Category: Motivation

My 2021 New Year’s Resolutions

ElliLeave a comment

It’s difficult to comprehend that the 2020 is almost over – it feels like it only just began! There’s so many things I wanted to do in this time, but it’s flown by so fast that I’ve been unable to focus on anything specifically.

We all need some motivation for the oncoming 2021, and I figured the best way for myself to stay motivated and accomplish my goals would be to share them to the public. Hopefully, my resolutions encourage you to create and work on your own, if you haven’t already!

#1: Learn American Sign Language

Language is something I’m fascinated by, and I want to expand my horizons by learning a different language from what I’m used to.

I’ve wanted to learn sign language for so long, but have never gotten around to it. However, I’ve finally decided to take the bull by the horns this year.

I’ve found some great online ASL courses that I’m interested in, and feel I’m ready to take on this new project!

#2: Run Every Morning

I used to love running – it’s one of the only sports I can enjoy without stress. Over the last couple of years, however, I’ve been so busy with other things that I’ve never taken the time to go for a run around my neighborhood.

I especially want to spend more time in nature, and figured that running would be the best way for me to do that. It’ll take quite some effort to get used to running often again, but I know I have it in me and I’ll make sure to push myself until I’m satisfied with my workout routine!

#3: Spend More Time in Nature

This correlates with the second resolution, as already mentioned, but I think that this resolution definitely deserves its own part in the list.

I’ve felt very disconnected with myself for a while now, but enjoying nature and the scenery always brings me back to reality, while simultaneously allowing me to feed and strengthen my imagination.

We’ve all probably gotten to spending more time on technology because of the state that the world is in, and it can feel quite suffocating and isolating at times. So why not separate yourself from the internet once in a while and enjoy the beauty of the present?

#4: Read Every Evening

Has anyone else’s attention span shortened quite a bit since the beginning of the year, because mine sure has!

It’s much harder to focus on a book when so many things are bouncing around the back of your mind at once, distracting you from an activity that’s supposed to be enjoyable.

Every evening in 2021, I’m going to open a book and try to forget about the world for the time being, instead letting myself become immersed in the story.

#5: Express My Creative Side

Imagination brought into reality is a beautiful way to share our inner thoughts, and to make the world a more connected and positive place.

There are so many creative activities that I love to do – painting, drawing, writing stories, poetry, and songs, and generally just creating things that mean something.

Throughout 2021, I’m going to spend a chunk of my time using the creative side of my mind. I’m going to put my story ideas to paper, use a brush and canvas to express my ideas, and invest more time towards using my imagination.

I consider resolutions a very important part of learning and growing. Whether you participate in this yearly tradition or not, making goals and motivating yourself to keep them is extremely important for success.

The goals I’ve chosen aren’t just ones that correlate with my physical well-being and my education, but also for my mental health and positive mindset. This year has left me feeling like I lack purpose, and these goals are things that I’m fully committed to doing, because I know that my future self will thank me for them.

If you have any goals you’re striving to reach but just can’t find motivation, I encourage you to use this new year to your advantage, take action, and make those positive improvements to your lifestyle!

Photo by Danil Aksenov on Unsplash

Advertisement

4 Ways to Deal With the Stress of Growing Up

Elli1 Comment

It’s pretty nerve-wracking when you come to the realization that your childhood is almost over. We all reach the age where we begin to wonder what we’ll do with our life, what new responsibilities we should take on, and that we need to keep a firm eye on our grades.

I think that the only way we’ll be able to handle this sort of stress is to talk about it, so that’s what I’m doing today, and I recommend you all do it too.

1. Having A Passion is More Rare Than You Think

Until recently, I’ve always thought that my passion will come to me on my own, and that I should wait it out. But I’ve only just realized that a passion isn’t something you’re born with; you make your passion, or at least most people do, anyway.

