On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced his dream to send a man to the moon. That dream would be realized in 1969 when Neil Armstrong would proclaim, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” In the eight years between Kennedy’s proclamation and Armstrong’s words, NASA would send multiple missions into space, each building on the one before. President Kennedy inspired a nation with what seemed like an impossible goal, and NASA made that goal a reality. They set out on a journey where each small step would lead closer to the dream of putting an American on the moon. Each success or failure led them forward on a journey in pursuit of the ultimate goal. The day Armstrong set foot on the moon, eight years of leadership, planning, teamwork, and celebrating incremental success became real. The journey to the moon began and ended with one small step.

We each have our “moon landings.” It’s that goal that you think you can’t achieve. It’s the project you never quite get to. It’s the apathy you witness and have no idea how to address. We look at it and think, “I will figure this out tomorrow,” or “I can’t possibly make this better.” Just like President Kennedy, NASA, and Neil Armstrong, with the right mindset, roadmap, and drive, you can make your dream a reality.

My own personal moon landing came in 2019. Ever since the inception of the program, I had set my sights on becoming an Iron Phi. My goal was to participate in an athletic event I would never normally consider, and for me, that was a marathon. Running 26.2 miles might as well have been trying to fly to the moon. At the time I was running once or twice a week but never more than two to three miles. It was nearly impossible to imagine any scenario where I would be able to run four to five hours straight and finish a marathon.

The first thing I did was to tell people that I was going to run a marathon and become an Iron Phi. This wasn’t an attempt to boast but instead an opportunity to publicly commit to my goal and have others help hold me accountable. In addition, with every person I told, it shifted my mindset from “I want to run a marathon” to “I am going to run a marathon.” This shift is significant. It is the difference between believing you can do something and merely dreaming about it. For me, I was chasing success that was waiting at the finish line.

With my goal defined and a coalition of support, I found a fantastic coach and team with whom to train. The coach led a collaborative discussion planning a progressive roadmap from start to finish. It became a collective goal between my running partner, coach, and me. Broken into weekly objectives, we would reach each smaller step in anticipation of building for the larger goal. At the conclusion of each week, we would celebrate achieving that part of the plan, reflect on what went well and what could be improved, and move on to the next step. Reflection on each progression is important. In addition to recognizing your progress, it also allows you to determine which behaviors can be changed to increase performance on the next phase of the plan.

On December 8, 2019, I stepped up to the starting line of the California International Marathon and had no doubt that I would achieve my goal. A few hours later I crossed the finish line and became Iron Phi #946. None of that would have been possible without the support of my coalition, a strong roadmap, or reflection and adjustment at each step of the way.

I share the story of the moon landing and my own Iron Phi journey because they share some common ground. Both set audacious goals, both required drive, and both celebrated small successes in pursuit of a larger purpose. Both required a desire to chase success and embrace failure. Chasing success is far easier than embracing failure. Moving towards the finish line is inspirational. People flock to success. They want to be a part of winning. But everyone knows that few dreams come without setbacks. Failure, when embraced, can often catapult you to the finish line. These aren’t setbacks, instead, they are opportunities to get better and become better.

How will you embrace failure? As a leader, making mistakes can be the greatest opportunity to improve performance and learn what not to do. Many launches never left the pad and some crashed upon landing, but NASA never gave up. They used that experience to get better. They used that experience to build a stronger program. They committed to success and embraced failure to ensure they achieved the dream. For me, I learned what fuel worked and what didn’t for my body to sustain 26.2 miles of running. There were days where the fuel didn’t work. I would be tired and felt like I couldn’t make it. Those days were tough, but they were the days of which I am most proud. My recognition of what didn’t work led me to what did. Ultimately, that was a key part of me realizing my goal.

The very same formula that led NASA to put Neil Armstrong on the moon and led me to run 26.2 miles can help you become “the greatest version of yourself.” Think about your inspirational leaders and whether they are helping you chase success and embrace failure. If they aren’t, ask them to help. Are you, as a leader, inspiring others to chase success and embrace their failure? When you create a roadmap do you allow enough opportunity to measure your incremental success? If you hit a setback, how do you move forward? Is it a springboard for better performance in the next phase or an anchor that holds you back? Finally, when you reach your goals do you take the time to appreciate the journey, the view, and the team that helped you get there? Neil Armstrong stopped to take in the incredible view of Earth from the Moon, and so should you.

We all have opportunities to become better and make a difference for ourselves, families, friends, brothers, and communities. Phi Delta Theta talks about becoming the greatest version of yourself. This isn’t to say that you aren’t already great in your own way. Instead, it is the idea that we all have the opportunity to continuously improve ourselves and reach our goals. Becoming the greatest version of ourselves isn’t the destination; it’s the journey. Chase success, build a roadmap, celebrate your achievements, embrace failure, and take your own small steps to your moon landing.

Mike serves as the director for continuous improvement at Sonoma State University. Working out of the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Mike is responsible for managing academic space on campus as well as evaluating campus business processes to develop more efficient and sustainable practices. Mike earned both his master’s in business administration and bachelor of arts in economics at Sonoma State University where he was a Founding Father of the California Sigma Chapter. As a volunteer for Phi Delta Theta, Mike has been a CAB chair for California Sigma and for the past five years has been the Province President for Omicron Northwest. In his spare time, Mike enjoys spending time with his wife, Kimi, and their two children, daughter, Carina, and son, Braden.

The post One Small Step appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

Leave time to focus on yourself.

Learn as much as you can from your alumni.

Reports are important, chapter meetings are important, paperwork is important, BUT the most important thing is brotherhood. You can’t make it happen, it has to come organically from other brothers bonding and connecting. Give them that opportunity whether it’s a group dinner, lunch, pick-up sports etc., and let the magic happen! Don’t push it, but just extend the invitation with a smile!

