This year has been like no other and I know many people, including myself, are looking forward to a fresh start in 2021. With the new year comes New Year’s resolutions. While I think having the opportunity to make changes to improve and to look at life with a new breath of air is special, there is something about the resolutions that are discussed around January 1 that rubs me the wrong way.
I think a big part of the reason I do not like New Year’s resolutions is that they tend to be negative. Whether it be a goal to lose weight, start a new diet, exercise X times a week, find a significant other, make more money, or anything else along these lines, resolutions can do more harm than good. All of the examples I mentioned above are likely goals due to extrinsic motivators. A person may want to start a new diet so he/she can lose weight to appear more “attractive” according to society’s beauty standards. A person may want to find a significant other because he/she likes the idea of having a significant other, but it may not actually be what is right for him/her at that time. In addition to motives that may not necessarily be in the right place, oftentimes New Year’s resolutions are not actually resolved. Continuing on with my examples, a person who wants to exercise five times a week may hit the gym consistently within the first month of the new year, but over time this routine may wear off. New Year’s resolutions may be hard to keep up with if they focus on goals that are not derived from internal motivators or that are unsustainable. With this in mind, I have never been one to set New Year’s resolutions that will be “life-changing” or super drastic, but I like taking advantage of the opportunity the new year brings to reflect and improve. If there happens to be something I want to work on or achieve (for the purposes of my satisfaction, well-being, and pride, and not that of society’s, my friends’, my family’s, or anyone else’s), I might create a plan of action to achieve it. An example of one of these plans was my New Year’s resolution last year. At the time, I really wanted to write a book, so I set a goal to work on planning and drafting for 15 minutes each day. I wanted to write the book because I wanted to, and for no reason other than that. Additionally, my 15 minute goal was something to which I knew I could commit. I ended up abandoning my goal of writing a book by about April, but that was not because my plan was unsustainable; it was because it simply was something I did not want to do anymore - which is totally okay! This year, I think my New Year’s resolution is going to be working on more content for my blog’s Instagram. I have this goal because I want to spread my Real and Relatable messages and because making posts, such as reels, is a lot of fun for me. Plus, when I make something that is successful or well-done, it feels amazing. While this is certainly something I can work on in the new year, I want to state that there is no bad time to make a change and start working toward a new goal. I could decide I want to be nicer to my sisters, call my friends more often, or write in my journal daily starting tomorrow! Everyday is a day to start anew. To sum it up, New Year’s is almost here! This means some crazy New Year’s resolutions will be floating in the air. New Year’s resolutions can be made for the wrong reasons or they may not be sustainable. Have you noticed this at all? If so and making resolutions is something you enjoy or typically do, I encourage you to be mindful of the goals you are setting. Is this really something you want to do? Can you realistically do it? What is driving you to achieve your goal? Also, remember there is never a bad day to make a new goal and start working on it. Goal-setting is not limited to January 1. So, what do you think? Will you have any goals for the New Year? Let me know in the comments. Happy Holidays, everyone!
