Awesome Dude asks: “The only reason I am into LOA (which I truly believe in) is for drastically improving my grades. Two years ago I entered this cycle of getting uninspired to study and procrastination. I wait till the day before the exam to study, and I end up failing my exams.
I want to feel inspired again to study, and start my study-drive (if that’s a word). It’s high time now. I am currently in 12th grade and my board exams are 3 months away. I need to turn the tables around now. Get inspired. Use the universal forces to help me achieve my dream of being a top scorer.”
Of course you can use the Law of Attraction to get good grades. You can attract anything you want in life, including awesome grades. But, as with anything, you can’t get what you want unless you focus on it without contradicting yourself. Let’s break it down, shall we?
It’s not about the grades
First of all, no one really cares about grades. We think we do, but we don’t. We care about whatever we think good grades will get us – approval, pride, future opportunities, etc. But we’ve been taught to focus on grades almost exclusively. In fact, the education system seems to care more about the grades than if students are actually learning (the one is not indicative of the other), and pressure from parents doesn’t help. But, the truth is that grades, in and of themselves, are not a goal; they are a means to an end. And, as such, it makes no sense to focus on the means, especially since there is never just one means to any end.
Am I saying that you should just blow off studying altogether and stop caring about grades? Well, yes and no. Yes, in the sense that an intense focus on grades and how they aren’t where you want them to be will not help you to change them. In fact, it will work against you. So, it’s best to stop doing that. No, in the sense that if you care about doing well in school, and you’ve been taught to care at an early age, you’re not going to be able to just turn that off like flipping switch. In that case, not studying at all won’t feel good. It’ll increase your stress level significantly, because you won’t believe that you’ll be able to reach your goals without getting good grades. Also, when you have a test looming near, that’s not the best time to start making changes to how you approach your studies. The trigger of having that deadline will most likely be far too strong for you to make massive changes to your belief system. So, even though theoretically, you could just focus on the end goal and that would line you up with the way to get there, practically speaking, you’ll have an easier time working with the belief structure you already have in place instead of fighting it. In other words, it’ll be easier to get inspired to study and/or learn than to find a way to feel truly great about dropping out of school (for example).
Identify what’s really important
Why are you studying? Why do you want to get good grades? Why do you want to go to college? What is it that you’re hoping to ultimately achieve? This may require some digging, because, chances are that you’ve never really dug down into these questions beyond pleasing your parents, just believing the system and hoping that good grades will guarantee you a better future (they won’t), or simply not wanting to be disapproved of. But, if you want to attract better grades using the Law of Attraction, you’ll have to figure out how they tie into something that you actually care about. Perhaps you’re hoping to be an engineer, for example. Taking stuff apart and putting it back together brings you more joy than ice cream. In that case, you could focus on the end goal – to be not just an engineer, but an amazing engineer.
“But, what if you don’t yet know what you want to be?”, I can hear you asking. Well, if you have no specific future goals yet, then focus on being happy. That’s what all of our desires come down to anyway, and if you haven’t yet identified any of the activities that light your fire (don’t assume there’s just one), then just see yourself being happy, smiling, laughing, having plenty of money and friends and time to pursue activities you love. You could see yourself engaging in activities you like, such as travelling or snowboarding, etc. These may or may not be incorporated into your job later, but you don’t have to define that right now. Even if you’re not yet sure what you want to do when you grow up (keeping in mind that you can change your vocation anytime you like, you don’t have to commit yourself to one choice), you will have decided on certain qualities that mean “success” to you. Identify those and focus on them.
The one rule you must observe when figuring out what your real goal is, is that it must feel really good to you. “To finally freaking graduate”, “to get my parents off my back”, or “because that’s just what you’re supposed to do”, are not good enough reasons to get good grades. They feel flat at best and downright powerless at worst. The Ick Factor is high with those statements.