Set goals early and keep the bar high.

“This is the way we’ve always done it” is an excuse used by single-minded people.

Have FUN!

Take time for yourself. If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of the chapter.

Enjoy the little things.

Lead by example and practice what you preach.

Separate fraternity and friendship when making decisions.

Be accountable for yourself and all of your brothers. If you tell someone that you are going to do something, stay true to your word and do it.

Do not focus on those people in the chapter who may not be showing up to meetings as much as those that you know have potential. As a leader you cannot turn every person into a leader.

Always have a pulse on all the chapter functions so you won’t be blindsided by anything.

Actively prevent and speak against things that are risky. Don’t be silent.

Be strong in your communications. Make an effort to communicate effectively with your CAB.

At the end of the day, it’s just a group of college kids. Make sure to keep your cool even when you are getting frustrated.

Be aware of all GHQ, IFC, and university rules and risk management policies.

Be prepared to say no to some of the guys in the chapter and do the responsible thing instead of the fun thing. Make the hard decision instead of the easy one.

This position is going to be taxing. Know that you’re doing your best and don’t be afraid to rely on others around you (CAB and your exec). Delegation is key.

Always be communicating, especially with less involved members about what can be done better.

Be yourself. Communication is key.

Being a leader isn’t easy. Criticism and praise will be given no matter what you decide to do. It’s what you do with the feedback you receive and how you continue to improve your chapter. In the end have the best intentions no matter what and look to truly become the greatest version of yourself and strive for your chapter to do the same.

Believe in yourself. You need to be able to say no and put your foot down.

Communication is key. It is vital to stay in touch with your CAB, province president, and leadership consultant. In addition, be sure to be open and honest with your members as to what is going on with the Fraternity.

Divide key responsibilities among brothers with strong leadership early on. This promotes growth on their part and keeps any one strong leader from burning out. Have deliverable (reports, events, newsletters, meetings) due for key positions on set dates or intervals of time (weekly, by-weekly, monthly).

Do not procrastinate and follow the chapter greatness checklist.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from anyone.

Don’t do everything yourself. Find your core officers who you can trust and have them help you a lot. Also, be positive, your attitude is what makes everyone else’s attitudes.

Don’t worry about pleasing everyone. Instead, worry about improving yourself and the Fraternity like you know you should.

Don’t get bogged down with everyone’s complaints. They are adults and can deal with it themselves.

Don’t let the opinions or traditions of the chapter keep you from making the right decision.

Don’t procrastinate and make sure your VP is doing his job.

Don’t take on too much too quickly. You have an executive board that is there to help you.

You have the power to do great things as president. Don’t doubt your abilities. You were elected because people saw something in you.

Focus on yourself and show other positions how to do their jobs instead of doing it for them.

Follow the values of the Fraternity and you will never be misguided.

Follow your gut and make sure to value everyone’s opinion.

Give people the benefit of the doubt and a few chances. Be firm but fair. Follow through on commitments.

Hard work and preparation are essential for running an effective and smooth chapter meeting.  YOU and your executive board set the tone for the entire organization. Make it a positive tone of unity not division.

Don’t be afraid to make people upset. Focus on making this chapter better, not making everyone happy.

Have as many individual conversations as you can.

Lead by example. People will follow you when they see you backing up your word. And stay positive. Turn what looks like setbacks into opportunities.

Learn to be political. You could be objectively correct, but if your ideas are unwieldy, you will get nowhere.

Listen to all your members. Be willing to reach out to them to get some input on how they think the chapter is doing.

Most people in the chapter look out for themselves. You have to look for the betterment of the chapter.

Never be afraid to ask for help (even when you think no one else cares), and don’t try to do everyone else’s job.

Pay attention to your chapter and member needs.

Set a calendar and book venues before the semester even starts.

Set the tone early. Make it apparent that you are in charge but be willing to listen to others.

Lean on the most recent president for advice, and don’t get too worried if at the beginning you feel lost.

Stay motivated.

Stay on top of things early and stay organized. Once you get behind it’s hard to catch up.

Stay organized and don’t procrastinate.

Supporting the active members of your chapter should always be your first priority.

Take time to yourself and let the officer positions work for you.

The external side of the job is arguably more important than the internal. Being respected by your chapter matters a lot, but if people outside the chapter don’t respect your opinions and know who you are, your whole chapter will suffer.

Thicken your skin and have 4-5 people to turn to always.

Always remember that you are the face and should carry yourself with respect. Be completely transparent with the information you receive.

Trust your gut and remember that you serve the chapter.

Work closely with the executive board and stay on top of everything.

You have to command respect. It will be hard to yell at your closer friends, but they will respect you more in the long run.

You were elected for a reason so don’t doubt yourself.

Sometimes the right decision isn’t the most popular one.

The post Words of Wisdom from Past Chapter Presidents appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

If you’re reading this and you’ve ever been an officer in your chapter, think back to the weeks after you were elected to your role. Odds are, you didn’t have a ton of mentorship, and you and your fellow officers were left in a period of limbo where you were required to figure things out and catch your stride as leaders of your chapter. During this period of acclimatization and learning, your chapter can experience a slowdown in operations, your members can be left questioning their decision to elect you, and you can be left feeling overwhelmed with the many responsibilities of your position; this may cause you to waste time “reinventing the wheel.”

While Phi Delta Theta has a number of resources to assist you in excelling in your roles, such as your Chapter Advisory Board, PDT U resources, and your chapter support coordinator, the best resource for your success is chapter-specific guidance and strategy building with your campus and your members in mind. That requires the outgoing officer to work with the incoming officer and collaborate on a smooth, efficient, and productive transitioning of roles.