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12/8/2020 2 Comments Managing The 2020 School Year: Tips and Tricks For Limiting Stress and Getting Work DoneThis school year has been like no other. Many of us are learning online and have spent hours upon hours on screens. I have adjusted quickly and comfortably to this new virtual environment, but I know for many people this is not the case. Having challenges is completely understandable as we are living through unprecedented times and carrying on with life in ways we have never before. Some of the struggles I have heard about this school year include lack of motivation, difficulty focusing, trouble understanding content, not learning enough material to be prepared for the future, and having too large of a workload in some classes. First, I am sorry so many people are feeling this way. Amidst a global pandemic, the last thing people need is more stress. Thankfully, there are many habits, practices, and mindsets that can be developed to overcome the stressful situations and thoughts many students are experiencing. Feeling unmotivated to do work? I have been there! Sometimes work can feel like the last thing you want to do. My advice for this situation is first reminding yourself that the work has to get done and it is up to you whether you turn in the assignment or not. For me, not turning something in is never an option. Remind yourself that complaining about what you have to do or brushing it aside is not going to help you in the long run. Try doing something fun before you start working as a way to refresh your system. Tell yourself that, after watching a TV show, going for a quick walk, or FaceTiming your friend for a few minutes, you will complete your assignment and get it turned in. Once you finish the assignment and other items on your to-do list, you can use your time to do more exciting things. Instead of feeling unmotivated to do work, try to change those feelings into motivation to get tasks off your to-do list and to be able to do something enjoyable in the near future. Having difficulty focusing? Get rid of anything that might distract you, such as turning off notifications on your desktop, putting your phone on “do not disturb” and placing it on the other side of the room, and telling your siblings not to interrupt you. Create an environment with the least amount of distractions, so you can be as productive as possible. Similar to my advice for feeling motivated, work distraction-free with high focus for a designated amount of time and then reward yourself for your efficient work later on. Having trouble understanding content? Learning virtually is very different from learning in-person. When online, sometimes topics are more difficult for teachers to teach and are more difficult for students to understand. It can be challenging all around, so we have to make the best of the situation and do our part to understand to the fullest of our abilities. If your school has teacher help periods like mine, utilizing these times to ask questions about things you are learning in class and questions about certain assignments is very beneficial. If you do not have periods like this, email your teachers. Do not be afraid to reach out because most teachers are very willing to help you. In the worst case scenario, if your teacher is unable to help, you can ask for online resources to support your understanding or find such resources on your own. Not learning enough material? This is a two-sided situation. Some students feel like they are not learning enough content to be prepared for AP exams or classes in future years, while other students feel like they are getting too much work. Others may feel a little of both, depending on their classes. I personally fall into the first category. With shorter class times, there is no doubt that content is being cut out even though we are sure to need the information at a later time. To deal with this problem, I have done a couple of things. I take advantage of easy-access resources. The College Board posts videos and practice questions that cover every topic in the AP class curriculum. While this material does not cover all the nitty gritty details, it goes over important themes that I need to be aware of. I also have taken it upon myself to read my textbook for AP World History, for example. The textbook goes into great detail on topics that may not necessarily be discussed in class, or, if they are discussed in class, it will likely only be skimming the surface. While reading the textbook when it is not assigned and doing other similar work is not my idea of “fun,” I am taking it upon myself to learn the content I know I will need at some point or another. Have too much work on your plate? Many students have felt like teachers are assigning too much work. While I certainly feel busy and I am working a lot of the time, I do not feel overwhelmed with my workload and believe I am doing a good job managing everything I have to do. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about the number of assignments teachers give. There is, however, something you can do about the manner in which you tackle the large amount of work at hand. Efficiency is key! This year my school starts an hour later than when it started last year when we were in-person. In addition, I have a lunch break that is longer than an hour! I take advantage of this extra time, wake up early, and use my extra breaks to get work done. I highly recommend you do the same. Waking up even thirty minutes earlier could be the difference between finishing one assignment or having an extra task to do at 10:00 at night. It can be easy to turn to your phone during the extended breaks, but I like to think that in “normal” school during these breaks I would actually be in class, so I should use that “class” time effectively by working on things I need to get done. My school days are certainty work-filled, but by being efficient I would say that I am able to enjoy about an hour of movement and an hour of screen time each day. I made a model schedule to show what a typical day in school for me looks like. By working hard during the week, I have a bit more time on the weekends to really enjoy myself and practice some self-care. People are feeling lots of different emotions and are having different experiences during the 2020 school year based on differences in learning styles, work practices, and personalities. Regardless, we are all in this together and we will get through it. Keep working hard and chugging along.
I hope you found some of my advice helpful and that this post was useful to you. If you want to continue this conversation or share any thoughts you have on school this year, I would love to hear from you in the comments and through email or DM. Additionally, what have you experienced this school year? Do you have any good tips that have been working for you? Let me know in the comments. |
AuthorLover of adventures, traveling, family time, fashion, soccer, writing, and more, Madeleine is giving you all the real and relatable content you have been looking for. Archives
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