When it comes to passion, it doesn’t matter what you choose, it only matters that you put all of your dedication into whatever you’ve chosen. A passion doesn’t choose you, you choose it.

What do you do if you have to choose between something you love and something you’ll make money from?

You could make a lot of money from something, but be miserable every day, or choose something you love, but not make enough money from it, leading to you also being miserable every day. People say that money can’t buy happiness, but something to keep in mind is that not having money can also extinguish happiness. The perfect career lies somewhere in the middle.

If you can’t decide what you want to do, then it’s important not only to weigh in something you make money from or love, but also your skill set, commitment, interest in the topic, and so much more.

What do you want to bring to the world? Do you want to make a difference? Make sure to choose a passion that, at the end of the day, you’ll be proud of.

2. Don’t Fill Yourself With Doubts

We all doubt ourselves time to time, and it’s important to do this so that we can have a backup plan and see all of the outcomes.

However, it is damaging to our health and our mindset if we let these doubts keep us from doing anything.

You may notice that I haven’t posted in a while. That’s because I was scared that people would judge me, that it wouldn’t be worth my time, etc. What if I can’t do it? Am I even a good writer? I really despise those thoughts, by the way.

However, now that I’m back, I’d forgotten how much I love writing. I love helping others through my posts, contributing to the online community, and letting inspiration flow from my fingertips. I’ve since gotten rid of my doubts and am much happier!

We should put in our best effort to make sure we don’t regret anything we didn’t do, and instead live life to the fullest; fully aware of the possibilities of failure, but using those fears to propel us forward in a more prepared manner.

The truth is that anyone can accomplish anything they put effort into, as long as you commit to it and enjoy the process.

3. Failure is Necessary

Failure gives you the worst feeling. It makes you question whether you should give up, whether you’re even capable of what you want to do.

But whenever you have to face failure, remember that every successful person has also had to face failure. It’s inevitable.

Failure is the only way for us to grow, to learn, and to innovate. Being successful on your first try is a rarity, if not impossible.

Learn to embrace failure, mishaps and mistakes, because each failure brings with it an important lesson that will teach you how to improve. Once we accept mistakes as a normal part of life, we’ll always come back stronger to try again, thus leading to eventually becoming successful.

4. You’re Not Alone

It may feel like everyone has already figured things out and know what to do with their lives, but reality is that everyone’s scared. No one truly knows what the future will bring. It’s okay and normal to feel unsure about your future, because everyone’s on the same boat, including me.

Believe me when I say this; You’re not alone, and everything will be okay. There will be many ups and downs, and there will be times when you want to give up, but as long as you try new things, experience life to the fullest, and remind yourself that it’s okay to fail, then you’ll be alright.

Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash

7 Tips to Stop Wasting Time and Use it Productively Instead

ElliLeave a comment

Have you ever felt like you haven’t been using your time to the best of your abilities? That you’re wasting it by doing something unproductive when you could be working instead?

Believe it or not, everyone has felt this way before.

There are some surprisingly easy ways to stop this habit, even if you feel it’s hopeless.

1. Plan in Advance

If we don’t know where to start on a project, how are we ever going to feel motivated enough to begin?

To know what you should be doing, use a planner or journal and write down all of the things you need to accomplish each day.

Set times for these plans, so that you can easily know when you’re supposed to start and finish something!

2. Clear Out All Distractions

Any technology that you don’t need, any games or hobbies to distract yourself with – clear them out!

A great way to get rid of distractions is to put them somewhere where it will be harder to access them. Because of this, your brain will just decide that it’s easier to work while you’re at your computer than go grab your phone that’s two rooms away in the closet.

If social media is what distracts you, find an app that temporarily blocks these sites! When the sites are inaccessible, the only thing left for you to do that fills up your time is to work.

3. Do Something to Put Yourself in a Productive Mood

Some things that you can do that make people feel more energetic and awake are to splash water on your face, find things to be happy about, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, drink enough water throughout the day, look at things that inspire you, and create a list of who you want to become.

