Long-Term Consistency Trumps Short-Term Intensity: The Key to Lasting Success

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FOOTBALL FRIDAY!

Lady Blue Lillian Noble Name Athlete of the Week- Congratulations to GHS senior volleyballer Lillian Noble for being named KFDX/Texoma’s Athlete of the Week. During eight matches (17 sets) of the Lu Allen Tournament, Lillian had 65 kills, 17 aces, 58 digs, and 22 blocks.

Pioneer Elementary- Reading, writing, math, science, sensory lab, centers, science experiments, and more… all the things we do in a Kindergarten day at Pioneer Elementary!

Crestview Elementary- Mark your calendars… Grandparents Day Breakfasts are scheduled for September 9, 10, and 11.

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues are in Alabama, competing in the Labor Day Classic tournament. GO LADY BLUES!

Graham Steer Football- The Steer are hosting Midland Christian this evening at Newton Field. Kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. GO STEERS… BEAT THE MUSTANGS!

Steer Stampede-

United Way: Invest In Graham- Please consider donating to the Graham Area United Way. The Graham Area United Way annual campaign is an excellent example of how Graham supports Graham as 100% of your donation stays in our community. The Graham Area United Way supports- BETHEL CHILDREN'S DAY CARE CENTER, GRAHAM BACKPACK BUDDIES, GRAHAM CRISIS CENTER, MEALS ON WHEELS, SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER, VIRGINIA'S HOUSE, and YOUNG COUNTY 4-H CLUB. Your support will make a difference in our community… Invest in Graham!

Athletic Event Tickets- Please note that tickets for all Graham High School and Graham Junior High athletic events are purchased online at https://grahamisd.com/272594_2. You can also reach this site from the district webpage- www.grahamisd.com and select the Tickets link. GISD employees and their immediate families are granted general admission entry with their employee badges.

Another convenient method for purchasing Graham ISD athletic event tickets is to download the HomeTown Fan App to your cell phone from the App Store. After loading the app, you will search for the Graham zip code to see a link for each campus. When you select the campus, you will see the scheduled events for the coming week.

If you routinely attend multiple sports events at Graham High School and Graham Junior High School, you may want to consider purchasing an All-Sports Pass. The All-Sports pass is good for admission to all sports events except for varsity football games and tournaments. The All-Sports pass can be purchased via the online ticket portal. 

Long-Term Consistency Trumps Short-Term Intensity: The Key to Lasting Success

In a world that often celebrates quick wins and overnight success, the allure of short-term intensity is strong. We are bombarded with stories of individuals who made drastic changes, achieved rapid results, and seemingly reached their goals in record time. However, for most of us, these stories are more exception than rule. The reality is that long-term consistency, rather than short-term intensity, is the key to lasting success in any endeavor.

The Illusion of Short-Term Intensity

Short-term intensity is often appealing because it promises quick results. Whether it's a crash diet, a rigorous workout plan, or an intense study session, the idea is that pushing ourselves to the limit will yield immediate and significant outcomes. However, this approach is often unsustainable. The energy and willpower required to maintain such intensity can quickly lead to burnout, and when the effort stops, so do the results.

Moreover, short-term intensity often overlooks the importance of building habits and skills that can be sustained over the long haul. Without these, any gains made through intense effort will likely be temporary, leaving us back where we started or even worse off.

The Power of Long-Term Consistency

In contrast, long-term consistency involves making steady, incremental progress over time. It's not about going all out in the short term but about showing up every day, putting in the work, and consistently making small improvements. This approach might not yield dramatic results immediately, but over time, it can lead to profound and lasting changes.

Consider the example of exercise. A person who exercises moderately but consistently over several years will likely see more significant and lasting health benefits than someone who engages in an extreme workout regimen for a few weeks and then quits. The same principle applies to learning a new skill, building a business, or achieving any other long-term goal.

Why Consistency Matters

1. Habit Formation: Long-term consistency helps form habits. When actions are repeated regularly, they become automatic, reducing the need for conscious effort and making them easier to maintain over time.
2. Compounding Effect: Small, consistent actions have a compounding effect. Just like compound interest, the benefits of consistency build up over time, leading to exponential growth and progress.
3. Sustainability: Consistent actions are more sustainable because they are less likely to lead to burnout. When goals are pursued at a manageable pace, it’s easier to maintain motivation and avoid the pitfalls of exhaustion.
4. Adaptability: Long-term consistency allows for adjustments along the way. Instead of being locked into an intense regimen, a consistent approach gives the flexibility to adapt to changes in circumstances, needs, and goals.