Fear-based goals have little power
If you have trouble coming up with something really meaningful, you’ll begin to understand just how meaningless grades really are and why you’ve been so uninspired to change them. Most people are taught to focus on grades from a place of fear (failing is bad. It has horrible consequences. Get good grades not to achieve something, but to avoid the terrible fate that comes with not getting good grades). The good feeling goals like getting a good job, etc, are usually secondary.
But fear-based goals are not nearly as powerful as passion-based ones. In other words, if you are trying to get good grades in order to avoid getting into trouble or becoming a jobless loser, you’re going to need an awful lot of motivation to help you achieve your goal. And, if you’re like most people growing up today, you’ll have little tolerance for forcing yourself to focus on something you don’t give a crap about. So, you procrastinate, do as little as you can get away with, and actually fail to achieve your goal because you just can’t seem to make yourself study. And then you beat up on yourself for being undisciplined, lazy and a failure. None of that is even remotely helpful.
So, find your passion-based goal. Again, this may not be the easiest of tasks, as you may never have been encouraged to think this way before. But you MUST find a reason that you’re going to school, that you want to get decent grades and that you want to go to college (if applicable) that actually makes you feel good. If you CANNOT find a feel good reason for going to school, then you may want to reevaluate why you’re there in the first place (or what you are studying. If it doesn’t float your boat, that’s a message, too!)
At the most basic level, people go to school because they don’t want to be losers. The desire that’s actually behind that, is that people want to succeed. They want to be happy. So, again, if you can’t figure out a specific reason for being in school, focus on being happy and successful (whatever that means to you). You have a belief that going to school will help you to get there. As I said, instead of shifting that belief (which is possible but in this case, it’ll be the hard way of doing it), we’re going to work with the belief.
Visualizing what you TRULY want
Once you’ve determined what your good feeling goal is, visualize it. See yourself happy, successful, knowledgeable, helpful to others, effective, affluent, balanced, calm, enthusiastic, surrounded by likeminded people (your co-workers or team), having a fantastic time. You know you’re making a wonderful contribution. You’re doing an amazing job. Your boss/clients/patients tell you so all the time. Really have fun with this and build it up. If you’re focusing more generically, just see people praising you, see yourself feeling proud of yourself, and people telling you how much you helped them with something, or what a genius you are, etc.
This should be your main visualization. This is the real goal. Lining up with this goal will cause you to be inspired to the actions and circumstances that will bring that goal about, and this may or may not include fantastic grades. The more lined up you are with your main goal (or just feeling good, the ultimate goal), the more you’ll be able to attract everything you want, including good grades (this is a desire too, and you don’t have to give up on it, you just have to allow it to happen by putting your focus on something that feels good).
Once you’ve built up this main visualization, and you’re feeling really fired up, you can begin the process of pre-paving, which is simply visualizing very specific events that will happen in the very near future.
Pre-Paving your study time, classroom time and exams
What you focus on when you’re pre-paving depends on what time of the year it is. Note: These smaller visualizations should be done after the main visualization, not instead of it.
At the beginning of the semester/during the summer break: This will be the easiest time to pre-pave, since you’re not being triggered by specific events such as a paper being due or a test coming up. See yourself sitting in class, learning and discovering something you’re really interested in, engaging, having fun, and understanding what you’re learning easily. See yourself relaxed and smiling and basically having a good time. This visualization may run counter to how you normally think of school, in which case it’ll feel really weird at first. Keep at it, and let this become your expectation. School can be easy and fun. But you have to be willing to let go of the idea that it has to suck.
During the semester, when a paper/homework is due: As you focus on the main goal and do the pre-paving exercise I just mentioned, you’ll notice that your class room experience will change. You’ll hear what’s most important for you to hear (either what will get you the best grades, or what will lead you to more knowledge and clarity that will help you achieve your goals, etc.). You’ll take notes differently and you won’t be as bored. You may even notice that your teachers are becoming less boring, more animated and more creative. Remember, it’s your reality and it must morph to reflect back any changes you’re making in your vibration. So, if you start feeling good about school, school will have to bring you more to feel good about.