When a chapter effectively transitions their incoming and outgoing officers by encouraging collaboration between the two parties, the chapter won’t experience a slowdown in operations and the incoming officers will feel more prepared and equipped to fulfill their roles.

The best method to ensure a quick and efficient transitioning of officers is to host an officer transition retreat. The best time to do this is shortly following elections and prior to the newly elected officers assuming their roles. It can be completed in a matter of hours and is critical to a successful transition. Implementation of successful officer transition retreats will net your chapter a culture of continued excellence, consistency of competent and prepared officers, and a system that will see officers easily adopt their new positions.

To begin, ensure that both incoming and outgoing officers are present at the officer transition retreat. Find a space, ideally off campus, to conduct the retreat. Feel free to invite members of your Chapter Advisory Board, and even your province president, too, if you’d like.

An effective model for a retreat is as follows:

Ice Breaker – 15 Minutes

Kicking things off with an ice-breaking activity can loosen up the attendees, fill the room with energy, and help build a casual and friendly environment prior to diving into business. The type of ice breaker is at your discretion.

Group Discussion – 30 Minutes

Following the ice breaker, host a group discussion about how the previous term or year went. Discuss where the chapter succeeded and where it fell short. This activity helps you identify the strengths and weaknesses of the past term, and begins the conversation of what the incoming officers will need to focus on the coming year.

Officer Evaluations – 15 Minutes

Have both the incoming and outgoing officers complete the linked evaluations. This activity will help guide the next activity and is great for the chapter’s vice president to have, as he will be responsible for ensuring officers are productive and effective.

One-On-One Transition Time – 30 Minutes

Have the group break into pairings of the incoming and outgoing officer for each position. Use this time as an opportunity to have a conversation about the position, its responsibilities, and current resources available. Identify a prioritized list of focus areas and the budget typically allocated to that role. Advice from the outgoing officer to the incoming officer is typically well-received in this environment.

Dismiss outgoing officers following this activity.

Officer Goal Setting – 30 Minutes

Give the incoming officers time to create a list of goals for their position. Encourage officers to reflect on both the chapter-wide and one-on-one discussions that have already occurred, in order to create goals and objectives for their own positions.

Officer Goal Presentations – 60 Minutes

This is an opportunity to give each incoming officer the floor to present his prioritized goals for the role. Following each presentation, allow those in the room to provide input and feedback on these goals. This exercise will help each officer perfect his narrative that can then be shared in a future chapter meeting.

Review Chapter Budget – 15 Minutes

Together, review the chapter’s budget to identify allocations for each officer position and whether adjustments need to be made based on past spending levels. Understanding officer budgets gives your officers a valuable frame of reference for what their spending can be in a year. Using his goals created for the role, challenge each officer to build out his budget for the upcoming year and report back at a future meeting.

Officer Expectations – 15 Minutes

Begin wrapping up your retreat by determining broad expectations of chapter officers. This could include things like being present at all chapter and executive meetings, adhering to the risk management policies of Phi Delta Theta, and demonstrating leadership at all times. Remember, your chapter will look to its officers to set the tone of the chapter.

Closing – 10 Minutes

Finish the retreat by answering any pressing questions anyone has, clarifying anything that needs to be clarified, and challenging the officers to use what they learned that day to immediately begin pursuing success once they’ve assumed their positions. Passing the gavel is also a great way to end the retreat. Finally, displaying all flip-chart work in the chapter house and a summary of the retreat with as much detail as you feel fitting in the chapter’s internal communication network is beneficial.

Creating a process that results in successful officer transitions should be a high priority for your chapter. This simple framework can provide the momentum needed to springboard your newest officers to success.

The post Building on What’s Been Built: The Importance of Effective Officer Transitions appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

It’s no secret that graduating college is no easy task. No matter the college or university, undergraduates across the world are completing required courses, submitting assignments, writing papers, and taking exams; all undertakings that will push them towards receiving those coveted diplomas. Acquiring a job consequently follows graduation. There are a number of questions to face throughout this process as well, one namely being “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” Luckily, when it comes to a career, just because it’s the first job doesn’t mean it has to be the last. There is always the chance to change paths. One thing however, that cannot be changed or escaped that daunts 71% of graduating college students, is student loan debt.

Nothing screams, “welcome to the real world,” like managing the stress of starting or looking for a job, moving away from what was your “home” for the past four years, and on top of that dealing with the looming student debt that you’ve likely piled up since the first day of freshman year. According to Project on Student Debt, seven in 10 college seniors who graduated last year had student loan debt with an average of $29,400 per borrower. While paying off student loans may seem like an uphill battle now, there are three key steps that every graduate with debt should follow in order to pay it off…and quickly.

Step 1: Assess all of your debt

From futons to physics books, you’ve paid for a lot over the course of your undergraduate experience and now it’s time to evaluate all of these expenses. There are many types of student loans, and debt can take many forms. In terms of student loans, there are direct subsidized loans, direct unsubsidized loans, direct PLUS loans, direct consolidation loans, private loans, and even “parental loans.” In terms of debt aside from loans, recent graduates typically hold credit card debt. Because there are various types of debt the first essential step to tackling the problem is to list all of your student debts.

Categorize the importance of each account by assessing its interest rates. Typically student loan payment rates are around five percent to eight percent. Rates reset on July 1 of every year for new loans and loans that do not have fixed interest rates. Credit card interest is quite a bit steeper than that of student loans. With interest typically hovering at around 18 percent, credit cards make their money on the amount you spend on your credit card as well as the length of time it takes you to clear your outstanding balance.

