7 tips to make 2015 great for you and your language school

Take a few minutes of your day to start 2015 off the right way

It’s a new year. And with the new year comes new opportunities and new expectations. New year resolutions too.

If you’re like me, you’re thinking about the resolutions you didn’t keep to last year, and whether it makes any sense to make the same ones this year.

So, in order to help you get the most of out of this year for you (and your school), then here are 7 simple things you can do make 2015 a great year:

1. Write down a list of your successes and failures in 2014

It’s a lot easier to get that winning strategy if you analyse the things that worked out or didn’t work out for you before. You can see what you’re good at and what you’re likely to do well again, and perhaps what other things you should get help for.

2. Take 10 minutes to write down your 5 major goals for 2015.

Make them simple, concise and strong. If it helps, write in the first person, for example “I will increase the traffic to the school website by 20% by year end”.

3. Take the time to define your “whys”

For each of the goals you set down above, you should also write down the deep reasons why it’s really important for you to achieve them. You need to feel a deep, motivational-like sensation or otherwise you risk not achieving your goal! You don’t have to the answer straight away, you can keep asking yourself why until you get there.

4. Once you have your goals, focus on rituals rather than results

Nearly every conversation about goals and resolutions is focused on some type of result. We are naturally outcome-focused because we want our new behaviors to deliver new results. But without working out the behavior needed, you won’t get there. You need a ritual. Rituals are what turn behaviors into habits. In the words of Tony Schwartz, “A ritual is a highly precise behavior you do at a specific time so that it becomes automatic over time and no longer requires much conscious intention or energy.”

5. Plan some weekly time to work on your goals

It’s easy to lose track and get caught up in the daily emergencies. Don’t forget about what is important to you. Take the time to work on these goals, and regularly (at east once every 2 months) analyse where you are.

6. Don’t try too much too quickly

Behaviour change researchers say that you should focus on changing a very small number of habits at the same time. You shouldn’t really change more than 3 at a time, and the new habits you try should be very small things. By trying to do things that are too hard too quickly, you’ll soon lose motivation.

7. Use others more

Cognitive scientists say that we also make progress through regular feedback from others. Doing everything oneself is bad for one’s health and for one’s company. Our biggest asset is our time, and you should not hesitate to plan to use other, external resources if you can.

Good luck!