Practical Tips for MUSE Global School Families to Excel in 2024
It might not be the self-help idiom you’re used to hearing, but it’s true. The start of a new year isn’t about reinventing yourself; it’s about embracing your strengths, refining your mindset, and setting the stage for success. At MUSE Global School, we provide our students with the tools they need to achieve their academic goals, but there’s plenty more you can do outside of school hours to start 2024 on the right foot.
In this article, we will cover practical tips and suggestions for you and your family to have a successful year.
Set Your Foundation
It’s hard to build anything if you don’t start with a strong foundation. In construction, that foundation is made of cement, steel, and cinderblocks. In life, that foundation is built from a positive mindset.
The three main tenets of a healthy mindset are:
1. Be compassionate with yourself. – You wouldn’t berate a friend if they made a mistake, would you? Give yourself that same grace. Remember to use positive self-talk, and don’t shame yourself for falling short.
2. Start from scratch. – Before you make big changes, make sure to address your core needs first. Get some more sleep, eat some more fruits and veggies, drink enough water, and try your best to move your body when you can. Even the strongest foundation will fall if it’s not built on stable ground!
3. Focus on the progress. – You’re not going to get there the same day you set out. Instead of looking back at all the ways you’ve missed the mark, focus on the steps you’re making toward the goal.
Build Your Goals
Now that we have our foundation, it’s time to draw out the blueprint. How is this theoretical house going to look when it’s built? Where do we want to be when everything is all said and done?
This is where goals come in handy. They give you a rough idea of what your year is going to look like before the clock strikes midnight on the next New Year’s Eve. This is also where you might be thinking of lofty goals like losing a bunch of weight, becoming the next viral TikTok sensation, or never getting less than an A on any schoolwork ever again.
Hold your horses, partner. Shooting for the stars can leave you wide open for failure. There are better ways to set goals that will help you get towards your moonshot. Here’s how we’re going to do it:
- Think about your passions. – When you’re creating your goals for the year, be sure they align with your passions and values in the first place. Cardio might be a great way to stay in shape, but is it really worth your time if you hate running? Filter your goal through things that you care about and find a way to do it that you’ll love doing!
- Set goals you can control. – Your personal goals shouldn’t be dependent on other people. They also shouldn’t be reliant on external factors that you can’t control. Planning on being the next social media sensation puts you at the whims of an algorithm that changes on a regular basis! Be realistic about the expectations you have about things that are not directly in your control.
- Stacks on stacks on stacks. – Instead of shooting straight for the moon, build a ladder. Set goals that help you move in the direction of that overarching goal. Hitting a bunch of smaller goals can give you that boost of motivation you need to keep moving forward. Instead of going directly to “straight A’s forever,” set a goal to study for thirty minutes a night. Start small and work your way up!
- Kill your darlings. – Don’t be afraid to change your goals once you’ve made them, and don’t be afraid to get rid of them entirely if they aren’t working. You’re not bound to this plan once it’s in motion. You can make whatever changes you need to get to the outcome you’re looking for. So do it!
Find Your Pattern
This might be the hardest part of the whole process.
Creating and following a routine can be hard, but it can also be extremely rewarding. A well-established routine can let your brain go into autopilot and free up some bandwidth for some of the other things we’ve covered in this post. But routines and habits don’t work the same for everyone across the board, and they can be even harder for neurodivergent folks. Feel free to do your own research to see what works best for you!
Here are some of the tips we’ve found:
- Make a list. – If it works for Santa, it could work for you. Take the time to sit down and write out a physical list – yes, pen and paper – with everything you do in a given day. Then, add the things you need to do during that day. Just physically writing it down and having something you can go back and look at will help keep you on track.
- Make it actionable. – A list is all well and good, but give yourself some motivation to get it done. Instead of including vague items on your to-do list like “exercise” or “study,” give yourself something more solid to shoot for. Be specific! Change those bullet points to something more along the lines of “Go on a 30-minute walk” or “Study for 30 minutes.”
- Include breaks. – All work and no play makes anyone a dull person. Be sure to include some downtime in your routine to stave off burnout. And research shows that taking breaks can make you more productive than if you just worked straight through your day!
- Think about body doubling. – This is a tactic that might be more helpful for neurodivergent folks, but it can be helpful for anyone.
Body doubling is a tactic that’s used by many ADHDers to help fight off executive dysfunction. It’s simply the act of having another person present with you while you’re working. This can be as simple as working in a public space like a library or asking a friend to work in the same room as you. A body double allows for a sort of accountability to keep you on track. It’s just another tool you can have in your arsenal!
Wrapping Up
As we dive into another year, it’s important to have some tools at your disposal to help you be the best you can be. At MUSE Global School, we try our best to help our students prepare for every possible scenario they might face in their academic journey. From our customized learning plans for our MUSE Remote students to our YouPrep Program helping our high school students prepare for a life outside of MUSE, we want all of our students to be ready for whatever comes next.
For more information on MUSE, including how you can join the MUSE Global family, click HERE.
