| by Thuy Truong, M.A. Ed., TPT Teaching and Coaching, 3/17/2022|
Summer is just around the corner. You can see it, and I can see it. Endless days of sunshine, relaxing breakfasts, and fun activities at your feet. Beautiful indeed! But what makes summer beautiful is that it is something we look forward to AFTER we check off all of our professional goals. Summer vacation only feels expensive at its finest after you have completed all your scholastic and academic obligations. Summer is counted as sweetest when you have fulfilled all your vitally important goals. Here are some unheard of ways to boost your resilient mindset:
Cut your upcoming projects into a fine diamond (now)
It will feel really good when you break down your complex papers and projects now. Start carving out small time blocks you will devote to each project each week. That way, your confidence will go through the roof as transparency is efficiency and you will plow through it gradually but surely. It is almost like you treat your schoolwork like a work of art and you take joy in doing it and polishing it into a diamond. According to Dr. Russell Barkley, the ADHD brain loves externalized thinking, so mapping out every step is vitally important.
Keep updating your calendar like it's your personal Instagram
Your calendar is your life's biography. Have fun updating academic and non-academic events in it. An accurately updated calendar will save you time because you can say yes and no to something in less than 30 seconds. That saves you from guesswork and leaves you more room for productivity and efficiency. Plug all your exam dates into your calendar now and develop a study plan. That way, when summer is here, you are totally good to go in every possible way.
Book out your vacation days now
Start making fun plans for summer now. Give yourself something to look forward to while you forge ahead to finish your semester strong and practice academic resilience. Use your vacation plan as a motivational boost. Think about how proud you will feel after you obtain your academic goals and rejoice in the well-deserved summer trip. Give yourself a taste of sunshine now, but keep your eyes on the prize and the goals.
Deliver a fresh dose of dopamine to the ADHD brain, think of the rewards while you are working on the task.
See productivity as self-compassion
No, really. The more you get done now, the less you will have to do later (See, it is a reward that you ultimately give yourself). This is a gorgeous effect of staying on top of things from the start. Focus on the reward or the after effect if you can't convince yourself to tend to the task at hand, planning ahead is the best reward you can give yourself as a busy student. You will thank yourself. Once you appreciate the reward, you will find a way to complete the task.
Resilience is the magical result of self-control and self-patience. Be compassionate to yourself and challenge yourself to do the things that will bring you closer to your goals. Challenge your mindset to see the future results in order to appreciate the resilient steps you are taking.
Thuy Truong, M.A. Ed.
I am a licensed professional educator, executive function expert, former tenured high school teacher and college instructor with 16 years experience. I am also a student success designer. I enjoy recognizing the missing puzzle in the student's learning and personalizing that solution in a language that is unique to that student. I love the creative challenge of inventing a new language for every child.