This first half of the year hasn't been super great to me. Some of my goals haven't gone as planned and so I am reevaluating some of my goals and adjusting them. Today I am sharing some of the goals I still have for this year and that will go onto next year.

1. Continue studying: As I have mentioned before I am in graduate school doing my Master's in Elementary Education. In order to do the full practicum (student teaching) you must pass all 4 certification exams. Unfortunately, I am struggling to pass 2 of them which is a bummer since I have to take a semester off. Fall 2016 was suppose to be my last semester but since I don't have all 4 exams passed I can't move on which pushes me back till spring which sucks! I have to adjust my goals since they are pushed back. I will be spending my summer and fall studying and become more motivated throughout. 

2. Have more fun: For the past 2 years I have been all about work work work work! I always put school work before anything, which can be a good and bad thing at the same time. I want to give myself more time to go out there and explore. I am in my 20s and I feel like I haven't been enjoying it as I should. So I will be spending the next couple months putting some time aside for some good fun times. 

3. Blog more: I started my blog mid-April and during that time I was super busy (once again with school) but now that I will be having some time off I would like to blog more and build Lilli Says! Stay tuned for more posts! :)

4. Be more positive: I am one of those people who always sees the bad side of things before the good. It shouldn't be that way always, therefore, I want to be more positive and bring more positive energy to the people around me. It all starts with having a positive mind on difficult situations and seeing the good of it. I have been trying something new which has helped. When things don't go my way I make a list of potential good things that can come out of it. Put this list on your phone or write it out and put it on your wall to remind you that things happen for a reason and they have a positive side to it. 

5. Eat healthier: I have been on and off the past 6 months on eating healthy and then eating horribly. The results of that have been bad for my body I have seen myself being more sensitive to foods and so I am now trying new techniques and detox and adding more greens to my diet. 

Like I mentioned, goals don't always go as planned and sometimes you just need a quick reminder and some adjustments to achieve your goals. 

What are some of your goals? Share them down below! I would love to read them! ♥

XOXO, Lilli ♥

Lets Get Organized!

I am doing my graduate degree in Elementary Education and also getting my add-on license in Special Education. I started the program as just a Elementary Education student but then I decided to add the special education license since it is a license that I personally think every teacher-in-training should obtain at some point in thier life. Also many states like to see that you have more than 1 license so I went for it.

I knew from the start that there WILL be more work and added stresses but I went through it and BOY was I right! But now I am fully done with classes and I am just working on my state certification exams now (which you need to get your teachers license aside from having a masters degree - BUMMER). Now that I am done with taking college courses forever there is some relief! 

But many people want to know how do you do it? How do you stay organized and motivated? Well its pretty simple (at least for me but many people struggle with staying organized) and I will be breaking it down here on my blog! 

So here are my tips....

Write it down: Yes its that simple. You dont need a fancy and expensive planner something from the dollar store works just as well or you can always make it yourself or even put things up on your calender white board or up on your walls. Write anything and everything that you might think you will forget. A friendly reminder never hurts! I also tell people to write down positive and motivational quotes that can help them look forward to their goals.

Plan: It is always a good idea to plan a year ahead, a month ahead, a week ahead, whatever floats your boat but it never hurts to PLAN PLAN PLAN! Planning for me takes the stresses away. Especially when everything is done accordingly. While in grad school I would always do work that was due a week ahead so that I had that extra time to work on another class or even have some free time for myself. There were times when I would take a whole weekend and do all of the small homework tasks till I couldnt anymore. Yea it was hard work but the amount of freedom and time I had afterwards was amazing. 

Lists: I LOVE to make lists especially on my computer and iPad. When I complete a task I just simply highlight/click it and move on to the next. This keeps me on track and focused. Making lists helps me get things done quicker as well. I would even add things that I knew I wouldnt forget like "wash hair" that feeling of being organized and having your day planned is a great feeling (well at least for me). I usually do lists when tasks are piling up, especially, when professors are inconsiderate and give you 3 assignments all due at the same time. I personally like the Wunderlist app! It is so organized and you can make separate lists for everything. I have a grocery list, school work, personal list and it has helped me immensely. You can set reminders, notes, completed tasks, etc. I recommend everyone to download it!

Set alarms & reminders: I personally never set alarms or reminders to do things like homework or study but I heard this works well for many people who need to be reminded to get up off their bums and start their work! Especially if you live alone it can be very forgetful.

Be consistent with these tips and you will feel less stressed and relief from the college load that is thrown at us on a daily basis. It is so hard to stay motivated when students are busy but it just takes consistency to get the goals that we desire! They are what helped me get by. and yes this might feel like common sense but you would be surprised how many people don't use these methods or use them then stop midway. 

Hope you can use these tips and put them to good use! Comment below with what helps you be a more organized and motivated student!

XOXO, Lilli ♥