List your loans from highest to lowest interest rates. It will probably list credit card debt first, followed by private loans and finally federal loans. This is the order in which you should tackle your debt in order to avoid the extra weight of heavy interest costs. Although you’ll want to pay off your highest interest loans first, still continue to keep in mind the payment due dates for all of your loans.

While listing all of your loans, take note of how payments will be made to each loan servicer. In terms of making payments, each loan servicer has their own payment process, so be sure to understand how and when they expect to receive your payments. Keep a list that records the lenders website URL and contact information, account login information, and lastly the current balance and interest rate on the loan.

Step Two: Make a Payment Plan

The last thing you want to do is live paycheck to paycheck while scrambling to make old and new payments post-graduation. One large mistake frequently made by borrowers is waiting to create a plan. Most lending services provide borrowers with a number of choices for paying back loans and it’s important to explore these options. There are four most frequently used options. The first possibility is the standard repayment, which consists of monthly payments of identical amounts. Graduated repayment allows the borrower to start with small payments. The payments will then gradually increase. The third most frequented option is income-sensitive repayment, which allows borrowers to make payments based on your monthly income. Lastly, if you are eligible, you may exercise extended repayments, which allows payments to be made over 25 years.

Each loan servicer may also have some type of grace period. The Office of Federal Student Aid, for example, provides all borrowers with a six-month grace period. This grace period begins the day you stop attending school and ends on the date upon which you will make your first payment. Be sure to check with your lending service to see if your loan interest is accumulating during the grace period timeframe. Remember, do not wait for your grace period to end to make a plan so that you don’t succumb to scrambling to write the first check. Each loan servicer should provide you with a clear payment schedule for you to utilize.

If you haven’t done so already, make a budget for your current expenses. Create a spreadsheet or utilize the tools at Mint.com showing what your weekly, monthly and yearly budget looks like. Record all of the money going out (expenses) and all of the money coming in (income). Although you may not consider it as important, budgeting for anything from public transportation to holiday gift spending is essential. Work all loan and debt payments into your budget and note what your minimal payment will be for each loan each month. While factoring your payments into your budget, calculate what it would take in order to put an extra $500 to $1,000 extra each month towards paying your student loans (again, this should be on top of the minimum payments you are already making). It is always to your benefit to pay off early than save more for later (plus interest).

Staying on track with your plan will relieve stress on your repayment process and also serve you well in terms of interest costs. Some borrowers may receive benefits from making timely payments. For example, some lenders who offer Stafford loans take two percent off your interest rate if you make your payments on time for four years. Be sure to ask your lender if they have a reward plan similar to this.

You can also save on interest if you set up a direct deposit system as your payment plan. If you set up your loan account to have payments automatically withdrawn from your checking account each month some lenders will give you 0.25 percent off of your loan’s interest rate. This can be a win-win for both you and your lender, making sure you pay and they receive payments on time. Keep in mind that with this option you may be running the risk of over-drafting on your checking account in the event that you have insufficient funds. Lastly, if your starting salary isn’t impressive to good ole’ Uncle Sam, you may be eligible to get a tax break on the interest you pay on your loans. The Student Loan Interest Deduction permits you to take a deduction of up to $2,500 with no need to itemize. To learn more about this opportunity see IRS Publication 970 for more information.

Utilize College Board’s student loan calculator to help you calculate how much your monthly loan payment should be.

Step Three: It’s not about how much you WANT to pay; it’s how much you CAN pay.

No one wants to be on a tight budget, but student debt will not disappear on its own and the best way to tackle it is as quickly as possible. Don’t be nervous to address what appears to be a mountain of student debt head on, the sooner you conquer this debt, the sooner you can put your money towards where you need it most. You can begin to build credit, save for a new car or house, and most importantly, save for (hopefully) an early retirement. The worst thing you could possibly do is ignore your debt which is why there are many ways to manage your student loans as well as make enough money to sustain a comfortable lifestyle post-graduation.

Don’t forget to continue to keep up with the debt you hold on your credit card. To encourage you to have a balance on your card, banks will typically offer you a low minimum payment on each bill but it is hugely important to pay your entire balance before the end of each month. It’s frightening, but if you never used your credit card again from this day forward and made only minimum payments it would take you roughly 29 years and $13,000 to pay off a current balance of just $4,000! Spend responsibly. If you consistently cannot pay off your credit balance every month you need to start adjusting your budget and the allocation of your spending money.

Struggling?

If you are struggling to make your payments, consider your options. It is no cost to you as the borrower to switch payment plans if need be. A simple example is the difference between opting for auto-debit (automatic withdrawal from your account) versus making a manual one-time payment per month. If you are constantly experiencing overdraft, this is one simple solution that can be made. Also, consider your long-term options. Typical payment schedules (depending upon the loan amount) extend over ten years or 120 payments. If this is unmanageable for you due to unemployment or other budgetary circumstances the government has some deferral and substitute payment plan options. Private loan servicers may also have flexibility with repayment options. Be cautious while exploring these alternative payment plans, because although the loan servicer may allow you to pay less per month, keep in mind that it will be costing you more in interest over time.

Lastly, consider consolidation if applicable. Consolidating loans means you’ll be able to combine all of your student loans into one monthly payment and possibly lower your interest rate (given that the rates are lower at the time of consolidation than when you originally borrowed). You only have one shot at consolidating your loans and you cannot undo your consolidation. Make sure that if you’re considering consolidating your loans you do so at a low interest rate and you’re sure you’ll be able to pay the lump sum. Look into consolidating while you are within your grace period since in any given year, the rates on Stafford loans are lower during this time.