Do whatever puts you in a productive mood every day, since you don’t want the motivation to fade over time! I’ve noticed this happening for myself, since I tend to have a short attention span when it comes to projects. To fight this, I constantly remind myself of my goals and who I want to be. After doing so, I’m surprised at how much more energetic I become.

4. Think of People Who Inspire You

There are many people that I look up to, and I’m sure you can think of some for yourself, too!

Find a person who’s reached a similar goal to yours already, and try to understand a little more about how they did it. The way people accomplish things and motivate themselves is different for everyone, but getting an idea of where to start will help you in the long run.

Though I will warn you that you shouldn’t idolize someone too much. Don’t ever change yourself or your personality to try to be more like someone else, since 1: That’s not a possibility, and people will know that you’re trying to pretend to be someone you’re not, and 2: You’re special because you’re you. Think about it; There’s not a single person in this world that’s exactly like you (unless you have a clone, of course) so why would you want to give away what makes you special?

Create a list of people that inspire you, and use it as motivation to be more productive. If they’re able to accomplish their goals and dreams, then you can too.

5. It’s Okay to Have a Break

If you’re ever tired, or have been working a lot, know that it’s okay to have a break. Breaks are good for your health, and keep your energy up for when you come back to work.

Don’t put yourself down if you’ve been working every day but feel like you need to do more. Don’t do anything that would hurt your health, like sleeping less, not eating enough, or avoiding friends. This will only negatively affect your attitude and ability to concentrate.

However, you also don’t want to take such a long break that it seems like you’re slacking off. There’s a healthy balance between work and personal life, and it’s important that everyone finds it to be their best selves.

6. Know That Other People Feel the Same

Do you feel alone, like you’re the only person who isn’t doing anything productive? All of your friends and family and coworkers are always on the go, while you’re sitting around procrastinating?

Fun fact: Almost everyone has experienced the same thing.

Everyone has gone through a slump at least once in their life, if not more. We’re all a lot more similar than we think.

Remember that so many other people are feeling the same thing, and let that feeling inspire you. Maybe you’re optimistic attitude or productive routine will inspire them to become better, too!

7. Don’t Wait for the “Right Day”

Everyone has struggled with motivating themselves at some point. It’s what the term “lazy” refers to. But the truth is, feeling unmotivated doesn’t necessarily make you lazy.

You want to do something, but feel too crappy, tired, or tell yourself that you’ll wait until tomorrow. This isn’t because you’re lazy, it’s because you can never seem to find the right time.

Well, can I tell you a secret?

There’s never a right time. Ever.

You’re never going to magically be able to do everything one day because it was the “right day”. It’s a little harder than that.

Instead of waiting, the best thing for you to do is get up, go to your workspace, and start. You may tell me that it’s not that easy. But trust me, though the motivation may be a little behind, once you start working on your project and stay focused, it’ll catch up with you.

Photo by Ocean Ng on Unsplash

How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Reach Your Goals

Elli4 Comments

We all have a dream. A clear picture in our head of who we’d want to be if anything was possible.

Some people want to have an amazing job, change the world, or become famous, but no matter what, I’m sure we all have an image of our best self.

Instead of feeling discouraged and thinking that these dreams are unlikely to be accomplished, we need to keep taking steps forward.

Goals are Unobtainable Without Effort

When planning your future in advance, a good thing to remember is that goals can’t be reached unless you work toward them every day.

If you want to be an entrepreneur, you may research how to do this by watching videos and reading about the topic, but you’ll never actually have a chance to get there until you take the first real step.

To do this, you can’t just hope you make it. You have to remind yourself that it is possible, and you can accomplish more than you think if you put enough effort, planning, and work into it. Visualize yourself doing it to make it seem more real.

Come up with an idea, brainstorm how to get there, and plan things involving finance, your education, and time in advance. You’ll then have a clearer idea of how you’re going to get there.

