Aspiration
Those who adhere to the Straight-A Guide know that we begin by defining success. Once we know what we’re after, we set goals that align with how we defined success. Then, we push forward with the right attitude.
To sustain us during the difficult times, we must aspire to something more, seeing the results that we want to achieve. I learned these lessons by studying leaders, such as Nelson Mandela.
On Robben Island, Nelson Mandela lived in a cell designed to shrink his world to stone, routine, and obedience. The government could control his movement, his work, and his contact with others. Mandela refused to let the conditions define the ceiling of his future. He held a larger target:
Work to build a democratic South Africa that could outlast revenge and include people on both sides of the conflict.
That aspiration shaped his daily choices. He studied, disciplined his conduct, and developed the patience and negotiation posture he would later need. When the political environment shifted, he left prison prepared to lead rather than simply relieved to be free. His aspiration for the life he intended to lead after release (even though he was serving a life sentence) motivated him to keep preparing. did not change the cell. Aspiration changed his preparation.
Our aspirations help us choose a future bigger than our current circumstances. Pursue the future you want with deliberate intentions. Instead of wishing, or fantasizing about what you’re going to become, decide what you’re going to become. Remember that God helps those who help themselves.
In the Straight-A Guide sequence, aspiration follows attitude for a reason:
The right attitude means we’re making a 100% commitment to success.
Our aspirations motivate us to keep climbing, even during tough times.
Inspired by Mandela and others, I always aspired to the life I would lead once I got out. I wanted to return to society with a good education and prospects to succeed, positioned to create pathways that would help others earn freedom through merit. By aspiring to something more than life I was living, I could make more deliberate choices while inside. My aspirations:
Shaped what I read and what I wrote. I did not read to pass time. I read to build competence and to produce work products that could prove growth.
Shaped the friends I chose. I avoided people who made excuses about what they couldn’t do and aligned with people who prepared for success upon release.
Shaped how I handled the inevitable obstacles and denials. I could adjust plans to accommodate the changes I saw.
Shaped the record I built. I memorialized the journey inside by writing about the steps I was taking to prepare. The work became self-evident, opening more opportunities.
Apply This Principle
Write your aspiration and build proof to show that you’re not filled with happy talk about what you’re going to do:
Write one sentence that begins with: “I aspire to…”
Include a role, a contribution, and a beneficiary. Example structure:
“I aspire to become a disciplined [role] who produces [work] that serves [who] by [how].”Build a “release-ready résumé” and publish it on the profile you’re building at Prison Professors. Do not wait for release to start assembling credentials. Create evidence that shows:
education, writing samples, contributions, program completions, mentor references, and project outcomes.
Convert aspiration into a weekly production standard.
Aspiration must show up in output. Choose minimum weekly deliverables you can hit, regardless of prison constraints:pages written, book reports completed, courses finished, lesson summaries drafted, service hours logged, letters sent to mentors.
Publish and archive your proof.
Use your journal to create a monthly summary page that lists what you produced, what you learned, and what you will produce next month. The goal is simple: if someone asks, “What did you do with your time?” you can answer with evidence.
Self-Directed Questions
Use these prompts to build measurable documentation of aspiration:
What is my one-sentence aspiration, written in plain language, that includes a role, a contribution, and a beneficiary?
What three capabilities must I develop to credibly live that aspiration (credentials, skills, or habits)?
What are the weekly outputs that will prove I am building those capabilities (pages, hours, certificates, projects completed)?
What work product will I produce this month that someone outside prison could evaluate (essay, book report series, lesson plan, curriculum outline, service record)?
What does my aspiration require me to stop doing immediately because it damages credibility or weakens focus?
Who can verify my progress? What is my plan to build a documented support network (letters, mentor check-ins, published updates)?
What is my 90-day “aspiration audit” date, and what specific artifacts will exist by that date?
If a probation officer, employer, or judge reviewed my file today, what would they see that proves aspiration has turned into preparation?