Tips for making a fresh start this autumn
--- By Rachel Rowland (ABC School’s Academic Coordinator)
As autumn sweeps in, many of us start to contemplate new beginnings. I love autumn because it always reminds me of my first day at school and the excitement and anticipation that I felt about what I was going to learn. Within educational establishments, the new academic year starts in September and it is widely considered to be a good time to make a fresh start in your life and to allow yourself to feel energised and creative. Here, I am going to share with you some useful tips for starting the academic year in a positive way. After all, you should start as you mean to go on!
Reflect
Yes, as interesting as this may seem, the first step is to reflect on the year that has just passed. What worked well for you? Which areas of your life didn’t work out so well? Perhaps you have realised that you need to work harder on improving your listening skills in English. Did you discover anything new about yourself? Perhaps you realised that you are a visual learner or that you prefer to read rather than listen to English texts. Reflection can be used as a development tool. Intuitively, we know that we learn from our experiences and from our mistakes. Research has shown that without the process of actively thinking about our experiences, and thinking about what they mean, learning doesn’t really take place. Your answers to the questions above, will provide important clues and insights into what needs changing, what you need to now focus on and how you can transform your life in a positive way.
Write your goals down on paper
Once you have decluttered your mind of everything that didn’t work well and you have accepted those things without bitterness and left them in the past, it is now time to create a vision for your future. I always find that writing down my experiences helps to clarify them in my mind. It is equally important to write down your goals. Write down on paper, what you would love your life to be like and write using the present tense because our brains respond better and immediately to messages in the present. Be as imaginative as you like, as there are no rules here! For example, you could say: “I am studying at university and I am now a fluent English speaker”. Writing down your goals is one of the most important actions you can take and research has shown that we are 42% more likely to achieve our goals just by writing them down. Writing down your goals forces you to clarify what you want. You would not go on a journey without picking a destination first or thinking about how you will get there, so why would you not select the specifics for other areas of your life? Writing down your goals forces you to choose something specific and decide what it is that you really want.
Have the right mind-set
So many people never accomplish their desires because they are never completely sure about what they actually want. In order to manifest your goals, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve. Ask yourself this question: Once I manifest what I want, what will it look like and how will I feel about it? Focus on every detail. Many experts in goal setting believe that when you are writing out your reality of exactly what you desire, you should tap into the feeling associated with achieving those goals and notice how good it feels. For example, if your desire is to graduate from university, imagine how you will feel at the very moment that you receive your degree certificate. Relish in that feeling and make a conscious effort to tap into it every day. Remember that you should remain positive! Make sure that you do not allow negative thoughts and emotions to creep in, otherwise, you will simply manifest more of them. Do not think about what will happen if you fail an exam, just focus on the feeling of passing it!
September is a great time to plan your year ahead and to focus on specific goals for the coming year. I am sure that if you adopt the right mind-set and use the tips outlined in this article, you will achieve all that you desire!
Reflect
Yes, as interesting as this may seem, the first step is to reflect on the year that has just passed. What worked well for you? Which areas of your life didn’t work out so well? Perhaps you have realised that you need to work harder on improving your listening skills in English. Did you discover anything new about yourself? Perhaps you realised that you are a visual learner or that you prefer to read rather than listen to English texts. Reflection can be used as a development tool. Intuitively, we know that we learn from our experiences and from our mistakes. Research has shown that without the process of actively thinking about our experiences, and thinking about what they mean, learning doesn’t really take place. Your answers to the questions above, will provide important clues and insights into what needs changing, what you need to now focus on and how you can transform your life in a positive way.
Write your goals down on paper
Once you have decluttered your mind of everything that didn’t work well and you have accepted those things without bitterness and left them in the past, it is now time to create a vision for your future. I always find that writing down my experiences helps to clarify them in my mind. It is equally important to write down your goals. Write down on paper, what you would love your life to be like and write using the present tense because our brains respond better and immediately to messages in the present. Be as imaginative as you like, as there are no rules here! For example, you could say: “I am studying at university and I am now a fluent English speaker”. Writing down your goals is one of the most important actions you can take and research has shown that we are 42% more likely to achieve our goals just by writing them down. Writing down your goals forces you to clarify what you want. You would not go on a journey without picking a destination first or thinking about how you will get there, so why would you not select the specifics for other areas of your life? Writing down your goals forces you to choose something specific and decide what it is that you really want.
Have the right mind-set
So many people never accomplish their desires because they are never completely sure about what they actually want. In order to manifest your goals, you need to be clear about what you want to achieve. Ask yourself this question: Once I manifest what I want, what will it look like and how will I feel about it? Focus on every detail. Many experts in goal setting believe that when you are writing out your reality of exactly what you desire, you should tap into the feeling associated with achieving those goals and notice how good it feels. For example, if your desire is to graduate from university, imagine how you will feel at the very moment that you receive your degree certificate. Relish in that feeling and make a conscious effort to tap into it every day. Remember that you should remain positive! Make sure that you do not allow negative thoughts and emotions to creep in, otherwise, you will simply manifest more of them. Do not think about what will happen if you fail an exam, just focus on the feeling of passing it!
September is a great time to plan your year ahead and to focus on specific goals for the coming year. I am sure that if you adopt the right mind-set and use the tips outlined in this article, you will achieve all that you desire!