A new semester has begun with optimistic New Years resolutions. As every New Year begins, we start off with hopeful ambitions of what we will do better and what we won’t do at all. These hopeful goals combined with a new semester, are going to be, well, a bit overwhelming. Here are 3 fool proof ways of mine to follow your resolutions semester!
1) Write it all out.
Many of us plan for the new year by coming up with all sorts of ideas in our heads. As soon as the semester starts there are a billion other things swimming around our brains, this makes it very easy for our thoughts to become lost.
To avoid this tangled web of thoughts, write down all your goals and ideas. After you have them all out on paper, go through them and narrow the list down to the most important ones. When your concrete list is completed, post it in a place where you come across it often; such as above your desk or even on the bathroom mirror. If you can see your goals daily, you can reflect on them and your progress. We all need a reminder to keep us on track!
2) Scale down.
A big fall out for many people is that they are not prepared to make the changes. If you are not ready to quit smoking, hit the gym every day or get an A+ in every course, its not going to happen. It is important to ask yourself if you are ready to make these changes and commit to them. If the answer is no, try scaling down the goals. Smoke less, go to the gym twice a week, and get an A in two classes. As long as you see your goals as attainable, you will be able to accomplish them. The motto “Go big or go home” does not apply here. Let’s face it, if the goals are too big, most of us give up in the first month. Remember not to quit if you’ve made little or no progress on your resolutions. You have an entire year to make changes and you will benefit from even the slightest change.
3) Smart phones are, smart. Use them!
The final fool proof way to staying on track is using your all mighty smart phones! Every day we spend more time on our phones than eating, school work and probably even sleeping. Personally, I’m checking my phone consistently throughout the day for messages, Facebook, music, magazines and every other element of a mobile device.
So here’s how you can put your smart phone to use (other than wasting time): download an app to help with your new year’s resolution! There are literally apps for everything; apps to help lose weight, quit smoking, eat healthy, staying organized, staying on track, exercising, planning, budgeting…the options are limitless. One app that I found really interesting for the New Year is the RescueTime app. It is a time management app that will help you stay on track. You can download it on your phone or your computer. Basically it controls what you’re doing on your computer and can even prevent you from visiting distracting websites such as Facebook, and other social networking sites while you work. It tracks what you do on the computer and provides input for better time management. RescueTime is designed to increase your efficiency and productivity. Sounds like the perfect app for students. I know I could definitely use some better time management skills. So let us use our smart phones for good, not evil this semester!