Before you even sit down to study or write that paper, take a few minutes and see yourself getting the homework or test back and smiling from ear to ear about the result. See yourself being proud of what you’ve achieved. Visualize yourself getting a grade that makes you feel good (for some that might not be an A+. If that feels freaky, you might feel better going for a B). Visualize the teacher saying “Well done” to you. See yourself high fiving a friend or telling your parents or celebrating the result in some way.
Next, if you’re studying for a test, see yourself actually taking the exam. You’re calm and you feel confident that you’ll do well. See yourself reading the questions and immediately knowing the answers. You smile at how easily they come to you. You finish the test early, and you KNOW you’ve done well. Spend as much time as you need to on these visualizations until they feel really good. Then, and only then, should you actually commence studying. If you approach studying from a high vibration, aligned with the outcome you want to achieve, your brain will pick up what you need quickly and easily. You won’t have to read everything twenty times. Things will click faster, you’ll remember and understand what you need to, and you’ll be inspired to remember more than you ever thought you’d learned during the test.
In other words, if you approach studying not from a place of fear that you’ll fail, but with an expectation that you’ll do well, you’ll get drastically different results.
How fast will your grades change?
While you can use the above techniques to get a good grade tomorrow, the real power of this method comes over time. The effects accumulate. As you approach school differently, the entire experience will change. You’ll hear and understand what you need to (to achieve your goals, whatever they may be) during class. Studying for tests will be more like a review of what you already know than a cramming session. If you stop seeing school as a useless prison and as a means to an end – an end you actually want to achieve, you’ll enjoy yourself more, you’ll get more value out of it overall (even traditional schools have a lot to offer you, experience wise), and you’ll no longer feel like you’re wasting your time.
That being said, you’re going against some pretty ingrained beliefs here, so make sure you give yourself enough time and that you take it easy. There will be times when you revert to your fears and feel stressed out about an upcoming test. That’s ok. It’ll happen. Just gently but firmly guide yourself back to your main visualization (the more you’ll have practiced this, the easier it’ll be), or in other words, go to your happy place. Focus on what you want your experience to be instead of how you’ve been taught to create it. Create your own reality. Make it your own, the way you want it, free from the rules of those who came before you. Just because they got here first, doesn’t mean they got it right. You get to make all the changes you like. All you have to do is focus and be relentless about feeling good. Oh, and I thought I’d just point out that this last sentence is really the formula for how the Universe works. So, you know, really learn that bit, and you’ll be set for life. Class dismissed.
Can I use Loa change my past exam results
Hey Melody,
Been wondering about this one. It is possible to align with a certain exam score, right? If we need a certain score for a particular job, do we see ourselves happy at that job, enjoying ourselves there and the comraderie? By gettng elated over this, we can prepare more easily for the exam and loving it, rather than being all depressed about it, which does not get us anywhere. So, the elation about the future will further the elation of studying and knowing the material, along with the relaxed, ease and flow of it all.
I am slowly getting into this scenario and looking at the big picture of it all. This after I slowly got myself out of a major depression, no longer willing to cry over anything anymore.
Hey A.,
Yep, you’ve pretty much got it! 🙂 What you focus on specifically always depends on what feels the best to you. The goal is the feeling, what you focus on is just how you achieve it.
Huge hugs,
Melody
I should have this article printed and give this to my son. He always studies the last minute and always end up getting stressed out.
That’s great Sarah! I hope it helps him. 🙂
Huge hugs,
Melody
Very interesting! What struck home with me was “Fear-based goals have little power.”. Love that!
Thanks Sophie! You never know which little nugget will resonate with someone. 🙂
Huge hugs,
Melody
If my post can help someone, so be it:
When my time came to pass the exams to go to the university I was in trouble. All my grades were good but one. The class in latin. I had a conflict with my teacher, I never studied this lesson and I even refused to enter classroom to attend. I stayed deliberately outside of the class so she could see that I was not willing to be treated the way she treated the other students. Apart from having a problem being absent so many times, I had missed several hours of teaching as well and I lacked the skill.
