New School Year? Let's Tackle It Together!

With colleges in New Orleans and Baton Rouge starting next week, it's time to think about kicking the year off right. How can college students (or grad students, or young adults) be successful and independent? How will you balance your classes, work, social life, time spent online, and other priorities? How can you achieve all of your goals this academic year? Let's tackle this school year together!

Here are some of my tips as a life coach:

1. One of the most important things you can do is organize your schedule so that you are intentional about the time you spend on each activity. Schedule out a certain amount of social media time as a reward once you finish your daily goals. Record how much time you spend doing mindless activities that suck away your free time, like endless scrolling on the Internet or social media.

2. Reflect on your vision, values, and purpose, then post the answers everywhere: on your computer, on Post-It notes around your home, on your phone, etc. Remind yourself daily of your vision and purpose, so you can stay on track with smaller goals and everyday decisions. 

3. Practice daily. Whatever you're trying to accomplish, practice it daily in small chunks of time. Do you want to waste less time on your phone? Practice turning your phone on airplane mode for, say, one hour a day while you focus on other things, whether that's schoolwork, reading for pleasure, connecting with friends, practicing a musical instrument. Are you switching careers, but struggling to feel confident about your new career choice, which may still be just getting off the ground? Practice a few minutes a day of introducing yourself as how you envision yourself: "I'm _____, and I'm a ______ (business owner, artist, writer, filmmaker)." In other words, fake it 'till you make it; but practice "faking" it a few minutes a day until it feels effortless! 

As a life coach, one of my favorite parts of my job is exploring with my clients what's holding them back, then finding helpful ways to break down those barriers. College and grad school is the perfect time to start making intentional decisions about who you are, how you want to live your life, and what you want to accomplish as a young adult.