There are plenty of other resources online that can help you get an idea of how to reach your goals.

Everyone has the Power to be Successful

Every successful person started out as a child, with dreams and aspirations. Every successful person had to put effort into reaching their goal. Every successful person fought through the failures and pushed themselves to keep trying, no matter how difficult.

Some people are luckier than others when it comes to being successful, it’s true. But I like to think that every human has the power to change the world for the better.

In the end, we’re all the same. Human. It’s hurtful to your self confidence if you tell yourself that you can’t do something simply because you aren’t as smart, as skilled, or as talented. Everyone starts from the bottom. It doesn’t matter when or where you start, but that you keep going.

You Are Unique

The word “Successful” means something different for every person, so you should try to reach the goals you dream of instead of the ones others do.

A bad goal to set is one where you try to be someone else. The truth is that being the same as someone else is just not possible. Everyone is different, and to reach your goals you need to harness and express what is uniquely you.

We all love different things, come from different backgrounds, and have different ideas. Those differences are what makes us special, and will help us each change the world if we choose to keep pushing ourselves to get there.

No matter how small the goal, if it’s important to you, then you shouldn’t put it aside and procrastinate about it. If you’re passionate about something and don’t know where to start, here’s a tip; Just start. It’s harder than it sounds, but actually starting is the only way we can each stop doubting our abilities and create something beautiful.

Photo by Steve Halama on Unsplash

9 Easy Ways to End Writer’s Block Once and for All

Elli7 Comments

Writer’s block has probably affected all bloggers at some point. Sometimes, no matter how much we try, we just can’t think of something creative to write about.

I’ve struggled with this a lot too, especially recently, and am going to share with you some of the tricks I use to think of new ideas!

1. Explore Other Blogs

A great way to find inspiration is to look through some of your favourite blogger’s posts and see if they can give you any inspiration. Try to find blogs within your niche!

Keep in mind that you shouldn’t steal another blogger’s work, but can always use their idea and turn it into something unique to you.

2. Find Your Most Creative Time of Day

Everyone has a certain time of the day when they feel most active, and when their mind is flowing with ideas.

For example, I get the most ideas late at night. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have started this blog if I hadn’t stayed up an extra half hour the day before, since at the time I was brainstorming ways that I could share my passion.

Take advantage of this time and brainstorm as many ideas as you can, no matter how random or silly. You might be able to use them later!

3. Keep a Journal

Another simple tip is to keep a journal on your desk that’s dedicated to blog ideas.

Write all of your ideas, as well as the goals you want to achieve with your blog.

Inspiration can come at the strangest moments, so it’s best to be prepared to write them down!

4. Go on a Walk

Taking a break and smelling the fresh air is a good way to clear your mind, as well as a way to exercise.

Walk to the park, the beach, around the block, or anywhere that makes you happy. Don’t forget to bring your journal with you!

5. Ask a Friend

If you have friends who read your blog, they might have some ideas of other things you can write!

You could also ask your audience and other bloggers to give some ideas and pointers.

6. Change Your Workspace

If you work in the same spot every day, chances are that it can get a little boring at times. Try to change things up by going to a coffee shop, a park, or simply moving to another room.

Being in the same spot can feel uninspiring, and you’ll most likely have an easier time thinking of ideas if you change your routine every once in a while.

7. Go Outside of Your Niche

If you’re running out of ideas of things to write for your niche, try expanding your blog’s topics.

My blog initially used to just be about books, but I realized that books aren’t the only things I like writing about. I also enjoy inspiring and motivating others!

Your blog is unique, and should be a place where you can be creative and have fun, so don’t let a specific niche restrict you if you’re running out of ideas, even if only once in a while.

7. Exercise for Energy

Exercising is a great time to try coming up with ideas. Blood is flowing through your body, and you have less distractions than when you sit at your computer.