3 months before the exams I made a conscious decision to change this situation. I didn’t focus on the grade, I just made a list of what was going to be asked in the written examination and then obsessed reading one by one. No fear, no anxiety, just me and the books. This worked well and as a matter a fact this was my best grade, better than other subjects I had studied more during the year.
What does that have to do with loa? I think it is the fact that there was a crystal clear decision and a detachment to the outcome with a focus set on the process,while being emotionally free.
Hey Tony,
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! You know, I didn’t study much when I was in high school. I did in college, but then I really enjoyed that. Before that, I was too bored to care. But I had always gotten good grades, so I continued to. I just had that expectation, even when I didn’t study. I just remembered that… 🙂
Huge hugs!!
Melody
Great post Melody,
It’s so true that this darn school system did it again… putting more emphasis on the grades than a means to en end, as you’re saying, which is what grades really are.
Grades on their own mean nothing. I have always been a smart kid with not very good grades, because of some emotional issues, not because I was dumb and could understand, learn or study.
Also, I remember some girl having terrific grades, but one of them was actually pretty close to be “not normal”. (I don’t like to use this term, but just don’t how to put it best:)).
We can’t just attract good grades over night, it take more inside job, as your all post describes so well. Thank you for meaningful explanation between the LOA and grades.
By the way, I know you’re busy, but I was wondering if you would write a guest post for my blog one of those days? I wanted to send you an email, but might as well as you here 🙂
Hey Sylviane,
I was so bored in school, I stopped caring. I could’ve easily gotten a 4.0, but didn’t. My grades weren’t bad (I had no problem getting into college), but they weren’t top. I beat up on myself for that for a few years. Why couldn’t I have cared more?
Then, I indebted myself for years by going to a very expensive University. I realized, too late, that unless you went to Harvard or something like that, no one cares where you went, especially if you work internationally. This might be untrue for certain professions, I get that, but mostly, it doesn’t matter. Not one person has ever asked me what my GPA was. Ever. They cared what I could do for them and the company. That’s it.
And now, well, I’ve never once had a potential client ask me about my education or grades. In the end, if you’re good at what you do people will notice. With or without a degree.
Huge hugs,
Melody
I was prepared to REALLY dislike this post based upon the title. I get pretty frustrated with people who expect overnight results from the law of attraction.
but…
It turned out to be one of the best posts I’ve ever read.
Yesterday I was at my daughters salon getting a hair cut and she was telling me she wasn’t ever motivated by money. I suggested that she would not be too happy with the lack of money, but she set me straight and today you did again. Could be I needed to learn a new lesson?
As you and my daughter so wonderfully reminded me, it’s not the money, grades, fame. It’s the conditions brought on by these things.
Hi mister Ingersoll,
I on the other hand, I get frustrated with the mentality of some people who expect the system to change so they can change themselves. The mentality of “tell me what I need to know so I can never think again”. We have contributed our energy to a society which works like a cage and we see parents with fixed beliefs worrying and kids with energy and eagerness to change things staying afraid and disappointed (until they become one day like their parents or worse).
Why would you want to influence your daughter? Will that help you worry less?
Hi Tony,
My daughter is in her late 30’s there is no way my intent was to influence her. She has an excellent mind of her own. I learn from her, I don’t try to influence her.
Hey Dick,
It looks like you’ve raised an amazing daughter. You should be very proud. And good for you for being so open to these views! It’s not easy to change from such an ingrained perspective, but you’re doing it.
Money is nice. But when you make money your only goal, things tend to go very, very badly. Because no one wants the money, they want what the money will buy them. And if you go for just the money, you often don’t get what you REALLY wanted. I’ll link to a post below that really hits this one home.
