It’s the new year, a time to reflect on the past year and dream up new goals for 2021! Most students at Aspen juggle work, school, personal, and family obligations. Try these tips for making a resolution and sticking to it.
- Set Realistic Goals. Only 8% of the population sticks to their New Year’s resolution. People often try to go from 0 to 100 miles per hour right away. For example, many online students are adult learners who have not been in school for some time, yet some people set a goal to take 2+ courses at once to finish their degree faster. Set a more reasonable goal such as starting with one course at a time and move forward from there.
- Identify clear benchmarks with the endgame in mind. Think about what you want to accomplish. Put parameters in place to make sure you are taking steps toward meeting your goal.
- Tell friends and family about your resolution. Tell your friends, family or colleagues about your goal. Your friends and family want to see you succeed. Plus this strategy adds a level of accountability.
- Get organized. Use a planner or productivity app like Taskful or Trello. You can keep track of your online coursework, deadlines, work schedule, and more!
- Small victories matter! Reward yourself along the way. When you hit a benchmark along the way, treat yourself! For example, if your goal is to graduate with a 4.0, and you get an A in your first course, plan a fun night out! Life is all about balance, so reward yourself for working hard.