Building a Consistent Approach

Setting realistic and achievable goals is essential for embracing long-term consistency. Break down your larger goals into smaller, manageable steps and focus on making progress each day, no matter how small. Celebrate the milestones along the way, and remember that consistency is a journey, not a destination.

Another critical aspect is developing a routine that supports your goals. Whether scheduling time for exercise, setting aside daily reading time, or dedicating specific hours to a project, having a routine can help reinforce consistency.

Lastly, patience is crucial. Results may take time to come, but trust in the process. Over time, the cumulative effect of your consistent efforts will become evident, leading to meaningful and sustainable success.

In conclusion, while short-term intensity might offer quick wins, the power of long-term consistency ultimately leads to lasting success. By committing to steady, incremental progress, forming sustainable habits, and allowing time for growth, we can achieve our goals in a way that endures. Remember, it’s not about how fast you can go but how long you can keep going.

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

How do you football players deal with their problems? (Scroll down for the answer.)

They tackle them head-on!

Must Be Present to Win! Steer Nation Message 8/22/24

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FRIDAY!

21st Annual Lu Allen Volleyball Tournament- Pool play for the Lu Allen Tournament will be held this Friday. Hope to see you there. GO LADY BLUES!

GHS Tennis—The Lady Blues and Graham Steers will play at home on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. against Glen Rose. On Saturday, the teams will play on the road against Brownwood. GOOD LUCK, NETTERS!

Graham Steer Baseball & Lady Blues Softball 7th Annual Skeet Shoot-

United Way: Invest In Graham- Please consider donating to the Graham Area United Way. The Graham Area United Way annual campaign is an excellent example of how Graham supports Graham as 100% of your donation stays in our community. The Graham Area United Way supports- BETHEL CHILDREN'S DAY CARE CENTER, GRAHAM BACKPACK BUDDIES, GRAHAM CRISIS CENTER, MEALS ON WHEELS, SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER, VIRGINIA'S HOUSE, and YOUNG COUNTY 4-H CLUB. Your support will make a difference in our community… Invest in Graham!

Athletic Event Tickets- Please note that tickets for all Graham High School and Graham Junior High athletic events are purchased online at https://grahamisd.com/272594_2. You can also reach this site from the district webpage- www.grahamisd.com and select the Tickets link. GISD employees and their immediate families are granted general admission entry with their employee badges.

Another convenient method for purchasing Graham ISD athletic event tickets is to download the HomeTown Fan App to your cell phone from the App Store. After loading the app, you will search for the Graham zip code to see a link for each campus. When you select the campus, you will see the scheduled events for the coming week.

If you routinely attend multiple sports events at Graham High School and Graham Junior High School, you may want to consider purchasing an All-Sports Pass. The All-Sports pass is good for admission to all sports events except for varsity football games and tournaments. The All-Sports pass can be purchased via the online ticket portal. 

Must Be Present to Win!

September is Attendance Awareness Month. Help Send the Message that Going to School Every Day Matters for Success in School and Life!

Improving student attendance is an essential, cost-effective, but often overlooked strategy for ensuring our students are on track to learn and succeed. Nationwide, as many as one out of 10 students is chronically absent, meaning they miss 10 percent or more of school days or nearly a month. Chronic absence is a leading early warning indicator of academic trouble and later dropout. The good news is that chronic absence is a problem we can solve. While addressing some attendance barriers—such as health, poor transportation, and unstable housing—can often require longer-term strategies, everyone can make a difference by helping students and families understand that attending school every day and avoiding absences whenever possible is critical to realizing their hopes and dreams. Too often, we don’t realize how quickly absences add up: Missing just two days every month can cause a child to fall behind.

Below are key messages that everyone—schools, preschools, public agencies, community organizations, faith-based institutions, elected officials, and parents themselves—can use to help spread the word about this important issue. 