If you go for what you REALLY want, you can get it. Sometimes that may include the manifestation of money, but not necessarily. We’ve all been so trained to think that money is the answer, we forget that we only want the money in order to get what we really want. Let’s just cut out the middle man, shall we? 🙂
Huge hugs,
Melody
I am an example of a person that got good grades….. Is this really what people want to be??? 😉
why? is something wrong with you?
Clearly. You just need to see my comments.
Challenge questions!:
How can we use LOA to get a free service or item off a specific person?
How do we really get what we want off someone in particular?
How do we manifest a particular answer?
Is LOA communist friendly?
Is it possible for someone who wears a Burqa to manifest becoming Burqa free, if my friend doesn’t want to wear it, but lives in a community that wants her to wear it?
How can they both get what they want in such a specific case?
These were some super hard questions that came to mind recently. I don’t think you can answer them. 😉
Well, I can answer those questions, but not here. They’ll have to be in separate blog posts, and you’ll have to wait until I’m inspired.
But yes, your friend can manifest an environment that is Burqa free. She’ll have to really focus, but she could shift into a reality where her community changes, or she could get an opportunity to move away. What the community wants is not relevant in this case. It’s her reality and she can shift into a different one. Also, the community wants the Burqas for a reason. They can still get what they TRULY want AND let go of the Burqa. It’s all possible. 🙂
Huge hugs,
Melody
If you wrote a post about the Burqa that would be amazing to LOA, why???
-Because that would be changing an entire community for one person.
-Having a higher vibration than an entire group of people (can she do this if depressed?)
Actually let’s assume everybody using LOA is somewhat depressed. Because making them happy makes your job too easy. They already feel good. No, let’s do hardcore manifesting for the unhappy people.
– The communism blog would also be ground-breaking.
-The inspired part is partially my fault. You were doing many blogs based on my commensta nd questions, both anonymous and through “Alice”. Long ago. Then I felt greedy, and too much in the spot-light.
As soon as I backed off a few other super-posters stepped in, making me realize if I don’t do it, someone else will.
One of them was our friend Nay, and her Alice-length comments. People liked that, so I decided it was fine to step back in again.
Maybe now the inspiration will be lining up, seeing I’ve stopped blocking you out.
Hey Melody,
I tried to start back to college a few years ago. Did a semester (I know, a WHOLE semester!), worked my butt off and got a 4.0 for those classes, and could really have cared less. I just couldn’t find a reason to go back. And this post just explains exactly why it was such a useless endeavor for me. I had no passion or drive for doing it besides, I should get my bachelors.
And just as an aside, this post is like, epic. It can be applied to basically anything, and you made it so plain and simple!!! Thanks as always.
Thanks Nay.
I debated getting an MBA at one point. I was even invited to get one at a bit of a discount. It would’ve been from an Ivy League school. But, I had just paid off my student loan, and this would’ve put me in the hole again (substantially) for years to come, essentially tying me to the corporate track. I’m glad I saw the light by then and decided that really, it wasn’t going to be worth it, since I didn’t want to stay on the corporate track. I had no idea what I wanted to do then, but I knew that corporate wasn’t it. I would’ve hated every second of the MBA, even though I love learning. But it would’ve been for the wrong reasons and it wasn’t an inspired choice. Not doing it felt like freedom. 🙂
Huge hugs,
Melody
NAY!!
Helloo there!
I missed this comment before, but can relate so much.
I did many things (well) out of pride, not true joy. I just did things because I knew I could do them.
Most was just to stop the comments about levels of education. I do well in a course or this or that just for the sake of it.
I don’t really know what my true joy is, so many things I do simply for pride, or as Melody said in the post
to avoid looking like a “jobless loser” but replace “jobless” with “lacking edu-ma-cat-chions”
🙂
It comes out so well in my stream of conscious typing, and brilliant remarks. I sure look like a bright spark on this here blog.
