• Think about staff and professional goals you want to achieve in the long and short term. Write them down and, for the long-term ones, consider whether they are ambitious or somewhat conservative.

• Keep in mind that the success of the plan is your responsibility.

• Also add plans and meals you want to try, places you want to see and experiences you want to have to the list. Then, note down whether or not you can do them in the near future. If so, try to set a date for them.

• Often, smaller parts of larger projects are entrusted to us. In those cases, do you tend to keep asking what to do or do you just get on with it?

• If it's the former, make a decision to work so that you don't have to ask for supervision all the time. It's perhaps a question of self-confidence; but this initiative will definitely help you.

• We learn more about things by questioning the reasons behind them, rather than simply accepting them. Therefore, to learn something better, ask questions: Why is it that way? How did we get here? This applies to all situations: the school's rules, how a machine works or part of a subject.

• Ask yourself how you can improve the things you do every day and those that worry you. Use your answers to put solutions into practice by setting goals and schedules.

• Often we can't find the solution on our own, so ask those who may know more than you about the subject.

• Put the proposals you have set for yourself into practice by setting a schedule and making sure you stick to it. Avoid procrastinating.

• If you find errors in your work or in daily life, solve them as soon as possible. Don't put it off. Prepare an improvement plan so you can monitor it.

• When making decisions, take responsibility for the consequences. If something goes wrong, acknowledge it and apologize if necessary.

• With friends: organize a dinner at someone's flat or visit another city, go on an excursion, have a day at the beach or take a cultural trip. The possibilities for organizing are endless, but always remember that you must involve everyone so that it's the best it can be.

• At the university: organize a work group to study a subject, lead an extracurricular activity, make yourself a project leader, etc.

• With family: get involved in deciding what you're going to do in summer, identify areas where you can help (cooking, laundry, etc.), propose plans for Sunday or the weekend, etc.

• Of course, you don't have to organize everything, but you do have to actively participate and get involved in the things you do.

• Fear paralyses us, but the only way to overcome it is to tackle it head on. So, if you're shy about participating in class for some reason, consider that what you want to solve isn't the problem or query, but the shyness itself.

• Resolve queries with teachers at query sessions, in seminars or in their office.

• And, finally, think of subjects in which you can advise teachers on how to improve classes and then go to their office to talk about it.

• There are many ways to greatly improve your studies through initiative and perseverance. We have already mentioned some of these: overcoming shyness about going to the teacher's office, creating a work group to study a subject, etc.

• Find study tools (to-do lists, calendars, etc.) and, after learning how to use them, teach other people how to use them.

• Ask students in higher years how they study and, based on the information, decide which approaches work for you.

The initiative and the need for orientation in university students, Eugenio Frutos Cortés
This interesting article from 1960, written by Eugenio Frutos -philosopher, poet, anthropologist and professor-, raises the need for the student body to have initiative in some aspect related to the degree program, its fears and obstacles, as well as the role of the faculty in this process. Especially important for advisors.

48 ways to take more initiative at work and in life
In summary, many plans and actions for taking more initiative are outlined.

9 ways to develop creativity
In article Edward De Bono's theories about creativity are presented, focusing more on the different plans proposed to enhance it.

How to boost creativity in a team, Pilar Jericó
Focused on the capacity of inventiveness when we are in a team, it is accompanied by a video where 29 ways to be more creative individually are exposed.

Taking Initiative
After defining what the initiative is, he explains the 6 keys to acquiring it and bringing it to fruition

The dangers of "willful blindness", Margaret Heffernan
Why do we tend to stay silent when something is strange to us? Where does this fear of saying something unusual come from? The talk explains this and, more importantly, how to deal with it.

Why comfort can ruin your life, Bill Eckstrom
It is in situations where we don't control everything and have a leave predictive ability that we grow the most. Based on his experience, Bill Eckstrom encourages winning areas where we take risks.

My invention that made peace with lions, Richard Turere
In this talk, the boy speaker discusses the problem he has encountered in his hometown, Nairobi, related to lion hunting of livestock and how he has invented devices to protect livestock and lions. He also tells how his invention has been used by different ranchers and how he plans to improve his lion protection system.

How to live before you die, Steve Jobs
speech Steve Jobs at Stanford in which he talks about pursuing your dreams, taking advantage of the opportunities life gives you and not letting others determine what will become of your future.

Dare to Dissent, Margaret Heffernan
The organizations that work best are not those that have a pact of silence, where one cannot question what is taught. With a few examples, Heffernan teaches us to be aware of our own ideas and the importance of expressing our questions.

Initiative
The video sample is an example of what happens if we take the actions we think about every day but do not put on internship because we think they will not make any difference in our lives.

Forrerst Gump, Robert Zemekis
Forrest (Tom Hanks) is a person who is handicapped both physically and mentally, but those limitations present no excuse for throwing himself into the ideas and projects he has, and succeeding in them through perseverance. IMDB profile

Moneyball, Bennett Miller
This film presents the story of a baseball team, the Oakland A's, and how they must compete in a league of an unfair sport, where the one with the most money has the best chance of success. What stands out is the attitude of Billy Beane, the protagonist, to form a champion team without relying on first appearances, popularity and attractiveness of the team, but to focus on those who nobody wants but who have great potential. IMDB profile

Chain of Favors, Mimi Leder
A teacher proposes an activity to his students to get an extra credit . It consists of thinking of an action that will help the world and putting it into action. One of the students proposes to create a chain of favors. IMDB file

October Sky, Joe Johnston
Homer is a 17-year-old student in a mining town who is fascinated by the launching of the first satellite, the Soviet . He decides to enter a rocket launching contest with his friends so he can go to college. But neither the town nor his father is what they want for him... IMDB profile