These five self-determined women all from the same family, across three generations, graduated in May 2017.

Graduation commencements are for people who cross the finish line. These graduates have one thing in common. Self-Determination. One aspect of self-determined behavior is knowing your strengths and weaknesses.

Your strengths are those beliefs that keep you going even under pressure. Bravery. Curiosity. Gratitude. Hope. Perseverance. I ask the students I coach to take the VIA Strengths Survey. Leveraging your strengths is a winning approach to getting through the academics of each course. You can meet the challenges of each semester by purposefully using your strengths.  Click here to learn more about your strengths.

Certain characteristics might be seen as weaknesses. Understanding your weaknesses will move you along the journey of self-acceptance, a key characteristic of self-determined individuals. Some people see a learning disability as a weakness. It is a legal term and diagnosis required to receive accommodations. I choose to view a learning disability as a learning difference.

It is essential that you learn to describe your learning difference to someone else. This will give you have a fuller comprehension of the impact a learning difference can have on you in school. Then you can develop skills and strategies to compensate for this “weakness.” Chances are you can minimize the power this “weakness” has over you when you can accept it.  Acceptance will increase your ability to correct a weakness or at least minimizing its impact on your academic performance.

At the finish line of every semester, you will find self-determined people. People who purposefully employ their strengths to reach goals. People who understand their weaknesses and win anyway.