So it’s a new semester! I’m sure a ton of you, including myself, have many amazing new goals. Nobody wants to take the same number of L’s they did last semester! It’s easy to be overly ambitious and set too high of expectations for yourself. Chances are, the bad habits you had last semester may still linger. That’s why change has to be gradual and your bad habits need to be addressed head-on. Here are a few ways you can set realistic goals for yourself so you won’t end up disappointed and defeated.
1. Small steps can take you a LONG way.
Let’s say your new goal is to stop procrastinating on your assignments. Instead of saying to yourself that you’ll constantly be productive all the time, take it easy. Try to do a little bit each day. Chances are, your assignment that’s due in five days can be broken down into small pieces. If you’re too distracted, compromise with yourself. If you can’t stand doing a whole problem set in one day, why not just do one or two questions? If you don’t want to study all at once, why not just read through a couple slides? Take it day by day. And pencil in your progress so you don’t fall behind.
2. Show yourself more compassion.
Your goals aren’t going to be accomplished overnight. Thinking they can will make you impatient and likely to give up. Don’t! Be patient. It can take years to change yourself. Be open to that. If your goal is to be more confident, realize that’s a journey of a lifetime. You can be compassionate to yourself by remembering that it is a hard goal and you’re strong for pursuing it.
3. Be able to bounce back from failure.
People backtrack all the time. My favorite quote is, “fall seven times, stand up eight.” Failure teaches us what doesn’t work. Find the root of that failure and address it. If you aimed for excellent grades, but you find yourself unable to focus, reach out to any on-campus resource available. And bounce back. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.
4. Get help when you need it.
It can be any type of help. It can be as simple as going to the Counseling Center if you’re feeling off or going to tutoring when you know you’re struggling in class. You don’t have to be a superhuman this semester. Know your abilities and get help when you can. There’s nothing wrong with it.
5. Have a healthy routine and stick with it.
Having a healthy routine can include going to fun gym classes, eating a healthy meal everyday, meditating or meeting with a study group once a week. Your routine is YOURS, so you should know what works for you. If you can’t focus in your room, you can go study in the SAC or at Starbucks with your friends.
I’m gonna admit, I’ve set some huge goals this semester and I’m already failing. But in the back of my mind, I know I have to keep trying and learning what works and what doesn’t. If we easily succeeded, I mean, what would we even learn? The end goal is to be a better version of you. You may not be perfect, but you can aim for better than before. And in this messed up world, that’s pretty good.