Check out the helpful hints below:

Not every entry-level, post-grad job has an attractive starting salary. Luckily there are some fun and easy ways to rake in the cash to help you pay off your student loans:

Pick up some Odd Jobs:

1. Babysitting – Pretty self-explanatory. Bouncing a baby on your lap for a couple of hours a week can add some serious cash to your pocket. Check out Sittercity.com or Care.com to find opportunities near you.
2. Focus groups – Organizations in many major cities are in need of individuals to talk about and rate consumer products and services. You can find research groups that pay at findfocusgroup.com.
3. Mock Jury Jobs – Lawyers need practice too! Look for “mock jury” on Craigslist or Google to get paid to participate in practice trials.
4. Pet and plant sitting – People pay big bucks to have someone check on their plants and animals while they are out of town. Jump at the opportunity to pet or plant sit for people at the office who are going out of town.
5. Airbnb – Ever thought about sharing your space? If you live in a convenient place in a big city you may consider registering your place on Airbnb. You’ll be able to earn fast cash by lending your residence to a visitor while you crash on a pals couch. Lucky for recent graduates, you’re not too far from the futon days to live out of a suitcase at friend’s place for a long weekend for a few hundred bucks!
6. Odd Jobs – Apps like Field Agent and Gigwalk are great apps to use to find temporary positions. Also check out the “Temporary Gigs” section on Craigslist.

Manage the expenses in your life:

1. Rent – Keep it low. Now is not the time for you to pay an exorbitant amount for the penthouse apartment. You won’t be in your first loft, house or apartment forever so think practically and focus on functionality and safety.
2. No Relocation Package? – If you are more than 50 miles from your former home, you are eligible for a tax break to cover expenses that your employer doesn’t pick up. This moving deduction does have guidelines however. You must be employed for 39 out of the next 52 weeks, and although you can use it to cover the cost of lodging and a moving van, Uncle Sam won’t pick up your tab at Applebees or pay for those Taco Bell stops.
3. Cable – Who uses cable anymore? Today, dealing with cable isn’t worth the hassle. You can likely find yourself a better deal on the Internet. Hello Hulu and hello Netflix!
4. Gym – Join a running or free fitness group using Meetup.com or stream free workout videos online until you can afford that pricy gym membership. Also take a peek into your city’s parks and rec opportunities. Many communities have outdoor walking, running and hiking trails and some even have community gyms with discounted prices.
5. Phone Bill – Data is likely where all of your money is going… turn off that Data Roaming and consider switching to a cheaper plan.
6. Entertainment – Find free events in your city on apps or websites like Meetup and check into Living Social and Groupon for discounts on concerts and other events near you.
7. Mystery Shopping – Getting paid to pretend to be a customer at a hotel, restaurant, entertainment venue, or shopping center doesn’t sound like a bad gig. Check out the Mystery Shopper Providers Association to find opportunities to go out, stay at a hotel, or have a meal for free in exchange for your review.
8. Travel – Go outside your comfort zone and travel the road less traveled by…It will likely be cheaper. Pick a location with a good exchange rate and while you’re there eat locally, stay in hostels (check out hostelworld.com) or use Airbnb.com, and check Trip Advisor for cheaper attraction options (like ticket pre-ordering).

You don’t need to be plagued with your student loans or credit card payments until you’ve got grandchildren. Handle these payments by taking advantage of all of your options in order to become debt free by your thirty’s. Take care of your student debt now so you can start to build your personal finances as soon as possible. Find the balance between living lavishly and living paycheck to paycheck, so you can live comfortably while making strides towards clearing your debt.

Now, embrace your debt-free mindset, Class of 2014, and good luck!

The post How To Diligently Pay Off Your Student Loans appeared first on Phi Delta Theta.

A few years ago, I became a fraternity adviser again by accepting the Chapter Advisory Board Chairman role for the Iowa Gamma Chapter at Iowa State University. The role itself is both rewarding and challenging. Like anything in life, fraternity chapters have their ups and downs. From giving praise and lighthearted debates to tough conversations and holding the students accountable, each day is a new adventure. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Through this experience, I’ve come to realize how important creating a mentality of greatness is to the long-term health of a fraternity. I’ve also realized that achieving this mentality is extremely tough. This has nothing to do with the quality of student within the chapter, as I’m fortunate to work with great students. Proof. It does, however, have everything to do with the simple fact that everyone has their own definition of what greatness is, and to reach collective greatness, each individual definition must be flexible.

At Phi Delta Theta, we challenge our members to “Become the Greatest Version of Yourself.” Personally, I love it, because it empowers each individual member to find his own personal greatness and encourages uniqueness over conformity. For a chapter to become the greatest version of itself, the path is a little more difficult, as the chapter’s people must first determine just what the heck greatness means to the group.

If you ask an undergraduate Phi, alumnus, chapter advisory board member, house corporation board member and GHQ staff member what Phi Delt greatness is, you’re going to get responses with variability. It makes great sense as the metrics that these audiences use to define greatness may be different based on age, priorities, knowledge, roles and responsibilities.

A chapter accomplishes the greatness mentality when it takes time to get all audiences together to compare definitions and find that Venn diagram sweet spot. While metrics may be different, odds are, there are strong principles or philosophies that congregate in the middle and will lead to a shared mentality of greatness.

Does creating the greatness mentality by itself make a chapter great? No, but it can be the guiding light to getting there. The only proof of greatness is results.

Below are a few examples of how the greatness mentality works and a metric that can be used to prove your greatness in that area.

Academics:

Average Mentality – “Our chapter GPA should be above the All-Men’s or All-Fraternity average.”

Greatness Mentality – “We should actively help our members find the right majors for them, and our chapter GPA should rival the top sorority GPA on campus.”

Proof – An ever-increasing GPA as compared to your past performance.

