Happy almost September, y’all! This time of year always brings about a lot of bittersweet emotions for me… the sweet being the loads of happiness and excitement for the new school year ahead and a bit of sadness that the summer is ending. Truly though, I do believe that the bittersweet moments of life are some of the most meaningful and impactful. They grow us and shape us and help us recognize that a great life includes a whole lotta good with some bitter in between, and that’s just part of what makes it so special. Just like we use bittersweet chocolate to bake something delicious (like choco chip cookies), the bittersweet moments of life, I believe, are a part of what’s shaping us into something beautiful.
Okay, now that I got my deep philosophical thought off my chest, let’s get down to business. How do we start the school year strong & make it the best one yet?!
For me– and I would assume most of us– each year brings about a new set of goals & challenges. This means that it is so, so important to take time to reflect on our strengths and weaknesses of the last school year and make adjustments for the year ahead. This process can take five minutes, or it can take a couple hours. However long you need! The key is to just take a bit of time to think & write out where you shined last school year and where there is room for improvement.
Next up is taking the strengths & weaknesses you just reflected on and turning them into intentional goals. Get some hot tea, your journal, and begin. When I sat down to reflect on my strengths and weakness from my freshman year of college, I recognized quite a few areas I shined in and some areas that weren’t too hot. For example… I really put myself out there!!! I met tons of new people, let go of a lot of fear of what other people thought of me, grew a lot in my faith, and developed an even stronger passion for helping people feel loved & connected & motivated to pursue passions of their own. Now, alongside the craziness of freshman year, I also had some areas that I definitely want to improve upon this year. One of these areas includes creating a bit more of a routine (I love to schedule just about everything in my life–including TV time– on my Google calendar) so that I feel more of a sense of stability throughout the week, all while still being able to have some flexibility and spontaneity. Another area I definitely want to improve upon is having a more consistent sleep/reading/downtime/rest/do absolutely nothing schedule. I want to journal more & just be still more… even watch a bit more TV (which I know for some people sounds like such a strange goal but I NEVER watch TV and it forces me to lay down and not be working on things for just a bit). A third area I want to improve upon is dedicating time in my schedule to more things I love to do (like writing & blogging) and upholding my commitment to myself as much as I uphold my commitments to others. I have about 100 more goals for this year but I’ll keep it short & sweet for ya & leave it at that. 😉
Now, once you have your strengths that you want to hold onto for the upcoming year and your areas that you want to grow and improve upon, it’s time to get those tools in place to make it happen! For me, scheduling everything in my Google Calendar, my Day Designer planner (link here), having a clean desk and living space, having my workout clothes set out, having my bible/journal/pen ready to go for my mornings, and having a playlist that gets me fired up are some of the essentials that I’m using this year to help me stay on track. For you, the tools might be completely different, and that’s SO okay! The key is to make sure you have your tools in place to keep you going strong.
I truly believe that if I’m not growing, I’m moving backwards, and if I’m not actively working on my goals, they aren’t gonna happen. This life takes work but oh, how grateful I am that we get the opportunity to use our unique gifts & talents to keep making each day better than the next. Being intentional about setting goals & dreams periodically throughout the year and reminding yourself of them daily is so, so important! Whether school has started for you or not, I want to encourage you to take a bit of time and plan for the year ahead. Write it all out or say it to a friend. You’re worth the work of becoming the best version of you & making this year AWESOME.
Always,
Elle
