NEW GOALS

I hope you all had a very...

Ours was great.  We have SO MUCH to be thankful for! :D

We only had 2 days of school last week because of the Thanksgiving Holiday.  Honestly, I wasn't on my machine at all during the break, haha!  Hubby and I spent lots of quality time with the family as well as with each other, just relaxing and recharging.  Sometimes you just need that. :)

So going back to school tomorrow, I've decided I need a new routine in order to pass my 200 WPM 4-voice 10-minute test.  Here's what I will do:

• Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes... for clarity and soundness of both mind and body
• Practice at 225-240 WPM daily for at least 30 minutes... for speed
• Practice finger drills for at least 15 minutes... for accuracy
• Practice briefs for at least 15 minutes... for speed

To be honest, I was disappointed and saddened to find out that I couldn't take the February CSR Exam... but I am now all the more fired up to be ready to take and pass the CSR Exam in Summer 2012, AS WELL AS the RPR Exam!  I know it's an intimidating thought, especially for me who has been in the court reporting program MUCH LONGER than I care to admit.  So what am I going to do with that intimidating thought???  This: I REFUSE to allow ANY NEGATIVE TALK ENTER MY MIND!!!  I can... and WILL... with GOD'S help... accomplish ALL my court reporting goals that I set out to conquer in 2012!!!

I found 2 great motivational videos on YouTube that talks about goal setting and achieving those set goals.  I want to share them with you now and hope you too will be inspired to properly set yourself up for success!  Here they are:

The Secret of Goal Setting by Earl Nightingale
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=_sJzcWc3Dwc

Success is the progressive realization toward a worthy ideal.


The opposite of success is conformity.


95% of people don't succeed because he conforms.


A person succeeds because he knows where he's going.


The key to success and the key to failure: We become what we think about.


Don't worry.  Worry brings fear, and fear is crippling.


Keep calm and cheerful.  


You'll get back what you put out.


As you believe, so shall it be done unto you.

&

Common Mistakes in Goal Setting by Ed Reiner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=qpmUYa1f_5Q


Fantasy - "C" - What I Want
Plan - "B" - What I Think I Can Do
Know - "A" - Present Results


Live in Level "C" to achieve your goals!  You must fantasize to realize your goals!


See It!
Believe It!
Do It!

ALMOST AT QUALIFIERS!

I am so happy to announce...

that I passed my 200 WPM 4-voice real-time 5-minutes test!  THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!


                           

So that means I need only ONE MORE TEST to get into Qualifiers... which is the 200 WPM 4-voice test at TEN minutes!  This test, plus the Qualifiers test (which is the exact same test except with a live panel instead of one teacher with the lightboard), is different from all the other tests from the past.  All the other tests leading up to this moment have been a length of FIVE minutes.  Now I need to DOUBLE my stamina and concentration in order to pass this next test and then the Qualifiers.  Easier said than done, but...

                                    

Here's my "Things To Do" before the end of this term, December 16th, at Downey Adult School:

1) Submit my intern hours, both official and freelance
2) Complete my Online Vocabulary Class
3) Pass my 200 4V at 10 minutes test

I met with the Court Reporting Director at my school last week to make sure I'm on track to get into Qualifiers without a hitch.  UNFORTUNATELY, I found out that EVEN if I do pass my 200 4V at 10 minutes test BEFORE the end of this term, I will NOT be able to advance to Qualifiers YET since my Online Vocabulary Class won't be finished until late December. :(

I just checked out the website of the Court Reporters Board of California found here.  The next CSR Exam will be held on February 3, 2012, and the last date of filing is January 4, 2012.  Then it hit me... I realize that I most likely will NOT have the chance to qualify for the February 2012 CSR Exam and will have to wait for the next exam sometime in July 2012.  It sadly makes sense that this is likely the reality I am faced with now... because I for sure will NOT be able to get into Qualifiers this year because of my pending last academic class, Vocab, PLUS our next term starts up in January 3, 2012 with the LAST date of filing for the February 2012 CSR Exam as the very NEXT day following the FIRST day back to school, January 4, 2012. :(

Oh well...

But you know what?!?!  I REFUSE to let this "setback" get me down!!!  I tell my husband that I am SO BLESSED that sometimes I look for any minutiae type of "setback" to complain about! :P What am I going to do instead?!?!  I'm going to practice and work hard and smart to make sure that FOR SURE I WILL qualify well in advance for the July 2012 CSR Exam... AND I'm going to look into taking the RPR Exam as well in 2012!

For my fellow court reporting students, here are some helpful links for you too as you figure out YOUR schedule to the CSR and/or RPR Exams:

Court Reporters Board of California CSR Exam Dates & Locations -- http://www.courtreportersboard.ca.gov/applicants/exam-dates.shtml

NCRA 2012 Exam Schedule for the RPR, RMR, RDR, CBC, CCP and CLVS --
http://www.ncra.org/Certifications/content.cfm?ItemNumber=8594&navItemNumber=11217

"Ways to Get to the CSR Exam" posted by Cerritos College Court Reporting Program
(I don't know exact date of publication of this and if this info is still current) --
http://www.cerritos.edu/vmorgan/Online_Theory_140b_141b/Lectures/L21_140b_ways_to_get_to_the_csr_exam.htm

ON HIATUS...

                                     

Can you believe it's already November 1st???  The days are going by so fast!  That means only 94 more days (13 weeks) until California's next CSR (Certified Shorthand Reporter) Exam, which is on February 3, 2012.  I'm gonna work my butt off to qualify for that exam!!!

To make that happen, I need to cut off any unnecessary distractions (that's a major reason why I deactivated my Facebook account several months ago).  So this post is to let you know that I won't be as active on this blog for the next 3 months.  I want to use all my spare time to practicing on my steno machine as well as studying for the written knowledge portion of the exam.

There are other great steno blogs out there, however, that you can reference.  Check this list out: http://stenonerd.blogspot.com/p/fave-steno-sites.html

Feel free to leave any comments to any previous blog post on Steno Nerd and/or email me directly regarding any questions related to court reporting (StenoNerd@gmail.com).  I'll talk about court reporting anytime! :)

Stay focused, fellow court reporting students!!!  We CAN do this!!! :D

I'll leave you with this awesome YouTube video:

When you don't give up, you cannot fail!!!