The beginning of a new school year often leads us feeling overwhelmed by opportunities, goals, and our futures ambiguity. Don’t get me wrong, ambition is a good thing, but chasing it with the wrong mindset can leave you burnt out and bogged down. As college women, there is a concept we seem to dance around all day: balance. Finding it is not always easy when you’re juggling academics, extracurricular activities, and a social life, but maintaining it is crucial to your sanity and success. The following are tips to help you grip both hands around the steering wheel that is your kick- ass drive without crashing before reaching your desired destination.
Set Goals, Just Not in Concrete
There is no arguing that setting goals is crucial to arriving at success, but certain mindsets surrounding our goals can lead us to failure. Thinking of goals as rigid set structures as opposed to flexible guidelines can often result in frustration and a sense of failure. The problem with this is that “failure” should be appreciated just as highly as “success”. Fearing failure will cut you short on insight into what you’re truly capable of. Life is winding and unpredictable, so why make the path to success straight and narrow? Without leaving room for last minute revisions, a goal can easily become an unattainable chase that will tire you out. Accomplishment is the result of perspectives made by an open mind and a loose plan.
Letting Go is Different Than Quitting
We would unanimously agree that it is important to expand our horizons, step out of our comfort zones, and try new things. Who doesn’t want to be involved and have a stacked resume? Exploring new options in any aspect of your life is a total girl boss thing to do, but holding onto things that no longer benefit your time means exerting energy into an empty basket. Know when it is time to peacefully resign from that unorganized club, toxic relationship, or class that is of no interest to you. This doesn’t mean not to try, but time is something we are all short on in college. If the payoff isn’t worth it? Let go, play the game smart, and reserve stamina for things that will help you soar to success. This is not quitting; this is prioritizing your time and focusing on moving forward.
Keep Your Lives Separate
There is a time and place for everything and I encourage you to keep it that way. In order to live each part of your life to the fullest, keep your work life, social life, and down time at a distance from one another. If your bedroom is where you like to unwind, think about finding a different place to go and crank out your work for that day. Doing so will give you the freedom to live each part of your life to the fullest. For example, if you pick a coffee shop to do your work at the simple act of going there will get your mind ready to knock out your work efficiently. The result? Going back home afterwards will allow you to focus strictly on relaxing. The same can be said when maintaining your social life. Mixing emotions and anxiety from work into your social life can damage your relationships and interfere with their success. Set a separate time for yourself, your friends, and your to-do list in order to keep your mind happy and healthy.