How are those New Year resolutions holding up? Research suggests that by February, only 8% of us manage to achieve our goals, so don’t feel despondent if things aren’t going to plan.

Why not make self-reflection one of your goals for the rest of 2019? Slow down, take a breath and look back at your achievements in 2018. We live in a world that demands we focus on the next hoop to jump through and in education the picture is no different, students have told us that it feels like an academic hurdles race that lasts until graduation.

Upcoming exams, tests and coursework are of vital importance but so is allowing yourself to grow. As educators we spend a great deal of time teaching our students to think critically in the classroom but not enough time applying this principle to their everyday lives.

Take the time to look back at 2018 and understand what made you happy? Where can you improve? Which events were the real confidence boosters? How did you cope with stressful situations? It will help you to:

1 – Understand what makes you happy and allow you to mirror this behaviour in the future.

2 – Realise that you shouldn’t worry about events that you can’t influence. This will improve your decision-making skills.

3 – Help you to face your fears and stressful situations and reflect on how you overcame them. If these occur again you will have a strategy in place.

4 – Focus on the bigger picture. What was truly important to you in 2018? It will redefine your focus for the year ahead.

In 2018, Newton Bright Educational Consultants students gained places at schools such as Marlborough, Shrewsbury, Horris Hill, Windlesham, Haileybury, Sevenoaks, Bromsgrove and Ardingly to name but a few. We increased the size of our consultancy team in London and Moscow, launched a new website, increased our market share and successfully introduced new business management systems.   Our aims for 2019 include increasing the size of our tutoring team, introducing a new social media campaign and exploring new markets.

So, hold on to your goals for 2019 and keep aiming for the stars, but don’t forget to look back at what you have achieved once in a while, give yourself a long overdue pat on the back. You deserve it.

Newton Bright Education Consultants