You can also try coming up with ideas after exercising. You’ll feel more energetic and awake, and your brain will be more focused and creative.

8. Relax Your Mind

Sometimes we just need to relax our mind.

Having a shower, watching a TV show or movie, playing a game, or just lying down on your bed. These are all different ways to relax.

Without having to concentrate on anything particular, your mind can wander and have time to think, which will make it easier to produce new ideas.

9. Spend Time With Yourself

Go somewhere or do something fun. Write in a journal about your deepest thoughts. Work on trying to understand yourself, your goals, and what makes you happy.

Get to know yourself, so that you can discover what you like, and also what you enjoy writing about.

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

7 Tips For Working Under Pressure When Stressed

Elli5 Comments

You know that feeling, where there’s so much you have to do that it feels like you’re suffocating?

Or when people are all relying on you, and you worry that you can’t live up to their expectations?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The truth is, we’ve all experienced a type of this feeling, and I can safely say that it’s not the most fun.

Stress can impact our lives by making us more messy, and less careful and attentive. When we feel overwhelmed, we may end up cheating or skipping parts of our work just to finish. All we want is that feeling to be gone.

Unfortunately, there’s no magic solution that can rid us of stress immediately while working under pressure, but there are ways that we can learn to cope with it, and turn it into something more beneficial.

#1. Give Yourself Time to Breathe

We’ve all heard this one, haven’t we? “Just give yourself a break, and trust me, you’ll feel better!”

You might roll your eyes, saying that you aren’t able to do this, because you have too much work to do to even have time for a break. But when I say this, I don’t mean take a vacation or have an hour long bubble bath.

Just take a moment, – 10 seconds is even enough – close your eyes, and take a deep breath. In your mind, go through everything you need to do, every plan you have for the day.

Make it a goal for your to start working right when you open your eyes again. Don’t even hesitate for a second before standing up and doing what you need to do, or else that might just give you enough time to decide that you’ll wait until tomorrow.

#2. Perfect Timing

Once you’ve finally decided what you need to work on, the best thing to do is to write down a schedule of what you’re going to do for the day.

Give every task a designated time, so that you know exactly when you’ll need to do something.

When you write a schedule with certain times for every task, your mind will be able to see what you need to do more clearly, and it won’t all be a jumble of words in your head anymore. Organization will help calm the storm.

#3. Think Of Why You’re Stressed

Why are you stressed?

Is it for a multitude of reasons? Is there so much going on that you don’t know where to start?

Have you been procrastinating while the piles of work keep getting higher and higher, and now you don’t know what to do?

Are people relying on you to do something and you don’t want to disappoint them?

Working under pressure is never easy, but finding the reason behind the stress can help you see what needs to be done first, and what steps you need to take to get there.

#4. Stay Focused

It’s easy for your mind to wander off, or find things that it could be doing instead of the task.

That’s why it’s extremely important for you to make an effort to stay alert and pay attention to what you’re doing.

When you feel yourself dozing off and notice it, then snap your attention back to what you need to do. It’s easier said than done, but with enough practice, you’ll be able to work under pressure with pure focus.

#5. Don’t Neglect Your Body

If you aren’t feeling motivated, then I recommend taking a short nap, going for a quick run, or grabbing a glass of water and a bite to eat. We all need to fuel ourselves.

How else will we finish the tasks well if we aren’t taking care of our brain and body?

You should never neglect your health so that you can have more time to do work. Your energy levels will decrease, you won’t be as efficient, and you’ll feel horrible. Taking care of yourself will benefit your work pace and focus.

#6. Encourage Yourself

Telling yourself that it’s too hard will only make matters worse. Put effort into reminding yourself that you can do it, and that you’re strong enough to finish.

Remind yourself that it’s achievable, and you’ll probably see a difference in your attitude toward the task. Sure, it’s hard, but not impossible. If you keep trying, you’ll eventually find a way to finish it.

