You can do it. IGNITE can help.
We say it every year.
We buy a brand-new pack of highlighters, crack open a fresh notebook and write all our to-dos in a calendar. A real, paper calendar, too — not just the one on our phones (that’s how you know you’ve really got it together). And, we say it:
“This year is gonna be my year.”
Flash forward a few months and we’re eating saltines for dinner (because it’s the only grocery item we have left) while sitting on our respective dorm room floors trying to convince ourselves we can finish three assignments in one night.
(We say it with love because we’ve been there, too.)
But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can put a sustainable plan in place to get everything done this year. You can take concrete steps to become the version of you you’ve always wanted to be.
How? We’re glad you asked. Here are some ways you can *actually* make this year your year:
Don’t expect perfection
We know you want to grab this year by the reins and make things happen — but all-or-nothing thinking rarely gets you anywhere.
If you measure yourself against unattainable standards, your year will be ruined the first time you have an off day. The first time you get overwhelmed. The first time you procrastinate.
That’s no way to approach a challenge.
Make this year your year by understanding that you’re fallible. That, some days, you need a little more rest or support than you think you “should”. That you’re human.
If you want to stay on top of things this semester, first forgive yourself for the times you can’t.
Make a plan your way
Paper planners can help you organize, and they definitely make you look like you have it together, but is that really the best method for you?
If you find yourself throwing out another planner or bullet journal every year because you just can’t stick to it, maybe an alternative organization method would suit you better. For example, you could try a digital planning app or set due date reminders on your phone!
Set goals
It’s much harder to achieve something when you don’t know what that “something” is. Decide at the beginning of the semester what you’re working towards and map out some steps to help you get there.
A simple trick for setting great goals is to make them S.M.A.R.T.: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. So, for example:
“I want to increase my grade in this class by seven per cent between the midterm and the final.”
Bam. Now you know what constitutes success.
Celebrate your wins
You’re putting in the work. You deserve to enjoy yourself when it pays off.
You can pick your rewards as this year progresses — you know, to keep yourself on your toes — or pick a way to treat yourself for each goal you set at the top of the year.
“If I achieve this goal, I get this thing.”
Pavlov would be proud.
Attend IGNITE’s Special Meeting of the Members
The most surefire way to ensure this year is actually your year is to source out a team. You know, people who have you best interests at heart and who you can lean on for support when things get tough.
Enter: IGNITE.
Our number one mission is, and always has been, making your student life as fulfilling and trouble-free as can be. And, we’re always taking steps to improve the services we provide for you. So, every semester, we hold a Special Meeting of the Members (SMOM) to get your input on changes we’re thinking about making.
Attending IGNITE’s SMOM allows you to have a say in how you’re supported on campus — because you know your needs best.
This semester’s SMOM is happening virtually on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 11 a.m. You can register and snag your spot for free here!
Thanks to these strategies, the next time you eat saltines for dinner, it’ll be because you want to — not because you have to.
That’s what we call “having it together.”
Looking for other ways to rock this semester? IGNITE’s got you covered — from A to Z.
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