• Do you generate opportunities that match your interests or those of others?

• Do you have your own life and professional project , with high goals?

• Do you discover goals and objectives to be achieved and at what deadline?

• Are you capable of taking on new challenges?

• Do you prefer not to rely on others to set the pace and content of work?

• Do you approach your tasks with determination?

• Do you actively participate in the generation of new ideas for your work?

• Do you analyze problems from new points of view?

• Do you act autonomously within your field, without the need to consult every step?

• Do you encourage in your environment the development of innovative ideas?

• Do you stimulate creativity in order to improve performance and results?

• Do you lead and propose solutions in the work or activities on group?

• Can you ask for financial aid when you need it?

• Do you provide the necessary means to achieve the objectives?

• Do you pursue your objectives with tenacity, never giving up until you reach them?

• Do you defend your views with determination?

• Do you strive for excellence in everything you do?

• Do you overcome others' resistance to change with energy and without becoming discouraged?

• You do not set personal and professional goals in the medium term deadline.

• You don't have projects that really excite you, you stay in the present moment.

• You do not perform other activities that are not directly related to the degree program you study.

• You don't feel like experiencing new things.

• You tend to have a great fear of failure and error.

• You think things are the way they are just because they are. You don't accept change as an improvement.

• You wait for things to come along.

• You do not look for solutions to the problems that arise.

• You get bored with things and change activities frequently.

• You are content with the current state of affairs and feel unable to influence reality.

• You like to do things always the same way, and prefer not to touch what already works. You are a conformist.

• You need someone to hold you accountable for the work you perform. You only work under pressure.

• You just stick to the mandatory classes and do the assigned homework.

• You disengage from work or activities at group.

• You are not responsible for organizing anything.

• You often get discouraged and abandon projects before they are finished.

• You do not have sufficient willpower to carry out medium and long term tasks deadline.

• You look for immediate rewards and tasks with short-term results deadline.

• Do you really believe in the possibility of changing things?

• Are you able to identify possibilities for change?

• Are you looking for constant improvement of your environment?

• Do you limit yourself to pointing out the shortcomings and defects you see in the environment, or do you get down to work to improve it?

• Are you aware of the opportunities that the university offers you, beyond academics?

• Do you do only what is required, or do you go beyond the requirements that are set for you?

• What role do you play in the activities or work carried out at group?

• Have you contacted a teacher lately (to clarify doubts, address any work, etc.)?

• Do you constantly change activities and objectives, leaving things half done?

• Do you need to see the immediate result of your work, or can you keep up the effort, even if the result takes a while to arrive?

Think about goals at staff and professional level that you want to achieve in the long term deadline and in the short term deadline. Write them down in a list and, for the long-term deadline, consider whether they are high-minded or rather conservative.
Keep in mind that the success of this plan is your responsibility.
Also add to the list plans and foods to try, places to see and experiences to have. Then, note whether you can do them soon or not, and if you can do them soon, try to assign them a date.

There are many occasions when we are asked to do a part of a larger project . In those cases, do you tend to ask all the time what you have to do or do you diligently set about doing it?
If it is the first case, make a resolution to work in such a way that you don't have to ask for supervision all the time. It may be a question of self-confidence, but what is certain is that initiative will help.

By questioning the why of things we learn more about them than by simply accepting. Therefore, to know better and more you must ask: Why is this so? How did we get here? And this in all situations: the rules of the school, the operation of a machine or a part of a machine. subject
Ask yourself how to improve the things you do every day and those that cause you consternation. With your answers, put on internship the solutions you find by setting goals and schedules.
Many times we can't find the solution on our own, so ask those who may know more than you about it topic.

Take to internship the proposals you have set for yourself by setting a schedule and not hesitating to comply with it. Be careful with procrastinating.
If you find mistakes in your work or daily life, solve them as soon as possible. Don't procrastinate and make the improvement plan concrete so that you can follow up on it.
When making decisions, make yourself manager of the consequences. And if something goes wrong, acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness if necessary.

With friends: from a dinner in someone's apartment, to a trip together to visit another city, from an excursion to a time at the beach or a cultural trip. There are many possibilities to organize, but always remember to involve everyone to make the best out of it.
At the university: a group from work to prepare some subject, lead an extra-academic activity, be the head of a group for a work, etc.
With the family: get involved in deciding what you are going to do in the summer, see what you can help with (cooking, laundry, etc.), suggest 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 paralyzes, but to overcome it there is no other way than to face it. So, if you are shy to participate in class for any reason, think that what you are going to solve is not a problem or a doubt, but just your shyness.
Solve doubts with the professors either in the doubts, seminars or in the office itself.
And finally, think about the subjects in which you can advise the professors on how to improve the classes and then go to their office and tell them about it.

There are many ways in which, with initiative and perseverance, studying will be improved B . We have already mentioned some of them: losing respect for going to the teacher's office, creating a group from work to study a subject, etc.
Find study tools (lists of things to do, calendars, etc.) and, after learning how to use them, teach others how to use them.
Ask upperclassmen how they study and with their information, decide which ones work for you.

The initiative and the need for orientation in university students, Eugenio Frutos Cortés
This interesting article from 1960 with full validity, written by Eugenio Frutos -philosopher, poet, anthropologist and professor-, raises the need of 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 academic staff in this process. Especially important for counselors.

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