Think about how you’ll feel when you finish; you won’t be so stressed about it anymore!

#7. Treat Yourself

When you’ve finished all or even just part of the task, make sure that you reward yourself for your accomplishment!

Whether it’s something from eating a chocolate bar to going out with friends as a reward; it’s up to you.

Give yourself a goal to work towards so that there’s something fun to look forward to when you finish!

15 Helpful Tips to Stay Focused When Studying

Elli3 Comments

You know the feeling; your motivation is gone, and you’re unable to focus on finishing your work.

You keep telling yourself that you’ll do it later, when you’re able to concentrate. Then, you just spin yourself in an endless cycle of worry and frustration.

Staying alert when studying can be difficult, but these 15 tips and tricks will help you fix this issue, and become a studying wizard!

#1. Avoid Your Phone

One of the biggest things that can distract people from staying focused is the internet and social media.

If having your phone or any other distracting technology around you can take your eyes off the prize, and keep you from finishing your work.

A good way to keep from going on social media is to set a timer for however long you like, and until that timer ends, you aren’t allowed to check or even touch your phone.

You can also find somewhere to hide it that will be hard to reach, or give it to a family member and make them promise not to give it back to you until you’re finished.

#2. Get a Good Sleep

We all know that a lack of sleep will make it harder for you to focus on your studies the next day, which is why the right amount of sleep is important for every person to get.

An adult needs an average of 8 hours of sleep each night, and children and teens need longer in order for their brains to function well the next day.

Create a schedule of when you should fall asleep and wake up, so that you’ll never run into this problem again!

#3. Eat Right

What you eat greatly impacts your energy levels. To become more focused (and have better overall health) be sure to only be putting healthy and nutritious things on your plate.

Make sure you get the right amount of vegetables, protein, and fruit each day, and soon enough you’ll be feeling happier and more energetic!

#4. Enough Exercise

Just like eating the right foods, having a healthy exercise routine can make you more energetic and focused.

In fact, exercising doesn’t just change how you look, but also how you feel, act, and perceive things!

Try to exercise every day, even for a short while, and eventually you’ll see a change in your body and your attitude.

Remember to incorporate different areas of exercise, like flexibility, cardio, and strength, to feel an overall change.

#5. Water, Water, and More Water!

Staying hydrated will increase your energy levels, complexion, and productivity.

The average amount of water a person is supposed to drink is roughly eight glasses per day.

Be sure to fill you body up with water to look and feel healthy, and to give you the energy to pay more attention to your work.

#6. Have a Workspace

Having a designated workspace will make you more focused when you have to do a task.

You know that when you sit down at this desk or go to that place, you’re meant to be working and nothing else.

Make sure that your workspace is comfortable, clean, easily accessible, and has all of the materials you might need.

#7. Look Over Your Work

Take a look through everything you have to do. Looking at what you need to study all at once can be overwhelming, so be sure to break your work into smaller tasks and work from there.

Once you see all of the things you need to do, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to get started.

#8. Create a Schedule

A helpful tip for studying is to create a schedule for you to do every day.

This can be a list of things you need to do each day or week, and also be sure to add a checklist of all the things you need to complete.

Having a schedule will help keep your time organized, and over time you’ll find it easier and easier to keep this habit.

#9. Take Frequent Breaks

Staying focused for a long time is really difficult, especially if you aren’t motivated in the first place.

If this is the case for you, I recommend working as much as you can for 45 minutes, and then taking a break for 15 minutes to take a quick walk, talk with a family member, or grab something to eat.

Breaks will help us stay focused for longer, since doing a task for a long time can tire your brain out and make you want to stop. Taking a break will make you excited to get back to doing your work!

#10. Always Take Notes

It’s so hard to focus when you have to read through pages and pages of information, so a great idea is to take notes as you read!

Get a designated journal for each subject or used lined paper, and write down all of the key points in bullet point form.

