By The Princeton Review
Your willingness to take action and get involved is almost more important than what the involvement is (unless of course you're talking about taking action and getting involved in, say, fraud or money laundering, in which case we discourage that particular type of initiative).
Graduate schools, colleges, or employers want students (or employees) who make things happen. So what does that look like?
Well first it means getting off the hamster wheel. Don’t bask in your temporary reprieve of weekends even though you may always feel like you need the rest. No one is going to make anything happen for you. It's your job to sit down, ignore all distractions, and just do the work. Most of us already know this, but our actions and behaviors indicate otherwise. I hear this from friends and family all the time about how they want to start a business, or run a marathon, or start making more art, and then they spend every minute of their free time doing anything but those things. I am not going to lie as this can be me too.
Produce More In Your Spare Time.
We have conditioned ourselves to come home each day and consume. Going out to the bar, watching television, spending hours on social media -- all of these are means of consuming and can be detrimental to your productivity. Nearly half of the hours in our week go towards working and sleeping so it is hard but if you want to start making things happen in your life, something has to change. Realize that it's what you do in your spare time that will make the difference between greatness and mediocrity. Most people that object to this notion argue that you need your downtime, that you should be able to eat, drink, and be merry. Sure this is necessary so enjoy yourself but also realize that there is a point when doing such things impedes on your ability to create.
Start Your Own Path
You can't rely on people to get behind your vision before you take action. You have to lead first. Head in the direction you were meant to, and don't look back. Don't let opportunities slip by because you're so busy trying to round up followers.
End Goal
Keep your end goal in mind. Is what you're doing today going to get you to where you want to be tomorrow? If not, it's time to make a change. Remember too, that sometimes being a creator means blazing your own trail. If you have an idea, go after it. There's no time to wait for others to follow you. So look for opportunities and find your ways to make an impact.