1. Good attendance helps children do well in school and eventually in the workplace. Good attendance matters for school success, starting as early as prekindergarten and throughout elementary school. By middle and high school, poor attendance is a leading dropout indicator. Developing the habit of attendance prepares students for success on the job and in life.
2. Excused and unexcused absences easily add up to too much time lost in the classroom.
1. Students are at risk academically if they miss 10 percent of the school year or about 18 days. Once too many absences have occurred, they can affect learning, regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused.
2. Sporadic, not just consecutive, absences matter. Before you know it – just one or two days a month can add up to nearly 10 percent of the school year.
3. Avoid unnecessary absences. Some absences are unavoidable. Occasionally, children get sick and need to stay home. What is important is getting children to school as often as possible. 
3. Chronic absence, missing 10 percent of the school year or more, does not just affect the students who miss school. If too many students are chronically absent, it slows down instruction for other students, who must wait while the teacher repeats material for absentee students. This makes it harder for students to learn and teachers to teach.
4. We need to monitor how many days each student misses school for any reason— excused, unexcused, or suspensions— so we can intervene early. Districts and schools should use data to identify how many and which students are chronically absent so they can target extra support that can improve attendance and interrupt a pattern of chronic absence. Families should track how many days their children have missed so they are aware of when they should be concerned and take action. We can’t afford to think of absenteeism as merely a lack of compliance with school rules or a loss of funding. Absences represent lost opportunities to learn in the classroom.
5. Chronic absence is a problem we can solve when the whole community, along with the parents and schools, get involved in improving attendance. All of us can make a difference by helping students and families feel engaged in learning and their schools, setting the expectation that school attendance matters and working together to identify and help families overcome barriers to getting to school. Community partners are especially important for helping schools and families address and overcome tough barriers, such as limited access to health care, unstable housing, poor transportation or neighborhood violence.
6. Relationship building is fundamental to any strategy for improving student attendance. Students are more likely to go to school if they know someone cares whether they show up. Trusting relationships – whether with teachers, mentors, coaches or other caring adults – are critical to encouraging families and students to seek out help to overcome barriers to attendance.

Tips for Talking to Parents

Stress that good attendance will help your children do well in high school, in college, and at work.

1. Your children can suffer academically if they miss 10 percent of the school year or about 18 days. That can be just one day every two weeks, which can happen before you know it.
2. Some absences are unavoidable. We understand that children will get sick and need to stay home occasionally. The important thing is to get your children to school as often as possible.
3. Sporadic absences, not just those on consecutive days of school, matter. Before you know it – just one or two days a month can add up to nearly 10 percent of the school year.
4. If too many absences occur, whether excused or unexcused, they still pose a problem because they represent too much lost learning time in the classroom.
5. Attendance matters as early as kindergarten. Studies show many children who miss too many days in kindergarten and first grade can struggle academically in later years. They often need help with mastering reading by the end of third grade.
6. Preschool is a great time to start building a habit of good attendance. Young children with poor attendance in preschool also lose out on valuable learning time, and if chronic absence continues into kindergarten, it can lower academic achievement.
7. By middle and high school, chronic absence is a leading warning sign that a student will drop out.
8. Too many absent students can affect the whole classroom, creating learning opportunity gaps and slowing down instruction.
9. Families should avoid extended vacations that require their children to miss school. Try to line up vacations with the school’s schedule. The same goes for doctor’s appointments.
10. For younger children, you can set a regular bedtime and morning routine. Make sure they get 9 to 11 hours of sleep. The night before, you can lay out clothes and pack backpacks.
11. You can help older children develop homework and bedtime routines that allow for 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours of sleep. When the lights go out, so do the cell phones, video games, and computers.
12. Get to know the teachers and administrators. With younger children, make sure you introduce your child to teachers before school starts and keep in touch with them. For older students, school officials can help you stay on top of academic progress and social contacts to ensure your child is staying on track.
13. Above all, set an example for your child. Show him or her that attendance matters to you and that you won’t allow an absence unless someone is genuinely sick. Avoid asking older students to help with daycare and household errands. For more information, go to  https://awareness.attendanceworks.org/ 

Talking Points for Students

As they age, students need to hear this message from their peers, teachers, and parents.

1. School is your first and most important job. You’re learning about more than math and reading. You’re learning how to show up for school on time every day so that when you graduate and get a job, you’ll know how to show up for work on time every day.
2. Students who attend school regularly are more likely to graduate and find good jobs. In fact, a high school graduate makes, on average, a million dollars more than a dropout over a lifetime.
3. School only gets more complicated when you stay home too much. Sometimes, staying home is tempting because you’ve got too much work or you don’t understand what’s going on in class. But missing a day only makes that worse. 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

What makes a Cyclops such an effective teacher? (Go to www.thecruseline.com for the answer.) 

He has only one pupil!

Steer Nation Message- The Rule of 100: Transform Your Skills With Just 18 Minutes a Day 8/16/24

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FRIDAY!

