Whether you’re grades are lower than you want or you’re overwhelmed and disorganized, I have good news. There is plenty of time to make changes. All is not lost!

It’s starting to get real for students! The semester isn’t “new” anymore; early grades are in; responsibilities are piling up; and mid-term exams are looming!

For some, the current status report is not looking good. And, while there is still time to make changes, it’s going to take some effort to turn things around for this semester.

We have all had a moment, a nagging thought, and/or a sleepless night fueled by our own struggle and conclusion that nothing makes sense.

I believe we are in one of those moments right now.

What if you could learn confidence?

As I work with clients, it’s not uncommon for them to be surprised when I tell them that certain skills, like confidence, can be learned and improved. And when they actually experience it, they are even more surprised!

It’s not surprising to hear me say that focus is important. After all, it’s part of the name of my company. But, what does it mean to focus and why should it be the first step I take? Focus is defined as “a point of concentration” or “directed attention”. And that’s the secret - focus first so that you can be consistent and effective.

Anyone that’s paying attention know that social media feeds and self-help advice focuses on maximizing good habits and minimizing bad ones. On the surface, that sounds good.

But what does that even look like in daily life?

Why are habits helpful and why do they matter?

It’s the beginning of a new school year and, even if classes have already started for you, it’s not too late for you to plan your semester strategy! When you think about how you will handle your time, energy, and responsibilities at the beginning of the semester, it helps you know how to manage your responsibilities during the hectic days and weeks ahead. Plenty of students and families enter a new school year with no real plan or strategy, but the most effective ones don’t leave their results to chance.

You need to make sure that FUN is part of your life and, as strange as it may seem to say so, fun doesn’t always happen spontaneously.

When is the last time you laughed until you cried?

When is the last time you took a REAL break - from all your responsibilities?

When is the last time you went ANYWHERE without your “to-do” list?

If you have ever watched any of the building/renovation shows on TV, you’ve probably heard terms like “framing” and “load bearing” and “reinforcement”. That’s because buildings don’t exist in thin air. They have to be connected to and supported by something in order to accomplish their purpose.

People are the same way. At least the most effective people are!

Let’s be honest. Everyone experiences fear, the “strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger”. In fact, some fear is normal, and maybe even healthy.

What is NOT normal is overwhelming, constant, debilitating fear! That level of fear, more commonly referred to with as anxiety, occurs in varying degrees, all of which interfere daily life. Indicators of fear and anxiety can be mental and/or physical and, unchecked, all of them will steal things from you that might never be recovered.

If you have ever spent any time with a Scout, you know the organization’s motto is “Be Prepared”. That sounds simple enough, but the reality is that getting and staying prepared might be the hardest part of any undertaking.

All medicines come with lists of side effects. And, as the consumer, we make a determination about whether the potential benefits of the medicine are worth the risk of the possible side effects. In fact, we make that kind of determination in many areas of our lives.

What about social media?

Are we intentional about considering the benefits vs potential side effects of this constant input in our lives?

Perhaps the most important reason that learning style matters is that it empowers individuals to change the things that are not working in their lives. When you understand that something isn’t working because you are not processing it in the way your brain works, you can adjust the input and improve the output. You don’t have to stay frustrated and ineffective if you don’t want to!

Somewhere along the way, we started believing a dangerous lie: that if we’re struggling, something must be wrong with us. We must be broken. We must need fixing.

One of the ways I get to know my clients is by listening to the words they choose when they describe themselves, the people in their lives and their circumstances. Why is that helpful? Because the words we use indicate how we think about and perceive the things we experience. Understanding the thoughts behind the words is helpful. And, sometimes, choosing one word instead of another one changes those thoughts and perceptions for the better.

Maybe we don’t always call it that, but the practice of reflection is common in our lives. For example, we take a test at the end of lessons; we turn in reports at the end of projects/assignments; we debrief after group tasks/projects; and we participate in performance reviews and evaluations at work.

What if—just for a moment—we paused to revel?

Not just notice, not just acknowledge, but revel in the moment of our accomplishment. To take pleasure in it. To sit in it. To soak in the feeling of “I did that.”

If you procrastinate, a little or a lot, you need to know is that it’s not related to who you are and it doesn’t indicate anything that is “wrong” with you! Procrastination, “the act of delaying or postponing tasks or decisions”, is a coping mechanism. A signal, if you will, of something in your brain telling you to pay attention to the mental and emotional processes more than the thing you are putting off.

One of the things I notice with my coaching clients is that they don’t necessarily use a calendar, paper or digital, to keep up with their schedules. Some of them have “planners” but they are sporadic in updating and/or referring to it. As time goes on, I am less shocked than I used to be when I hear someone saying they don’t use a calendar, but I am no less curious about how they function without one.

Nobody loves a good planner, calendar or productivity app better than me! And I shudder to think how much money I have spent over the years looking for just the perfect one! So, as much as I hate to admit it, they don’t work. Maybe a better way to say that is they are not the only component of the solution.