Taking notes forces your brain to actually think about the information that you’re learning while you’re writing it down. This way, you’ll be able to retain more information and stay engaged in your task instead of getting side-tracked.

#11. Work in a Group

This tip varies from person to person. Some people are more motivated working by themselves then working in a group.

Don’t decide to do your work in a group of distracting people, and only do your work with people that are motivated like you. The worst thing you can do is be distracted from your task by a friend.

Working alone is also a great option if that’s what you prefer, but working in a group can give you a bigger reason to do what you’re supposed to, since you don’t want to be the only one who’s slacking off.

#12. Look at Inspirational Quotes from Successful People

People that we admire can greatly influence our mood and preferences. Find someone of good influence and read some of their famous quotes!

When you learn more about how famous people got to be where they are, you can start to develop your own ideas for what you want to do and where you want to be.

Remember to only do this for a short while, since you want to get started on your work as soon as possible!

#13. Use Goals to Motivate You

When do you want to get these tasks done? Where do you want to be in a year, and how will completing this help you get there?

If you don’t do something that could help you in the future, there will most likely be a point where you’ll regret that choice.

#14. Record Your Progress

Have you become more motivated since yesterday? Have you done more work than you were expecting?

Write this down in a journal so that you can record your progress and see how your doing.

You should also record how you’re feeling each day, since if you’re unhappy, there could be certain things impacting this that you should start avoiding.

#15. Start Right Away

Without a moment’s hesitation, the best solution to starting something is to start right now. Telling yourself that you’ll do it later is not the answer.

Stand up, walk over to your workspace, and get started!

Image: Photo by Green Chameleon on Unsplash

The 5 Easy Steps to Writing An Efficient Schedule

Elli2 Comments

Schedules are extremely helpful when it comes to planning, routines, and productivity. Most of us even use them on a daily basis!

But the question is; how do you write the perfect and efficient schedule?

Here are the 5 steps to writing a schedule that you’ll be sure to follow.

#1. Where to Write a Schedule

What are you supposed to use to write a schedule?

There are many different places to write a schedule that will keep you motivated, like:

  • Planner
    • To write a schedule that changes every day or week, I recommend writing these in your planner, so that you can easily change your layout for each week.
  • Calendar
    • A Calendar is where I write the basis of what I’m going to do each day. Though this isn’t a very good choice for in-depth schedules, it’s definitely helpful if you have a lot of places to go, and need to write out their dates and times.
  • DIY Schedule For Wall/Bulletin Board
    • If you want your schedule to be up somewhere that you can see it, creating your own DIY Schedule on a piece of paper, or finding a format from the internet to print out, is a great way to do this. These types of schedules work for daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly planning.
  • Phone
    • A place to keep your schedule on-the-go is on your phone! Put your schedule into your calendar, or set alarms for certain times!

#2. Write the Title and Steps

When you first start making your schedule, start off by writing the basics of what you’re going to be doing. If you need to finish your homework, a blog post, or a task, write each of those things as a basis for your schedule.

Underneath those titles for the tasks, you should go more into detail for what you’re doing by writing the steps you need to take to complete it.

To make your schedule more personalized, you can do fun things like colour code the tasks, use a neat style of writing, and more!

#3. Time Management

Now you need to figure out when you can do each of the tasks on your schedule.

First of all, you need to think of what day you’ll start. Next, you’ll need to think about what you’re going to be doing each day and if you’re going anywhere, so you can incorporate your schedule into each day efficiently.

What free time do you have during the day? What time do you want to complete each of the tasks?

I recommend writing the basic time frame next to a task of how long it will take to complete it. This time frame might not be completely accurate if you’re not sure how long something will take you, so feel free to just estimate it.

#4. A ‘Did’ List

People use checklists for a lot of things, and it can be fun to check off a task when you finish it! But there’s also another tactic that I consider more motivating, which is making a ‘Did’ list.

