I have been slowly writing this post for days, literally days. There was an entire week where I was sick and just very unmotivated and then I would try to write, and my computer would die, and it was just a mess. But ya know that’s life, so here we are BACK AT IT with another motivational post.  As I start to get ready for a new, fresh semester I am frantically planning on how to completely crush it this year. I always like to start my year by watching Legally Blonde, because it motivates me beyond belief (Reese Witherspoon I love you). However, watching her kick butt at Harvard and prove that jerk Warner wrong can only motivate me for so long. So here are my top 5 tips of things that I am going to incorporate in my life to CRUSH it this semester!

Buy a planner

It amazes me how many people just go through life without a planner. In order to prevent procrastination and making sure you don’t forget assignments or special event/ meetings you need a way to plan! Get a cute planner from Target, print out all your syllabuses/work schedules, and take 20 minutes to write everything down. Make sure to include all your tests and big assignments that are due every week. If you want to go crazy, you can even color coordinate each class you have. Taking the time to write down all your important assignments BEFORE classes start will be a huge help for you later down the road. It may be tedious at first but trust me it is always worth it to be prepared and organized. I know girls who pay tons of money for a planer that they end up forgetting about in a month… You do not need a $50 planner to be successful. Target has some adorable ones for $10, go get one!

Schedule in time for yourself

While you’re writing everything down in your planner make sure not to over book yourself. This is something I am very guilty for doing in the past. You may think that you’ll be able to do it all but when the time comes, you’ll just be tired, cranky and not want to do anything. Make sure to give yourself time to do things that you want to do. Go to the gym, go shopping, meditate, anything! Never forget to do something that makes you happy every single day. This will give you something to look forward to everyday instead of absolutely dreading wake up in the morning. If you are planning out your upcoming week and see a day that is completely booked from 8am to 8pm then CHANGE IT! I promise you that you will hate your life trying to get everything done that one single day. That’s the perks of planning in advanced, you’re able to see what needs to get done and try to organize it in a practical, easy way that best suits you.

Meal prep

This is extremely helpful for busy college students, especially those who want to eat healthier. Meal prepping on Sunday or Monday will save you so much time later in the week. When I would not meal prep I would be so busy one day and eat something fast and easy, which usually wouldn’t be very healthy (hello left over pizza). Taking an hour out of your Sunday night to prepare food for the week is totally worth it and do-able. Easy one pan recipes are all over google and Pinterest and are easy to create 5-6 meals for your week. You can customize them to however you want and can make a couple different options so that you can choose which meal you would want to eat that day. Meal prepping for breakfast can also be super helpful if you like to wake up 10 minutes before you leave the house. Overnight oats are my favorite easy meal prep to eat for breakfast and you can find many recipes for them on Pinterest! I will soon be sharing my favorites that I have made in the past few years that absolutely saved me during my busy months (stay tuned)!

Try something new/ out of your comfort zone  

If you want to grow as an individual and expand your knowledge, trying something new is the best way to do so. There are never any consequences for trying new things! Even if you have the slightest desire to try something out then go for it! You never want to look back on your life and wish that you would’ve gone for what you wanted to try. I started living by this motto when I went to college my freshman year and it brought me SO many amazing opportunities. Letting the fear of failure dictate your life is something that nobody should have to endure. You will meet new people, expand your horizons, and learn things about yourself that you never would have known before. Go to that new club meeting, try out for that sporting team, do whatever you want because you don’t want to look back and regret your life!

Surround yourself with the right people

If I can give one piece of advice to anybody in this world it is to choose wisely who you surround yourself with. They say that you reflect the 3 people you are with the most, you start to become a version of them. If you hang-out with unmotivated people who complain about everything, then your life will seem very negative and sad. You want to surround yourself with people who motivate you to be the best version of yourself. The people that genuinely want them best for you and are there for you through the good and the bad. I have made it a mission in my life to find people who challenge me to be better and give me the confidence to accomplish my dreams. I can honestly say that the people in my life right now are amazing and are my biggest supporters. Find your #1 fans, find your shoulder to cry on, find your person to push you when you don’t think you can continue on. Ditch the Negative Nelly’s and trust me your life will change for the better.

These 5 tips would be beneficial for anybody no matter what situation they are in. Whether you’re a college student, new graduate, or in the work force. Try to incorporate them into your life and make sure you keep up with them in order to see positive changes! They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so take these tips and transform them into 5 healthy habits that you have in your own life!