Welcome to a new academic year!
At this stage no-one is entirely sure what the year holds. This means that you will have to be flexible in your outlook. Write the following in your diary/make it your mantra for now:
If you can’t control the current of the river, you might as well go with the flow.
It is more important than ever to start your school year on a confident note. CONFIDENCE does not come easy to everyone. One of the first quotes on confidence you will see on Pinterest is:
SELF-CONFIDENCE is a superpower. Once you start believing in yourself, MAGIC starts happening.
This motivational saying might suffer from sounding too cute or contrived but having (self-)confidence is undoubtedly a very important key to success.
Here are 7 steps to help you to start your school year feeling (more) confident –
ready to take on anything and everything!
1. Feel positive, think positive, act positive, be positive
Confucius (551 B.C. – 479 B.C), one of the world’s most famous philosophers and teachers, believed: If you are positive, you will see opportunities instead of obstacles.
That alone should be enough motivation to replace any negative thoughts you have about yourself (and about school), with more positive thoughts.
Believing in yourself – and your abilities – is part and parcel of feeling, thinking, acting and being positive.
2. Be prepared for 2021
No-one really knows what this year is going to hold for all of us but you can ensure that you are as prepared as you can be for the upcoming academic year.
Being prepared is another important key – apart from self-confidence – to success.
Keep a planner or diary to manage your academic work, extra-curricular activities and social life.
Define your priorities as each week – and the year – progress.
Ensure that you never fall behind in your school work.
3. There’s nothing like a good friend
There are 2 important rules in life where friends are concerned:
⭐ Be a good friend
⭐ Treasure your good friends.
Be a good friend by being real, honest, kind, caring, loyal, respectful and dependable.
Treasure your good friends as they are the ones who will support and encourage you when you need it the most.
4. Forget about mistakes made in the past
Everyone makes mistakes in life. It’s only human.
Learn from them, then forget about them.
Take (another) lesson from Pinterest: Your life is like a book. Move forward – close one chapter and open another.
5. Don’t sweat the small stuff
Stressing over little things chips away at your self-confidence and saps your energy.
Ask yourself if what you are stressing over will matter in a month from now. If the answer is ‘no’ or even ‘maybe’, leave it behind you. Open a new chapter (see step 4).
6. Face your fears
To be afraid of something is a state of mind.
Every time you confront a fear you change your state of mind. In the process you gain courage and CONFIDENCE.
The more confidence you gain, the more you empower yourself.
7. Dress for success
Look after yourself. Eat healthily, do some exercise and look your best when you leave home to go to school.
Remind yourself often: The most beautiful thing you can wear is CONFIDENCE.
