【陳慧珊】有一種教育，叫學習做決定 (22) 我們的勝利之道

定下目標

許多傑出的發明者，都是由洞悉一些現象開始。他們通常十分專注，會根據觀察所得而作出相應行動。在看見一些事情後，他們會作出思考，繼而考證，找出答案，最後提出驚人發現。

其實，並非科學家們才有出色的洞察力，只要我們放眼四周，多留意身邊的人和事，看到吸睛的，再思考究竟是否值得我們繼續關注及追求，我們都可以很出色。然而我們總是被工業化社會的急促步伐和緊張的節奏牽着走，工作一個接一個的沒完沒了。我們何時才會停下來，了解自己正在追求甚麼？背後又是為了甚麼？

如果我們清楚知道自己追求的目標，然後努力更上層樓，這樣，當遇到挫折時，就會有良好的基礎，幫助我們繼續前進。 

認識自己

尊重自己，是追求目標的先決條件。若不懂得尊重自己，感覺不到自己也值得追求該份理想，我們就沒有動機起步。 

很大程度上，我們所有人的身心結構都差不多。基本上，每個人都有能力及條件去擁有更多知識，變得更聰明、更有效率、更優秀。我們需要的，是相信天生我材必有用。 

自我尊重能孕育出自信，若果連自己都不相信能夠完成某事的話，就會連試也不願意去試。同樣地，若果連自己都不認為自己值得被欣賞，也就不會找到自己值得被讚賞的地方。 

一個人倘若沒有目標、熱誠、理想，就等於浪費成為一個好公民、好父母、好員工，或善於某些事情的潛質。 

應用所學

持之以恆是達成目標、夢想以及理想的關鍵，也是從平凡人中區分出非池中物的指標。 

例如，一個希望擁有美好身段的人，星期一去了健身，但星期二、三容許自己停下來，星期四、五又認為自己「太忙了」，星期六終於再走進健身室，但星期日又停下來。這個人，很大機會在下星期一便放棄。 

反而，一個患有大腦麻痺的人，他可能連常人的基本能力都沒有，只是卑微地夢想可以好好走直線。為此他在星期一開始舉重，微微提升自己的能力；星期二在跑步機上練習，慢慢加速；星期三有計劃地行山，鍛煉體能；星期四重複提腿，有策略地訓練腿部肌肉，這足以令他在星期五可以快步走。這種努力向著目標邁進的態度，就會提高成功的機會。 

成功的道路當然不是一帆風順。能夠跨過障礙的人，勝利並不是最能激勵他們的元素。真正令他們有滿足感的，是過程中付出的努力、花過的時間。那些達成目標，卻沒有付出過堅持過，亦沒有學習過如何改進的人，是不會感受到真正的自豪和滿足感。 

精益求精，是人的本性。我們與生俱來有著一種追求卓越的慾望，即使面對未知之數，仍然想挑戰自己，努力通過教育，作出改變。 

因此，明智的做法，是相信自己值得成為理想中的自己，打開心靈及眼睛，留意值得追求的機會，同時巧妙地應用所學知識，披荊斬棘。只要堅持，我們都能成為贏家。

作者：陳慧珊

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Decision Making is Educational

“Staging Our Winning Path”

Being

Many of the greatest inventors began by noticing some sort of phenomenon. They paid attention. Then they acted upon their observations. They saw things, thought about them, investigated, found answers and created phenomenal discoveries.

We don’t need to be scientists to be great observers. We just need to open our eyes to things worthy of our attention and to decide whether those things are worthy of our pursuit. However, in our industrialized society we’re distracted by a fast-paced, intensively-driven world, always running from one mission to the next. When do we ever stop to understand what it is we are pursuing? And why we are pursuing them?

If we try to ponder what makes something so important that we need to care about it and strive to pursue new heights with it, then when we hit a glitch, it would give us the foundation to keep going.

Knowing

Respecting ourselves is the pre-requisite to initiating a pursuit. Without knowing that and feeling like we are worthy of attaining an ideal, there would be no motive to get us started.

All of us, to a large extent, are similar both mentally and physically. All of us have the basic ability to be more knowledgeable, smarter, faster, better. We just need to be confident that Nature gave us individual abilities and that we are worthy of realizing those abilities.

Self-respect breeds self-confidence. If we don’t believe that we can accomplish something we won’t even attempt it. If we don’t feel like we are worthy of appreciation, we will not be able to find something worth appreciating.

And a person without a goal, a passion, an ideal, is wasting his potential to be a good citizen, a good parent, a good employee, or to be good at all other things.

Doing

Continuity is the key to bringing home our goal, dream, and ideal. Continuity is what distinguishes the ordinary man from the extraordinary person.

For example, the man who dreams about having the physique of a body-builder, who works out on Monday but gives himself permission to lapse on Tuesday and Wednesday, decides he is “too busy” on Thursday and Friday, spontaneously feels like working out on Saturday so he does, but leaves Sunday for rest, will most likely give up by the following Monday.

However, the man with Cerebral Palsy, who may not have the same grade of ability, but who dreams to walk in a straight line, may lift weights slightly exceeding his limit on Monday, runs on the treadmill at increasing levels of speed on Tuesday, purposefully exerts himself by hiking on natural terrain Wednesday, strategically works the same leg muscles with repetitive leg lifts on Thursday, and is smart enough to take a brisk walk instead on Friday, and keeps working in the direction of a continuous schedule, will most likely experience great success.

Success of course is never . And victory is not the incentive to those who can jump over hurdles. It’s the effort, time spent, and laboring over the hardships that give us the real satisfaction. Those who accomplish their goals without sustained effort and learning how to do things better, do not feel any real pride or satisfaction.

It’s human nature to want to do our best, rather than to thwart our mind’s desire to exercise “mind over matter”. It’s in our blood to desire to go beyond our current level, to want to challenge ourselves despite uncertainties, and to strive to make changes throughout the educational process.

The smart choice, therefore, would be to decide that we are indeed worthy of our ideal (being), to open our eyes and heart to an opportunity worth pursuing (knowing), but to be wise to apply (doing) our learnings to work through solving the tough problems. Perhaps by walking through this path with persistence, that we may all come out winners.

Text by Flora Chan