Campus Involvement:

Average Mentality – “We encourage our members to join student organizations on campus.”

Greatness Mentality – “We expect our members to lead student organizations on campus.”

Proof – Increasing the percentage of your members in leadership roles on campus outside of Phi Delt.

Recruitment:

Average Mentality – “Let’s recruit enough guys to fill the house or get above the fraternity average on campus.”

Greatness Mentality – “How do we get to the point where the best guys show up on campus wanting to be Phi Delts?”

Proof: Dollars spent per new member recruited. Over time, this number should go down as people come to you. Think about Harvard University. They do much more selecting than recruiting.

Alumni:

Average Mentality – “I was a Phi Delt in college and enjoy meeting up with my contemporaries at the Homecoming game.”

Greatness Mentality – “I am a Phi Delt and take great pride in continually enhancing the chapter through my time, talents, mentorship and treasure.”

Proof – Increasing number of alumni mentors, active alumni advisers, alumni donations for campaigns, internships/jobs landed through Phi connections, % of good email/mailing addresses.

Philanthropy/Service:

Average Mentality – “Let’s create an annual event that is recognizable on campus.”

Greatness Mentality – “Let’s make the greatest impact for our cause with the dollars that we raise and the hours that we serve.”

Proof – Increasing $ raised/member, service hours/member, # of hours of education about the cause, and a decreasing cost/$ raised.

To recap, to create a mentality of greatness within your chapter and to prove to others that you are achieving it:

1. Realize that each person defines greatness differently.
2. Bring all chapter entities together to compare definitions of greatness.
3. Identify the commonalities in definitions and shift mindsets to create the ideal mentality for how the chapter wants to achieve greatness in each area.
4. Get to work
5. Track your results each year and compare them to where you started.

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I recently crossed off an item on my bucket list that I didn’t know was there until I had completed it. I really didn’t have much of a bucket list but hiking to the Lighthouse at Palo Duro Canyon with my longtime friend Jim McManigal made me realize the importance of accomplishing something for yourself. I started out doing it for my Fraternity, for which I’ve done a lot in the last 12 years. I was doing it to raise money for The ALS Association; after all, it’s a dreadful disease, and I’ve known my share of individuals suffering from it and caring for those suffering from it. I was doing it because it was defined as athletic, and I felt like I’d really be accomplishing something since I’m not very athletic. What I learned is that not only was I doing it for these reasons but more importantly, I accomplished something that really only mattered for me.

I’ve never been one for setting a lot of personal goals. Sure, I believe it’s of utmost importance for an organization to have a plan and set goals, but I pretty well contribute to those organizational goals without thinking a lot about how I need to accomplish something.  I do what needs to be done now, because I believe it needs to be done for the good of whatever organization I’m working with be that work, church or civic. This hiking experience made me realize that all of us need to do things occasionally because those things are good for us.

I got involved with Phi Delta Theta in a very roundabout way at the age of 32. Through a variety of circumstances, I agreed to be the on-campus adviser for the local chapter since I worked at West Texas A&M. I thought it would be a good professional move since I was WT’s director of alumni relations and there were many Greek alumni with whom I wanted to be more closely connected. And of course, if I was going to do it, I was going to do it all the way.  So I “pledged” just like all the other new members, learning the history and traditions of not only the local chapter but the international organization as well. Yes, I even went into a dark room on a cold night and learned the secret handshake and obscure motto. I even helped the chapter establish a plan and set goals for achieving that plan. Then, all of a sudden, I realized that I wasn’t just doing this because it benefited me professionally, but I was gaining a great deal personally. I believed completely in what the organization stood for. It’s funny that some of the men who were involved with the chapter in my early days of affiliation (who were 10 and 15 years my juniors) are some of my very best friends. They accepted this old dude as one of their own and even listened to me occasionally when I had “sage advice” to share. I’ve been in their weddings, held their children and was there alongside his “contemporary” brothers when one buried both parents. Suffice it to say that I’ve gained far more personally in the way of relationships than I’ve put into the organization.

As is my habit, I continued to get more and more involved including serving in roles at general Fraternity conferences and events. That involvement led to my being appointed by the Fraternity as President of the Rho Northwest Province, which spans in Texas from Lubbock north to Amarillo and east almost to Oklahoma City. Basically, it means that I’m not just the adviser for the chapter at WT anymore but also responsible to and for the chapters at Texas Tech and Southwestern Oklahoma. And yes, on a regular basis, I discuss with those chapters and with the Fraternity as a whole what our mission is, how each piece fits that mission and what steps we’re going to take to accomplish that mission.

And, if you know me well, you know that Phi Delta Theta is not the only place I’m involved. I serve as the worship leader for my church, serve on the board of the school district’s foundation, am a Rotarian and try to support as many things as possible, because I believe that making a difference where you are is what makes our society run in general. All of these activities are more successful if we have a plan and work that plan. Just today, I put together a plan to create an endowment for my work that raise more than half a million dollars for student scholarships and that will be easily accomplished if we work the plan!

So why don’t I have a personal plan for what I want to accomplish? Well, of course it’s easier not to. It’s partly because I’m busy working the plan for these other organizations and not thinking about my personal plan. It’s some because I’m single and don’t have to be accountable to a spouse or children. But mostly it’s because I just don’t do it!

I’ve thought and talked about becoming an Iron Phi since the program began several years ago. I’ve researched how to go from “couch to 5K.” I’ve made a mental list of people I knew would support my efforts toward ALS. I even participated (walking!!!) in the Iron Phi 5K at last year’s Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute, but I had never put it all together and accomplished becoming an Iron Phi. Never, that is, until the WT chapter set a goal of becoming an Iron Phi chapter (meaning they raised $10,000 for the program in 2012-2013 with alumni participation counting toward that goal), and when they told me they would contribute the money for me, I said “No, I’ll raise the money (what I considered the easy part) and I’ll complete my personal challenge.” Their deadline was June 30 (for which they had the money raised in April), and I completed my challenge on June 29!