But obviously I=it didn’t bring happiness, but a sense of pride, and a way to shelter ego.
* just to be sure I was being sarcastic about looking like a bright spark, as many of the things I say are so obtuse there should be a law against it.
I think they made one called “don’t be a troll” but I keep overlooking it. 😉
Very helpful post! Thanks!
Since relaxing about studying, I have noticed less pre-mature gray hairs. Speaking of which, I have heard of people who have lost all their hair, gone totally gray or mad from school. Indeed, it can cost one a lot without the right attitude, which is a requirement for LOA practice. And, it does take practice, but that smile will come naturally while you are doing it, an indication that you are doing it right!
Hey A.,
Oh dear! Totally bald from school? I’d say that’s too high a price to pay, lol.
Thanks for the encouragement. I think a lot of people will benefit from it.
Huge hugs,
Melody
This came right on time- I’ve been trying to get more motivated for work. It’s not even a ‘bad’ job; far from it it’s actually like I pictured my ‘dream job’. I really like it and I like the people and the work itself, while plentiful, isn’t difficult but I still haven’t been able to go full throttle. This will help a lot.
As I looked back over my comment I thought’ who in the hell has trouble getting motivated for their dream job?’ and then I realized- it’s because my ‘dreams’, goals, the things I was passionate about, were always based on everything *looking* okay-not necessarily *being* okay. And from the outside, my job looks fantastic.
I had a bit of that realization earlier this week, but I guess it didn’t truly hit home until now.
Guess I’ve got to recalibrate what my actual goals are.
Bravo Jennifer. Looks like your dream job is something a bit different. And now that you’ve realized it, you can move forward. There’s a reason your current job doesn’t float your boat… 🙂
Huge hugs!!
Melody
Wow…this post is perfect for me!!! 😀 Just what I needed 😀 I’m actually in the exact same situation as that “awesome dude” xD^^ Could’ve been me. ^^
I’m so grateful that now there’s a post about getting good grades ;D So thank you!! 😀
You’re so welcome Johanna.
Huge hugs,
Melody
I had to leave a comment on this paticular blog because it is something that has has happened to me. I am currently doing an I.T. Course from home (aswell as working Full Time) & I had failed my previous 3 exams before I started using LOA. I have since been guided to a tutor and also passed 2 of my exams in 2012. Obviously revising and knowing your topic is a Must but I have suffered with nerves in the past and using LOA has help me overcome this. As Melody has said previously:visualise the outcome you want not what you don’t want, In my case I wanted to pass the exam well and be confident taking the exam. During the weeks leading up to my exam I visualisied myself getting the exam in plenty of time, sat confident knowing I would pass, sat doing the exam smiling to myself as I knew the answers and then been told I had passed at the end. Sure enough this is what happened on the actual exam day. I would just like to Stress the point of feeling good espicially if butterflies start on the actual day (like mine did) but because of my visualisation techniques & confidence in LOA these soon subsided. I also listended to some uplifting,powerfu music just before I went in for my exam as this got my juices flowing and I felt pumped and ready. Hope this is also of help to any fellow DR’s. Shiny Puppy Hugs to all.
Hey Jonathan,
Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story here! I hope it gives a lot of others hope that this stuff really does work, lol.
Huge hugs!!
Melody
This is perfect for my 17-year old who loves to procrastinate and study at the last minute (he gets it from his momma! lol)…thanks, Melody! I can’t wait to share with him. I’ve been trying to teach him some LOA principles but it hasn’t been easy. Sadly he has quite a bit of resistance/negativity with regard to being successful in school (you point out why in this post) and in sports. I feel it maybe boils down to him not believing in himself (thanks to beliefs he’s collected over the years) and I want to slowly turn that around and feel confident that I can! Thanks again! xoxo
Marjorie
Hey Marjorie,
Well, there’s only so much a blog post can do, lol, but I really hope it can help. Let me know how it goes!
Huge smooshy hugs,
Melody