New year, new me?
The year has flown by. It’s been a busy year here at Evre., and we can’t wait to show you all the exciting things we have planned next! Despite the pandemic, we hope you’ve had a great run of the year. And if not, the important thing is you made it through 2022 and 2023 can be a brand new start! The new year can be a great time to make some changes - y’know, “new year new me” kinda vibes.
This milestone gives you that little extra boost of motivation to complete things, start something new and set some goals.
Now, why is it useful to set goals?
Have you ever heard the saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? An example of this would be time management. Whether it's scheduling important events in your calendar, or setting time aside to complete an assignment, managing your time well will help you stay on track and not fall behind in life.
It can be easy to think in your head, “yeah! In 2023 I want to do this, that and finally start that other thing I’ve been putting off!” It’s great to have all these thoughts and it’s a good start to your journey. A tip is perhaps writing all these thoughts down on a piece of paper where they are visible to you. It can be a nice little reminder because sometimes it can be easy to forget all the things you want/need to do. Put these somewhere where you can see them everyday - visualising your goals can give you a nice refresher and help kick you into action.
But how do you set goals? It all seems so overwhelming and there’s so much I want to do!
Start small and break it down!
So, let’s say you want to achieve better grades this year. But what are the steps you need to do first in order to achieve this bigger goal? For example, you might want to ask questions more, create a study group, go over content with friends at school or at the library. Set a couple of hours aside each week to go over what you’ve learnt in order to best prepare yourself. These little steps are achievements too, and will help you to reach that long term goal. If your assignment is due in 2 weeks and you want to get a better grade, perhaps leaving it till the last minute isn’t going to help. Block out times in your diary or calendar for brainstorming, research, bullet pointing and then actual writing. Also remember that you need to proofread and edit before the due date.
Is it ever too late to start?
Everyone has a different starting point and has different levels of skills. Maybe you’re just a beginner or maybe you have some experience already. No matter what stage you’re at, don’t compare yourself to others and think that it’s too late in life. You still have so much time and all the power to decide what you would like to do with it. Maybe you want to learn a new language and become fluent. A good first step is potentially downloading a language app and completing a lesson each day. This adds up over time - before you know it, you’ll be a whiz and when you look back at where you started, you’ll be proud of how far you’ve come.
How can I stay motivated and keep consistent?
Doing things alone can be hard and you can easily lose track or motivation. You could rope in a friend or two if they’re keen and you can all keep each other accountable. Doing things together gives you that extra boost of encouragement but also strengthens your friendship - like yeah, we did that!
Remember things don’t just happen overnight , they take time to progress and improve. Maybe you’ll hit some obstacles on the way and fall down, but the most important thing is to get back up and keep going. Learning and growing isn’t a straight line, it’ll be a rollercoaster of ups and downs but as long as you’re moving onwards and upwards - that’s what really matters.
What if it comes to the end of the year and I haven’t done everything I wanted to do?
Hey, don't beat yourself up too much if you don't fully achieve everything. Think about the present moment and don’t look too much into the past - maybe there were things out of your control that prevented you from doing all the things you wanted to. And remember - you can always start again! Every day is a new day, you don't have to feel like you've failed the new year already or wasted time. Strike a balance between, yeah I shouldn’t be negative towards myself for not doing all the things I wanted to, there's always time to make things happen. But also remember, if you really want something, there’s no better time to start than the present. It’s one day or day one!
If you feel like you still need more help, reach out to someone you trust. This could be a parent, friend, sibling - whoever is willing to listen. Or if that isn't comfortable for you, Youthline has an anonymous and non-judgemental helpline you can call or text. It’s like a free listening ear for you to vent and let out your frustrations. Free call the helpline on 0800 376 633.
