How To Get Your Life Together: College Edition

   

Welcome Back!

          October is coming to an end and midterms are only just beginning. It's that time of year where the ammo you had lined up to get you through the fall semester is slowly running out and all you can think about is your month long Christmas break. It's about halfway through a semester that symptoms from lack of motivation start to show and break your concentration from that 4.0 you've had your eye on when you started school in the first place. Lucky for you, if there's anything I specialize in it's helping someone get theirselves together and out of a bad situation. So if you've been experiencing any of troubling issues I described earlier, give yourself a break and keep reading...

The First Step in Fixing a Problem is Admitting You Have a Problem...

     

     As cheesy as it sounds, the only way to get out of a rut is recognizing that you're actually in a rut. Identifying your problem and thinking about how exactly you got there is the key to finding your way out of it. This step here is very important. You have to sit down and really be realistic with yourself and remind yourself what your goals were when you started and whether you've kept up with them or not. This part kinda stinks and isn't the most esteem-boosting step, but in order to move up and get back on track you have to start being honest with yourself and start somewhere.

Make Goals That Actually Challenge and Interest You...

    Now I am never one to recommend settling or straying away from a challenge because you feel it's just too hard, but in order to successfully accomplish a challenge you have to assess your strengths and your weaknesses. Sit down and write out exactly where you want to see yourself at the end of the semester. Make new and fresh goals that actually appeal to you, make you competitive, and help you wake up excited to accomplish them. That can range from having a 4.0, perfect attendance, acing microbiology, waking up earlier in the day, or even reaching a workout goal. After identifying what it is you want to accomplish this semester, ask yourself why it is that that appeals to you. What are you wanting to gain? What is your end goal?
   A huge mistake that a lot of young people tend to make is making goals that they feel will impress others or make parent's happy. While looking good and having parental approval is dandy, in the end you're not gonna feel motivated to actually accomplish your goals and will probably just end up in an even bigger rut than you were in before.

          ↪ example...
 ⇾ goal: I want to make a 4.0 average at the end of the semester.
 ⇾ why: This will help my chances of getting into nursing school and make me feel as if I really challenged myself and learned the material.

Change Things Up A Bit...

       A lot of times a repetitive daily routine can be a big cause in why we fall into a rut. Our minds get too used to doing the same things over and over again each day and we don't feel challenged. The very first thing I do when I start to feel bored in my life is change things up completely. I start with dissecting my morning routine and figuring out how I can make it more fun to wake up each and every morning and look forward to my day (coffee always does it for me.) Another way that helps me change things up is by rearranging my room. Having a new space to live and work in helps declutter my mind and can even help me become creative and inspired. Sometimes even cleaning out your closet that you swore you were gonna do 2 months ago can really help you feel like you have a handle on things and freshen up your mind and thoughts. The point I want to get across is that changing up a routine and space can do wonders in making you feel like you have a fresh start on things.

Clean, Clean, Clean...

    We don't like to do it, but we must. I find that the number one way to help me feel like I have my life together is by cleaning my space. This includes doing my laundry, cleaning out my closet, throwing away the trash, throwing out things I don't use anymore and maybe even buying new decor for my space. I couldn't explain it to you but there's something about being in a clean space that allows you to think clearly.

Surround Yourself With Good People...

    Unfortunately I'm going to be cheesy again but I'm only speaking the truth. Surrounding yourself with people who inspire you to work harder and achieve your goals can be one of the most important things. People who are full of bad energy and negative intentions can usually take a lot of time and energy out of your day. It's important to reflect on who you spend a lot of your time with and whether they're truly good people for you to be around. Once you find a group of friends/people that help you want to be better and do better, it can do amazing things in changing your work ethic, energy and even your drive. 

Lastly, Remember Your Purpose...

     You're clearly where you are because you had a purpose and point in mind. Sometimes when things get difficult and you feel tired and unmotivated, you tend to forget about why you're still doing it. I personally struggle with this a lot when anatomy homework piles up or chem gets extra hard, but in the end you have to think about why it is you're doing this in the first place. Whether its to get a degree or accomplish a specific goal, we started with a purpose and I think we all owe it to ourselves to finish our goals.

   College is hard and life in general is even harder, but thankfully it's completely doable with the right mindset. We all have setbacks sometimes and that's okay, because sometimes it takes a setback in life to create an even better comeback. 

    If you have any comments/questions feel free to message me or find me on social media and I'd be happy to answer them!

love always, A