Thanks to the many people who supported me in this endeavor, we raised almost $2000,and I got my Iron Phi Bond Number. I knew I had generous friends and family, and I knew, even though I’m not much of an athlete, that I could hike to the Lighthouse without much difficulty. What I didn’t know is what I would learn about myself in the process.

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In case you haven’t heard, the United States just finished a pretty significant process.  Election time for me always comes with mixed emotions of excitement for potential change or fear of the same.  As a university administrator, all of the election coverage also got me to think about the election process for fraternities and sororities across North America.  Many of you are electing new executive boards and might be feeling many of the same emotions I described above.

If you are running for, or have recently been elected, president of your chapter, the task before you is likely intimidating, exciting and full of the unknown.

I must preface the following with the realization that I am by no means an expert in fraternity and sorority life.  I am well versed and have many experiences in this area, but it is such a dynamic environment that I believe you are the experts because you are living it.

That being said, I often meet with new presidents and I provide the following advice:

Communicate authentically – There are so many different constituent groups a chapter president must communicate with, it can be hard to remember whom you have brought into the loop.  If you are practicing what I call authentic communication, it shouldn’t matter.  Everyone you are bringing to the table will have the same information.  It will require you to be honest with both yourself and your chapter.  Authentic communication is not always the easiest course of action but, I guarantee you, it will only help.  When the fecal matter hits the oscillating device, the more trust you have developed with your various constituent groups, the easier it will be to work through the challenge before you.

You are now living in the fishbowl –  The Phi Delta Theta Chapter at the University of Washington has a large glassed in dining area they call the fishbowl.  The sidewalk and street right outside are well travelled with students and community members passing by.  The chapter eats there, holds social events there, and often has special meetings in the fishbowl.  I have always thought it was great that the public could see into the daily life of a Phi Delt at UW.  However, I have also thought about how difficult that might be at times.  Everything the chapter does in that room is visible and anyone passing by will draw their own conclusions about what is happening.  As a chapter president, you are now living in that fishbowl.  Your actions and words are being seen and heard; often by people you are not even aware are watching and listening.  You are setting an example for your brothers and broadcasting a message to the rest of your community.  Make sure it is the right example.  Be certain it is the right message.

Make good choices – I often end meetings with the phrase, “Make good choices.”  Outside of the context of sorority and fraternity life, this simple phrase is much more difficult and open to interpretation.  As a member of a fraternity or sorority, it is actually very simple.  Learn and live the ritual of your organization.  Within your ritual are values that are relevant and have withstood the changing times.  As Dr. Ed King stated in his classic piece, The Secret Thoughts of Ritual, “Because I am a system of values, I am therefore, an instrument of self evaluation. My values are clear and absolute and yet difficult to emulate. To state a few, I am honor, courage, integrity, fidelity, courtesy and I demand self control as well as ambition and humility. What your Founders did is take the idea of friendship and move it a significant step forward to the concept of commitment.”  As a fraternity and sorority advisor, I do not think you are going to be perfect.  However, I do expect that you and your chapter members think about the values of your organization and use them to guide your decisions.  Imagine how much easier it would be to make decisions as an executive board if you consistently asked the simple question, “How does this align with Friendship, Sound Learning or Rectitude?”

Own it – You must be willing to accept responsibility for the actions of your chapter, both past and present.  Noted entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn once said, “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.”  Once you decide it is time to own it, you can begin the process of creating positive change.

Enjoy the ride – Being a chapter president is arguably the most difficult leadership position on a college campus.  You are a role model, a counselor, a mentor, an administrator, an advisor and a spokesperson.  Expectations for chapter presidents are high, and they should be.  However, many chapter presidents get so caught up in being all things to all people that they forget to simply be a sister or a brother.  Along with the rest of the responsibilities you have as a chapter president, it is important for you to remember to have fun, take care of yourself and enjoy the ride.

My preference for this blog entry would be for this to be a conversation, and not just me giving advice.  Of course, this is not an extensive list of advice for new presidents; I am not sure one could even be compiled.  I am interested in hearing from all of you, mainly because your voice is the one that truly matters.

Moe has many years of progressive leadership and success in Greek Affairs. He has  traveled the country working for Phi Delta Theta as both a Leadership Consultant and  as the Director of Expansion. Moe and his wife, Allison, and their daughter Maya are enjoying the Pacific Northwest where Moe is the Assistant Director of Student  Activities at the University of Puget Sound. Moe was the AFLV West’s Greek Advisor of the Year in 2005. Moe has a passion for the outdoors and enjoys rock climbing, cycling and golf. He also never passes up the opportunity to play ultimate frisbee. Previously, Moe served the Fraternity as the Pi North Province President, Awards Committee and Survey Commissioner.  Moe is currently serving the Fraternity as the  General Council Member-at-Large.

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I found Ben Dictus’ recent blog post “Setting Goals:  Is It Worth Your Time?” to be very enjoyable.  I thought that the following paragraph made a fantastic comparison to how many chapters determine success.

Think about it like this – a guy shoots a gun at a wall, then paints the bull’s-eye around the bullet hole, and then tells you how great of an aim he is.  He says, “Look, I hit it right in the bull’s-eye!”  Not very impressive is it?  Almost feels wrong doesn’t it?  Does this man exhibit any sort of integrity? What if he had painted the bull’s-eye first? Would you be impressed then?  Would he have something to be proud of then?

