“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
It’s that time of year again! School’s back. But it might be very different than what you might be used to. You might be learning online. You might have less classmates at school. You might switch between your home and your classroom. This makes planning so much more important! Here’s our tips to make this the best school year ever – plan for success!
BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR PLAN! PLAN! PLAN
DECIDE AND PLAN: Sit down and think about what and how you will learn! Taking the time to reflect on this will help you remember the positives in school ‒ including your favourite subjects and habits.
Set goals and ways to achieve them: Create SMART Goals! If you haven’t created them before, why not give them a try. You want to set both short-term and long-term goals that you know you can achieve. Three to five SMART Goals are a great starting point.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, STAY ORGANIZED!
Keep an agenda: Stay on top of your motivation to have the best school year ever! Keep track of all of your due dates, class times, meetings, and other activities using an agenda. There are tons of free phone apps and themed planners that will help guide you towards success.
Pro Tips! Colour code your agenda to prioritize deadlines! Set aside time to CARE FOR YOURSELF INSIDE AND OUT (everything from sleep, to meals, to exercise)! Record your goals, actions, and daily tasks in a really important area to remember them (such as a phone background, the front page of your agenda, or on a board on a wall in your bedroom)!
Remember to be RESPONSIBLE: YOU are RESPONSIBLE for YOU! Make sure you are aware of the SMART Goals that you’ve set for yourself. Take responsibility for the mistakes you make while accomplishing your goals.
FROM TIME-TO-TIME, LEARN, MOVE FORWARD AND PLAN AGAIN!
Adapt! Don’t react: CHOOSE YOUR RESPONSE! Don’t be too hard on yourself if challenges distance yourself from success. That’s the process of learning about what works best for you.
Remember again: Be RESPONSIBLE! Check-in on your goals weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Sit down again and debrief what went well, what you need to change, and how you’ll edit your goals or actions to achieve success. Continue to check in until you’ve accomplished your goals.
Planning is an important tool to help you have the best school year possible!
Even though times are different now, remember that you aren’t alone. Don’t forget that you can ACHIEVE MORE TOGETHER, so pass these words onto a friend or two! This will hold yourself accountable to your friends, and your friends accountable to you.
All in all, success lies ahead, and your efforts to reach it will pay off!
by Jay, camp volunteer