This is a list of things you’ve done each day, so that you can see what you’ve accomplished in one spot. Instead of crossing things out, you’re writing them down to see how far you’ve come!

I use this kind of set-up for school work by writing down each time I’ve finished a certain area of work, and I highly recommend it.

#5. Get Into the Right Mindset

To keep up a routine or schedule requires you to feel motivated and confident that you will stay focused.

If your schedule is too hard to follow, you’ll have trouble feeling excited to do it when you have to.

Staying healthy and taking multiple breaks in your schedule to relax is a great way to combat procrastination and keep good habits.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve successfully completed creating a schedule, it’s time for you to get started!

Hopefully this list has helped you with creating a good routine for yourself to stay on. Did you follow these steps, and if so, did they help you?

Image: Photo by Emma Matthews Digital Content Production on Unsplash

The 6 Steps to Starting and Keeping Good Habits

Elli3 Comments

We all have those days where we feel too tired to do our daily chores, to work, to exercise.

However much we hate to admit it, keeping up these habits is actually really important to our overall health.

Keep reading to learn the steps to keeping up good habits!

1. Start Small.

When beginning a healthy habit that you want to keep up in the long run, you might want to jump right in and start doing the rough work immediately.

However, if you’re planning on doing this every day, sometimes you can get demotivated or bored even after just a little while.

My best advice for keeping healthy habits is to start with something small, and work your way up.

If you want to exercise more, start with a small ten minute workout every day, and slowly work your way up to twenty minutes, thirty minutes, and so on.

You know you can do it if you try, but it’s better for your body and mind to take it slow and get used to this new routine before it gets hard.

2. Create a Schedule.

Most people love creating schedules, so hopefully this is a fun part of the process for you!

Create a daily, weekly, or monthly list of what you’re going to do each day. I like to include time frames into my schedule for how long a task will take, but this option is up to you!

A great idea is to hang it up in your office, bedroom, or any place in your house that you visit the most. If you see it every day, you’ll be reminded of what your goal is!

Decorating this schedule is a fun idea, too! Make it motivating by adding quotes, using different coloured pens, or just make it into something that will keep you smiling.

3. Have a Vision.

When I say ‘have a vision’, I mean that you should have a clear idea of where you want to be in a week, or a month, or maybe even a year.

Write down where you want to be after doing this habit for a certain amount of time, and what your goal is.

Ways you can express your vision are by writing about it, drawing a picture, or even creating a vision board!

4. Get Started.

Now it’s your first day of starting this routine. You’ve woken up early to get a head start, and are excited to see how this habit will help with your mental and physical health.

However, after doing this for a couple of days, it starts to seem less simple than you once thought.

Whenever you want to give up, remember your goal and vision, and tell yourself that you’ll thank yourself for starting this routine in a month.

I know that this is the case with me, where I’ve always had trouble keeping up an exercise routine. However, lately I’ve been starting to find fun ways to do it, which leads us to the next task.

5. Change it to Your Preferences.

If you’re not enjoying how your routine is set up, then the best solution is to find a way to make it more entertaining and fitting for you.

If you’ve been going on the treadmill every day, but have realized that doing this is boring, then either find a way to make this more fun, like listening to podcasts or music, or change the tasks altogether and start jogging around your neighborhood instead!

If you realize you have more short-term concentration than long-term, and it’s difficult for you to concentrate on finishing work or chores over a long period of time, then start doing them in short intervals.

Finding and fixing your weak spots will make your habits stronger and more likely to stay in the long run.

6. Celebrate!

After setting and completing a goal, be sure to celebrate! Do something fun that feels like a reward for reaching your vision.

However, this isn’t the end. If you finish doing the task just because you’ve reached your goal, then how are you going to keep yourself where you stopped?

Keeping up habits can be hard and frustrating at times, but remember to keep your eyes on the prize, and you’ll be proud of yourself when you hit your goal.