United Way: Invest In Graham- Please consider donating to the Graham Area United Way. The Graham Area United Way annual campaign is an excellent example of how Graham supports Graham as 100% of your donation stays in our community. The Graham Area United Way supports- BETHEL CHILDREN'S DAY CARE CENTER, GRAHAM BACKPACK BUDDIES, GRAHAM CRISIS CENTER, MEALS ON WHEELS, SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER, VIRGINIA'S HOUSE, and YOUNG COUNTY 4-H CLUB. Your support will make a difference in our community… Invest in Graham!

New Band Hall at GJHS—The district is constructing a new Band Hall at Graham Junior High School. The facility will serve as a certified storm shelter. The $3.8 M project is being funded using the district Fund Balance.

Athletic Event Tickets- Please note that tickets for all Graham High School and Graham Junior High athletic events are purchased online at https://grahamisd.com/272594_2. You can also reach this site from the district webpage- www.grahamisd.com and select the Tickets link. GISD employees and their immediate families are granted general admission entry with their employee badges.

Another convenient method for purchasing Graham ISD athletic event tickets is to download the HomeTown Fan App to your cell phone from the App Store. After loading the app, you will search for the Graham zip code to see a link for each campus. When you select the campus, you will see the scheduled events for the coming week.

If you routinely attend multiple sports events at Graham High School and Graham Junior High School, you may want to consider purchasing an All-Sports Pass. The All-Sports pass is good for admission to all sports events except for varsity football games and tournaments. The All-Sports pass can be purchased via the online ticket portal. 

The Rule of 100: Transform Your Skills with Just 18 Minutes a Day

We often hear that becoming great at something requires years of dedication and countless hours of practice. While there’s truth to that, there's a more accessible approach that can deliver significant results without overwhelming your schedule: the Rule of 100.

The Rule of 100 is a simple yet powerful concept that suggests if you invest 100 hours into learning a skill or discipline, you can achieve a level of proficiency that sets you apart from the average person. This translates to just over 18 minutes a day over the course of a year—manageable for most people.

Why 100 hours? This rule is based on the idea that consistent, focused practice accumulates over time to create exponential improvement. The human brain is designed to learn through repetition, and by dedicating a small but consistent amount of time each day, you reinforce the neural pathways associated with the skill you’re learning.

Unlike the oft-quoted "10,000-hour rule," which suggests that mastery requires years of effort, the Rule of 100 is about significant improvement rather than complete mastery. It’s about becoming better than 95% of people in a particular area. While 100 hours won’t make you an expert, it can take you from knowing nothing to being competent and confident in your abilities.

How to Apply the Rule of 100

1. Choose Your Discipline: Select a skill or discipline that you want to improve. This could be anything from learning a new language, playing a musical instrument, improving your public speaking, or even mastering a software tool.
2. Break It Down: Divide the 100 hours into smaller, manageable chunks. This works out to roughly 18 minutes per day. Consistency is key, so aim to practice daily.
3. Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve with those 100 hours. Are you aiming to learn the basics, or do you want to reach an intermediate level? Having clear goals will keep you motivated and focused.
4. Track Your Progress: Keep a log of the time you spend practicing. This not only helps you stay on track but also gives you a sense of accomplishment as you see your hours adding up.
5. Reflect and Adjust: Periodically review your progress and adjust your practice routine if necessary. Are there areas where you’re struggling? Spend a little more time on those. Are you finding some tasks too easy? Challenge yourself with something more advanced.

The Rule of 100 teaches valuable lessons in discipline and consistency. By committing to just 18 minutes a day, you’re building a habit of lifelong learning and personal growth. This approach can be applied to virtually any area of life, making it a versatile tool for self-improvement.

The magic of the Rule of 100 lies in its simplicity and accessibility. It’s not about cramming or intense study sessions; it’s about small, consistent efforts that compound over time. This approach helps you avoid burnout and makes the learning process enjoyable rather than overwhelming.

Moreover, the Rule of 100 aligns with the concept of “deliberate practice,” where focused, purposeful practice leads to skill improvement. By dedicating regular time to practice with clear goals in mind, you’re more likely to see tangible progress.

The Rule of 100 is a powerful reminder that you don’t need to dedicate your entire life to a single pursuit to become proficient. Investing just 18 minutes a day can significantly improve any skill or discipline, setting yourself apart from the average person.

So, what will you choose to improve? Whether it’s a personal passion or a professional goal, the Rule of 100 can help you get there—one minute at a time. Start today, and watch as those 100 hours transform your abilities and open up new possibilities in your life.

Have a nice day…take care of yourself and others!

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

Why do bees have sticky hair? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Because they use a honeycomb!