go above and beyond that level.
“Focus on what you really want, then take action to achieve it and you will see the results are positive,” Cartwright said.
One subject Cartwright discussed in detail was setting goals. He told the crowd that setting goals is an important step in the climb to the top of the achievement mountain. Cartwright suggested setting goals is important but real success comes when those goals are carried out. He told the audience an easy way to ensure the carrying out of goals is to write down when the goals have been met.
“Seeing is believing. When you see something written down, you believe what it says. You also feel a sense of satisfaction as well as reinforcing that satisfaction,” Cartwright said.
The lecture series really affected several of the attendees. Cartwright was able to send the audience off with valuable information they could apply to their everyday lives.
“[I can apply] preparation and being organized, which makes it easier to keep up in my everyday life,” freshman MandeSteffen said. “You come [into college] a little confused and blind, it’s about figuring it out.”
Steffen believes Achiever Fever can really help her learn to be prepared and to stay on track during her college career and after.
“The lecture helped me better understand climbing the latter and getting into the workforce,” Steffen said.
Cartwright also suggested to students that they should not just spend hours studying, but they should get involved with something they enjoy, such as a sport. He encouraged students to get active and take study breaks. For those with a heavy course load, Cartwright suggests studying with friends to make the long hours spent in the library less monotonous.
“Take shorter breaks for entertainment; combine studying with friends as a form of entertainment,” Cartwright said.
The book, “Achiever Fever,” further expounds upon the topics discussed during each one-hour lecture. To find out more information about the book or David G. Cartwright, visit www.achieverfever.com. The UTM bookstore will also begin carrying the book in the store.
