Hesitation – A pause in time.  You will never get this exact moment on this exact day back again.  Every time you hesitate, you stall your life.  You are making an active choice to accept where you are at currently and are not aspiring to reach higher.

Sounds a bit drastic, doesn’t it?  It’s the truth.  In order to achieve your goals, you must not allow hesitation, procrastination, or perfectionism to come into your plans.  They are all dream-stealers.

Positive distractions, self-control, and shifting from mindful to mindless gives the brain time to process complex problems in a relaxed state and also restores your energy for the next round of mindful work.

Have you suffered in silence, thinking that you were the only one in the world who lived in CHAOS?  There is no special tip for getting your work done. It just has to be done. The problem has always been our perfectionism.  As children we were taught that if you can’t do it right, don’t do it all. It was a lesson we took to heart. We were also taught, by example, that academic work took a huge block of time.

We all have busy schedules and, most of us, just want our academic work to magically complete itself.  Well, that does not happen unless you have your routines firmly grounded. Even small routines will change your hesitation to tackle the work.

When you sandwich your new attitudes along with your routines and toss in some determination; you have the recipe for a wonderful feeling of control. 

In the past, our biggest problem may have been getting moving when we have the chance. For as long as we can remember we have done academic work only when a project needed to be done or when an exam was on the horizon.

We didn’t make the time to do a little every day, because we didn’t think it would do any good. We felt that we needed a whole night to study and then we would be so proud of ourselves when we stood back and looked at what we had accomplished. That would only last a few hours because the feeling of accomplishment would soon be replaced with the “I don’t have the time” attitude. 

This was all because we didn’t have routines to help us keep up.  Routines are not the straight jackets that we think they are. With them we can be even more spontaneous than before because now we can tackle our work and not hide. As an example, if we have our work done it is easy to take advantage of an opportunity, like going out with friends, because our work is done and we can enjoy the experience instead of regretting it later. 

In the past in our CHAOS, we had to have lots of notice to get ready to complete academic work. It would take days or weeks to get it together and an all-night cramming session the day before a project or exam was due.

Since it has always taken so long to get ready for academic work we just don’t put the effort into it. It is time to address and maintain routines so that we can dig deep and get the work done without being overwhelmed by the process. The secret to keeping on top of your academics is to address work on a daily basis.

Be on watch for those tell-tell words, “I can do that later, I’ll just put it here for a minute till…..” That  is a warning sign that you could be getting ready to build a wall of resistance against getting things done.

I want for you the peace that comes from building routines one habit at a time and changing your attitude toward your academic success.

C.A.N. is here for you to ensure that you are up to the challenges that lay ahead.  If you would like to discuss the transition to college and how C.A.N. can be of assistance, please fill out the contact us page on our website. http://www.canstudentconsultants.com/

“Don’t wait for moods.  You will accomplish nothing if you do that.  Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” – Pearl S. Buck

There are many distractions in a college student’s life.  Part of staying on top of things is the willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.  You are responsible for the results you intend.  No excuses – just an all-out effort to keep moving and an outstanding result is inevitable.

Staying on top of things requires 1) building a rock-solid daily routine, 2) sharpening your tools, 3) finding focus in a distracted world, and 4) embracing your creative mind.

In order to create a strong routine we must ensure 1) frequency, 2) renewal into the day, 3) managing energy, and 4) scheduling solitude. 

Sharpening your tools requires working on your skill set.  How are you at studying for tests?  Academic reading?  Stress Management?

Focus is hard as the world around us tries to tempt us.  If we feed into the distractors, we create the perfect storm for disaster.

Most of our lives are a recipe for disaster when it comes to getting things done.  The internet, social media, etc. plays into our need for instant gratification.  The work that goes into “staying on top of things” requires discipline, perseverance, dedication, and a lot of hard work.  Are you up for the challenge?

C.A.N. is here for you to ensure that you are up to the challenges that lay ahead.  If you would like to discuss the transition to college and how C.A.N. can be of assistance, please fill out the contact us page on our website. http://www.canstudentconsultants.com/

Staying focused in college can become difficult when you take into account classes, work, student organizations, and socializing.  College can make many demanding requests leaving students feeling overwhelmed and unable to focus clearly.

When you are not able to focus clearly, your ability to learn will be negatively impacted and can lead to students forgetting important assignments and jeopardizing your grades. To prevent this from happening it is important to try to identify the reasons for the lack of focus and the distractions that may be preventing you from concentrating properly.

When you have found the cause or source of your distraction, you must find a way to address the issue so that you can work more efficiently and effectively at your studies.

To help you achieve this, we suggest that you: 

Develop a routine

Get a good night sleep

Avoid multitasking

Eat healthy goods

Reduce distractions

Set goals

Exercise

Find your motivation

Take breaks

Keep a clears study space

Break up your tasks

C.A.N. is here for you to ensure that you are up to the challenges that lay ahead.  If you would like to discuss the transition to college and how C.A.N. can be of assistance, please fill out the contact us page on our website. http://www.canstudentconsultants.com/

As a college student, independence is vital.  It is fundamental for success, boosts confidence, reduces over-reliance on others, promotes happiness, increases sense of accomplishment and promotes better decision-making.

Everyone has a different social experience when they’re in college. Some blossom into butterflies and make friends right away. Others take time to warm up to form close bonds with people. The friendships in college are often said to follow you throughout your entire life. However, there’s no denying that there will be times in college when you’re on your own. And that’s totally okay. Despite what your social life is like in college, and despite the pressure to be social, it’s important to embrace your independence. Alone time may be beneficial in helping you enjoy your own company, ease stress, and learn more about the world and yourself.

Here are some essential tips to being more independent in college.

1. Make time for yourself
2. Explore the great outdoors (or outside the doors of your room)!
3. Treat yourself
4. Remember it’s your experience, no one else’s

C.A.N. is here for you to ensure that you are up to the challenges that lay ahead.  If you would like to discuss the transition to college and how C.A.N. can be of assistance, please fill out the contact us page on our website. http://www.canstudentconsultants.com/

I

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

We all procrastinate.  During times of stress, procrastination kicks in as coping mechanism. However, it is anything but harmless. 

Procrastination is a self-inflicted wound.  We feel good in the present at the expense of long-term goals. It has nothing to do with being lazy.  It does damage to our self-confidence. 

We must exercise positive self-talk.  If you believe you’re a procrastinator, you’ll dismiss all of the evidence that you’re not.  In order to overcome procrastination you have to change your underlying belief of who you are.  The words you use to describe yourself create a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Another trick when dealing with obligations is to perceive them as opportunities.  Saying things like:  “I get to _____________.”  Instead of “I have to ______________.” A simple change of perspective can switch things from being chores to being action steps toward your success.

To get yourself out of chronic procrastination, you need to create new habits.

Habits determine who you are.   Habits change your beliefs about your identity; identity changes are necessary to sustain behavior change.  The four simple steps to better habits are:  1) cue (obvious) – you notice the reward; 2) craving (attractive) – you want the reward; 3) response (easy) – getting the reward, and 4) reward (satisfying) – teaches us that rewards are worthwhile.         

It is important to:  1) use repetition in reinforcing habits; 2) Make it easy to choose positive habits, 3) Make incremental changes, and 4) have an accountability partner (coach/peer).

C.A.N. is here for you to ensure that you are up to the challenges that lay ahead.  If you would like to discuss the transition to college and how C.A.N. can be of assistance, please fill out the contact us page on our website. http://www.canstudentconsultants.com/