As Ben goes on to say, achieving what you set out to do is much more powerful that rationalizing achievement when results are clear.  So let me ask you this, “What is your chapter setting out to do this term?” and “How will you be able to measure your success at the end of the term?”

Here’s an exercise for your upcoming Executive Committee meeting or Chapter Retreat.  Place a goal next to each of the following eight measurables.  At the end of the term, when you have the results, you’ll be able to say whether or not you accomplished what you set out to do.

1. Number of New Members (#) – Exactly how many new members do you want to recruit this term?  The goal number should be above the fraternity average from this same term last year and above the chapter’s average from this same term over the past three years.   Don’t be average, place this number well above these two historical statistics.
2. Retention Rate (%) – A retention rate below 90% is alarming and generally explains one of two things:  1) You are not recruiting correctly or 2) Your Phikeia Education program is out of whack.  Think of the Phikeia Education program as a leadership development class rather than a chemistry weed out class and strive for a retention rate near 100%.
3. Accounts Receivable (%) – Financial instability within a chapter is maddening.  Less than 5% of the semester’s budget should be outstanding (not collected) at the end of the term.  For example, if your chapter’s budget is $20,000 for the term, you should have $1,000 or less to collect at the end of the term to consider your Treasury a success.
4. Accounts Payable (%) – Same deal, but on the amount of money you owe to outside entities (vendors, IFC, GHQ, etc.)  5% or less of your chapter’s budget during the term is also a great goal to work towards for accounts payable.
5. Red Letter Days Points (#) – Red Letter Day items are submitted to GHQ each year and help with the operation of the organization.  During what most know as the Fall term (August – December), there are 31 points to obtain.
6. Community Service Hours (#/Member) – Many chapters determine community service success by the number of projects.  I would recommend against this.  There is a huge difference between helping to build a house and raking leaves for a few hours, but each could be considered a project.   On the other hand, an hour of work is always the same amount of time. Your community service goal should be based on the number of hours of service per member in your chapter.  Yes, this is a little more difficult to track, but it will allow you to take an honest look at your commitment to service.
7. Philanthropy ($/Member) – Similarly, philanthropy should be measured as the number of dollars per member.    Paying $10 to eat at a spaghetti dinner for X cause is not the same as raising $100 for X cause, but each could be considered “participation in a philanthropic event.”  Simply take the total amount that is raised throughout the term by the chapter (include money that was spent at other philanthropic events) and divide it by the number of members in the chapter.  This will help you determine how effective of philanthropists you really are from one term to the next.
8. Chapter‘s Semester GPA (#) – Not “Actives’ GPA” or “Phikeia GPA”, but “Chapter GPA.”  All for one and one for all.  Looking at the most recent grade report, this goal should place you in the top 1/3 of Greek chapters and above the All Students average.  Why “All Greek Chapters” and “All Students” rather than “All Fraternities” and “All Males.”  Simple answer.  Women are much smarter than we are, and by including them, we are challenging ourselves.  Let me also state that this goal should be above a 3.0.  Many may challenge me on this, but let me provide one reason – Resumes that include a 2.999999999 GPA get tossed.

The greatest benefit to completing this exercise is knowing whether or not you accomplished what you set out to do.  If you did, celebrate your success and set higher goals next time.  If you didn’t, seek the truth about the factors that were working against you and address them.

Let’s have a great term!

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We often have goal setting force fed to us from every angle and in every aspect of our lives.  It seems like everyone wants to know what your goal for this is and how you will meet your goal for that.  And just as often, it does not seem to matter.  You look at your performance, in whatever activity, and say to yourself, “I was one of the best,” or even, “I was the best;” and I never set a single goal.  Why should I bother if I am already at the top?

Maybe your main thing is running.  As is such, you run a marathon, because marathons are the pinnacle event of any runner’s career, but you never set a goal as to how you will perform.  Let’s say you finish at just under 4 hours and did not walk during the race.  Everyone tells you how amazing a feat it is to complete a marathon; and you agree.  People say, “Wow! Under 4, what a stud!”  Again, you agree.  “You never walked during your first marathon, unbelievable!”  Again, you agree.  It certainly appears as though things went well and that goal setting is unnecessary. Sure, what you did was great, but so what, it lacked intentionality; and more importantly, it lacked integrity.

Think about it like this – a guy shoots a gun at a wall, then paints the bull’s-eye around the bullet hole, and then tells you how great of an aim he is.  He says, “Look, I hit it right in the bull’s-eye!”  Not very impressive is it.  Almost feels wrong doesn’t it.  Does this man exhibit any sort of integrity? What if he had painted the bull’s-eye first? Would you be impressed then?  Would he have something to be proud of then?

What, then, is it that I am getting at?  Am I saying that people that don’t set goals are lack integrity?  No, not at all. (Although, accepting compliments for matters of chance seems to have a certain lack of integrity to it.) What I am saying is that people that don’t set goals are taking the easy way out by letting others determine what is good for them, instead determining what is good themselves. Robert Morrison once made this pertinent statement, “ You must guard against elation. Do not look at the past as a thing that should be satisfying; look at it only as something in general that was well done. Thank God for it, but go and do something better.”  The individual who does not set goals is not guarding against elation; rather, they are embracing it.  They are looking at the past as a satisfying thing; instead of as something they did well.  And how will they go and do something better, when better was determined by others who do not know your abilities?

Therefore, the answer is yes.  Goal setting is something that you need to consider worth your time.  Unless, of course, you want to stay exactly where you are in your life and abilities. Sure, maybe you are already at the top, but wouldn’t it be better to be so far up there that no one else could even catch up.  Start setting goals and give yourself a place from which you can “go and do something better.”  Take yourself to a new level.  Be a Phi of intentionality and integrity.

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