Have you made your resolutions yet?
We know how it goes...this year, you're sticking with them!
Did you know it takes at least 66 consistent days to form a habit? That's just over two months. Start off 2017 with some attainable goals you can actually stick to, one day at a time. Here are a few goals we've seen work wonders for artists of all ages.
1. Make Lists Every Day of What You Need to Accomplish
Life can get overwhelming when you're a busy student, and tasks like homework, household chores, and personal care can fall by the wayside if we are not proactive. If you feel this way, you're not alone. Making a list every day highlights what we absolutely need to finish, whether that be making your bed, practicing your scales, or finalizing a History report.
The most important part of writing your daily lists? Start each one by listing a task you've already completed, and crossing it off. Even if it's as simple as "brushing your teeth." Seeing an item or two before you even begin the day is a motivating trick to keep crossing off tasks throughout the day until you're complete.
2. Push Yourself Outside Your Comfort Zone
Taking healthy risks and trying new things is the best way to achieve greatness in your field and in your life, and it takes guts. This applies to art, academics, professional goals, and socializing, among many other things. If you're shy, push yourself to say "Hi" to someone new. If you're well versed in jazz, learning some new rock riffs may spark something inside you that you didn't even know was there. Always wanted to teach art therapy classes but never got certified? Now's the time. Take the first step by looking up some courses in your area. Just one step a time is all it takes. Ask yourself each day if you have challenged yourself, as your potential is infinite.
3. Take Standardized Tests Early
We know you won't ever really want to take these. So, best to study up and get them out of the way early. Getting a jump on high school, university, and post-graduate entrance exams gives you some breathing room before the hard deadlines hit. Should you decide to retake the test(s), you'll have the chance to do so. If you're happy with your results, congratulations! You just freed up a lot of stress and time you can use for creating perspective-shifting art, which we bet you'd prefer to be doing anyway.
4. Develop Relationships with your Advisors and Listen to Their Expertise
Guidance Counselors and other staff advisors at school are there for a reason. They know the schools you're looking at, they know the programs you want to get involved in, and they may even know some mentors to connect you to in your chosen field. Use them as a resource, listening ear, and general concierge to open up a world of possibilities waiting right down the hall.
5. Take Moments to Appreciate what You Already Have
*Insert tongue out emoji here* if you think this is corny! We know it may seem so, but, it's been proven that gratitude is very important to success. Keeping a gratitude journal, or scribbling a note each day about what you are thankful for, and folding it up into a jar to read them all next December are both great options to perform this activity. Check this list of 31 benefits of Gratitude to learn more about the ways appreciation can boost productivity, happiness, relationships, and a generally more positive outlook on life. To get started on your own gratitude journal, here are a few ideas from the wide world of Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing.
