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We have just 2 months left until 2020.
The New Year causes most people to want to reflect on the past 12 months and begin to set their new goals for the upcoming year. Our firsts of the year are usually filled with high ambition, unmovable motivation and relentless inspiration, but as the months move on, those goals begin to waver, and soon enough it feels like most of our goals are a thing of the past. We’d like to challenge that. Goal setting shouldn’t be a once-a-year event. Here are few tips to keep your stamina going and to re-ignite your ambition to hit those goals you made so long ago! We have two months left of 2019; let’s make it worth it.
You Come First
It’s easy to forget about yourself sometimes, especially during your college career. There might be many late nights spent studying for exams or submitting papers at the final deadline, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dedicate some time to yourself.
Here are a few tips to help you practice self-care to prevent burnouts, potential illnesses and stress.
Schedule Breaks – Sometimes with such a busy schedule, you’re always thinking about what you need to do next or what you need to get done that day. We leave no room for breaks, when that can actually be our remedy for higher success! To get through your busy day, schedule a 30-minute break in your calendar to nap or just enjoy the outdoors for a moment. By forcing yourself to have a dedicated time in the day to relax, you are more likely to increase your productivity. It can be as simple as scheduling breaks in between studying or writing a paper. Make self-care part of your routine.
Sleep – Pulling an all-nighter might seem normal in your weekly activities by now, but it really shouldn’t be. Your body needs a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of sleep to function properly. When you’re asleep, your body starts a healing process and it allows your body to actively work. Choosing less sleep to get more done may actually end up hurting you instead of helping you. Make sure to get those hours of sleep in!
Practice Relaxation Techniques – Meditation can be a life-changer that most people don’t usually consider adding to their daily activities. Meditation is a simple technique that can help you control your stress levels, decrease anxiety, improve cardiovascular health and achieve a peaceful mindset. Here are a few websites that teach you how to meditate:
https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/meditation-101-techniques-benefits-and-a-beginner-s-how-to
Journal – Writing your thoughts down is a great way to be organized and help you release your thoughts and feelings. When you journal, you can write down happy moments that happen throughout the day and refer back to that list when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed. You can also use a journal to jot down moments of inspiration throughout your day; these can later turn into new goals or potential skills you’d like to invest your time into later. It helps to keep a small notebook in your backpack or create a note page in your phone to be ready to write down anything that comes to mind.
Exercise – Exercise and other physical activities aren’t meant just for fitness; it can also help reduce stress. When you’re active, your body produces endorphins, a chemical in the brain that acts as a natural painkiller. Whether it’s a killer gym workout (perhaps Orange Theory’s Hell Week), a neighborhood stroll or taking a yoga class, make it a a part of your schedule to help you feel more balanced.
Stay Organized
Organization is critical for keeping a balanced and productive work and social life. A planner allows you to easily keep all of your events, to-do’s and responsibilities in one place.
Not enough hours in the day, or not managing your time efficiently? Planners allow you to map out your week to know exactly what needs to get done and when it needs to be completed. Visually seeing your daily tasks will encourage you to complete them and move through the list. Utilizing a visual task list will reduce your stress and strengthen your productivity, rather than keeping your responsibilities in your head where they may get lost or confused. And getting to cross a line through one of your to-dos is always a refreshing feeling!
People often limit planners to school and work, but that’s doesn’t have to be the case. They can also include your personal tasks, household duties and even goals for the week! Book planners allow you to get creative and write out each of your days. Online planners promote easy access to view your agenda on multiple devices.
If you’re looking for a detailed, decorated and fun planner, check out this agenda from Target here.
If you’d rather keep your planner online, check out Google Calendar. For students, My Study Life is an optimal platform to keep track of your classes, assignments, exams and more.
Turn your Imagination into a Vision
Often times, especially as college students, it seems as if there are never enough hours in a day to do everything. Between classes and exams; extracurriculars; trying to have a healthy lifestyle; and maintaining a social life; we often times can’t see beyond our long list of to-dos. If there’s not enough time to focus on the present, how could we possibly think about the future? Creating a vision board can help you out.
Vision boards are tools used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on life goals. These goals can include anything: personal development, family, health and fitness, relationships, community and more. They help you identify your vision and give it clarity in a fun and visually appealing way. They reinforce your daily affirmations and keep your attention on your intentions.
Vision boards allow you to exercise your imagination. By taking time to visually spell out your life goals, it helps create an emotional connection to what may seem so far away. Make sure your vision board includes more than just pictures; make it also about the emotions connected with your future self and the sensory experience of it all.
To make it simple, creating a vision board makes the dream in your head more realistic/ You begin to believe it’s possible. Vision boards force you to put something down right in front of you, and so, create a transformative process of you inner belief system.
Don’t know where to start? Check out this vision board template and examples for inspiration to create a vision board that actually works for you:
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Not everyone is perfect and able to masterfully juggle multiple things at once. Once in awhile, you are bound to stumble, perhaps underperform on an exam or forget a meeting. It happens to everyone. However, what’s important is that you don’t let it drag you down. Remember to continue to look forward, even if you trip.
This time of year can become very overwhelming very quickly. With pending deadlines of major projects; incomplete internship and job applications; and another semester coming to an end, try your hardest to balance it all; however, don’t think that if you don’t, you will fail everything.
Focus on your end goal and think of the hiccups as part of the journey there. Giving attention to these small issues will only distract you from what matters. Focus on what to give attention to. Wasting time and energy on trivial diversions will exhaust you when it comes to focus on the larger challenge ahead.
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