Your Words, Actions And Performance All Have Consequences
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Young children can sometimes get away with saying or doing the wrong things. They may not yet be expected to know any better. However, as children grow older, they can get into trouble because they either do not recognize or do not care that their words and actions sometimes have severe and painful consequences.

Because college students are a bit older, more is expected of them. They have already experienced some of the positives and negatives that result from their words, actions and performance. By the time students graduate from college they must be prepared to take responsibility for what they say and do and accept the consequences that may come from any missteps. That is part of living and working in the real world. Nobody else can be blamed for the choices you make or for the way you carry out your responsibilities.

Hurtful, harmful and negative words, behaviors and poor performance will usually have negative consequences for you. That is because they can come back and harm your chances for future success. On the other hand, kind, helpful, positive words, behaviors and good performance will frequently result in the outcomes that you need for success. This is a lesson that all students should learn early on.

For the most part, your life goes down the path that you choose to take. You pick the words, take the actions and perform at a level that will hopefully give you the results that you want. When you do not achieve the results that you want, wise students change their words, actions and performance. Learning and growing are reasonable expectations for students who have potential. Students who do not learn and grow in college may be perceived as having already reached the limits of their potential.

Employers hire students for the potential they have to accomplish great things over the next 5, 10, 20 or more years. Students who have failed to demonstrate their capabilities while attending college hold little interest for those employers. Mature students realize that they are in college for 2, 4 or 6 years. That is a long time. Therefore, most employers will see no reason to employ students who have accomplished little or nothing. They expect and require much more.

The negative consequences of accomplishing little or nothing in college can include:

- Wasting your time in college
- Wasting your money for college
- Eliminating yourself from the best jobs and the best employers

The positive consequences of doing well and accomplishing much in college can include:

- Attracting more and better employers
- Being invited to more interviews
- Receiving more and better job offers

In class, within your campus activities, at work, in the community and during leisure activities, you have the opportunity to speak, write, act, perform and accomplish. The quality of your results will all have consequences. When you perform at a high level:

- You will improve your knowledge and skills
- Your grades will be good
- Your reputation will be enhanced
- You will gain some relevant experience
- You will demonstrate your capabilities
- You will impress people who will serve as references
- You will stand out

The way you speak, act and perform will clearly tell those around you what results to expect. When you recognize that your words, actions and performance all have consequences (positive or negative), you will be more likely to set personal goals and performance standards that can influence your target employers in a positive way.