As the semester comes to a close and a new one approaches, it’s important to acknowledge that working toward your goals every day can be challenging. Especially in the face of obstacles, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Whether it’s a breakup or a failed test, setbacks can alter your sense of hope and motivation. However, some essential habits can help ensure you don’t lose track of your overall progress and goals.Â
- ACCEPTING DEFEAT
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Facing defeat is part of life. To ensure it doesn’t interfere with your bigger goals, it’s essential to manage your emotions in a healthy way. For one, knowing that what happened can’t be changed — and accepting it — helps you start on the right path. By doing this, you’re addressing the problem directly, rather than relying on outside distractions, such as doomscrolling and bed rotting.
In my opinion, knowing that you can only control yourself and your thoughts is key. As philosopher Marcus Aurelius says, “You have power over your mind — not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
- LEARNING FROM MISTAKES
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Learning from setbacks may grant you more power in situations where you feel powerless. Instead of ruminating in an endless negative thought loop, try to reframe your perception of the problem. For example, instead of thinking I can never pass this class, think how should I study for the next test to make sure this doesn’t happen again?
As a result, you’re not only retraining your brain, but you’re also altering your mindset so that the default is positive, no matter how negative the situation is.Â
- OUTLINE YOUR GOALS CLEARLY
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This is perhaps the most important piece of advice. It’s okay to not know everything right away, but make sure to at least focus on your short-term goals. Things like setting a timer for studying, reading a certain number of pages from a book per day, and including exercise in your routine can help create small victories. In my experience, celebrating small wins every day has increased my motivation and helped me outline more long-term goals further down the road.Â
Eventually, it’s essential to create bigger life goals. It may be overwhelming for some at first; however, in my opinion, it’ll always lead to a greater drive. Having big dreams can remind you of your purpose and give you a reason to keep working every day.Â
- SPEND TIME ON YOUR HOBBIES
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It’s okay to take breaks! Spending time doing things that I love, whether that be reading, baking, or playing video games, has helped me increase my motivation greatly. Although it sounds counterproductive, taking breaks from the stress of real life and diving into hobbies can take pressure off daily life and help you recharge.
If you aren’t sure which hobbies to try out, use that as a way to learn something new, like crocheting or painting, and you may feel even more rewarded than before.Â
- FIND SUPPORT
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Typically, finding motivation within yourself isn’t impossible, but it’s hard. Having a person in your life, whether it be a friend, family member, or professor, to learn things from can change everything. Some of the most important and helpful life lessons that I know have been taught to me by my best friends and family. Lean on the people that you love, and they’ll help guide you through the storm.Â
Implementing these habits into daily life isn’t an easy task, believe me, I know. Try to see positive thinking as a skill to be practiced, and the brain as a muscle to be trained. It’s normal to fall back into old habits temporarily when you face an obstacle. However, make sure to be kind to yourself along the way and always get back up when you fall.
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