September – a time for new beginnings, golden leaves, rainy Mondays, crisp Blackwell’s textbooks, and resolutions. While I could talk about any of the items on this list for as long as you’d let me, let’s focus on resolutions.
Sometimes seen as daunting or unnecessary, I find resolutions and goals to be excellent motivators. If I write it down, that makes it real – which, of course, can be scary. But it can also be exhilarating to think about how one goal, however small, could transform your life in a positive way.
Take this list of my personal resolutions for the new school year as inspiration for your own, or just enjoy the brief peek into my mind.
- Academic
As much as it chagrins me to admit at times, studying, classes and assignments should probably be number one on my agenda. Here are some specific goals I have related to my academic life.
Start assignments and readings as soon as possible.
As an avid procrastinator, I am guilty of letting thoughts of ‘I’ll just start that later, it’s due in ages’. That sort of logic doesn’t actually make sense if you think about it. Starting something earlier means you have more time to focus on details, perfect mistakes, and even turn it in early. This year, I’m determined to start things as soon as I can.
Section off time for academics.
I’m a bit of a stationary addict, so I’ve got my planner all set and ready for the term. A goal I want to set myself is setting aside specific times to do specific university work. This type of planning doesn’t work for everyone – some prefer having the end of the day as their makeshift deadline, while others just push all work to the weekend. Knowing myself, those two options are way too open-ended so hopefully this new method will help in my quest for increased productivity.
- Social
While university is mainly about working towards a degree, the social side of uni shouldn’t be forgotten. I’d say I’m fairly social, but I think there are some things I could focus on to improve my social life.
Join a new society (or two).
This particular goal is one I revisit every term. I think societies are such an integral part of uni life and one that I completely ignored all of my first year. That’s something I really regret but, as they say, it’s never too late to start! I’m planning on joining some creative societies (Art and Choir), and some more sporty ones as well (Dance). These will be on top of the societies I’m already a part of, so I’ll need to make sure to keep a balance and not overload myself.
Say yes.
This one is quite self-explanatory. I want to push myself to say yes more often. I often say no to things that I’m interested in because I feel like I’ll be bad at them, so I don’t even try. For example, I’d never been to a Ceilidh before this summer, which is such a waste given I live in Scotland. But, I went and ended up loving it. So, I’m pushing myself to take more risks this year.
- Self-Care
Ahh, self-care. My favourite thing to write about, read about, and practise. I consider myself to be quite knowledgeable in this area, but I do have some goals in mind.
Say no.
So this may be the complete opposite of my previous goal but sometimes I think it’s important to focus on yourself and say no to things in order to do so. Sometimes you need a night in – just you, a face mask and your favourite film. There’s this sort of social pressure to always go out and always say yes – but balance is key.
Journal every day.
I already do this, but I’d like to keep up the habit during term time as well. Journaling clears my mind of the emotional gunk I don’t want to focus on and allows me to get on with my day. If you don’t journal, I cannot recommend it enough!
These are just some of my goals for the new school year. Remember, if you don’t complete one of your goals the way you’d like to, don’t feel bad. Goals are there as reminders, and they can change or be adjusted to suit your current state.
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