Welcome to the Summer Springboard Blog! The Summer Springboard program is a unique blend of academics and self-discovery designed to help you understand yourself better, define your goals, and gain valuable skills that are critical to college and life success. Our framework consists of three components: The True You™, Academic Exploration, and Success Skills.  

Here (on the blog) you will find tips, tricks, deep thoughts, and inspiration to guide you on your path to discovering your personal leadership style, your passion, and what you want to do with your life.

Today we begin at the end, a perfect place to reflect, look back and ponder.

The end of the year is fast approaching! There are events, parties galore, travelling and, of course, finals.  Don’t get caught up in all the holiday cheer and forget to take inventory of 2016. There is huge value in checking in with yourself and reflecting on the up and downs of your year.

(Quick Tip: When doing any type of reflection it is best to do what works for you. You may want to set aside quiet alone time to journal your thoughts. Or you may want to “talk it out” with a trusted friend or family member, and jot down notes. You may find that long car rides serve as good reflection environment, or even TV commercial breaks. Find what suites you, and make it a regular practice.)

Here are some questions to help you get started:

What were your goals in 2016?

Traditionally, we set goals in January and are supposed to pursue them over the next 365 days. So how did it go? What did you learn? Did you set goals last January? Did you accomplish what you wanted to accomplish in 2016? If you didn’t set any goals, or you had some fails, start thinking about what goals you may set in 2017. More to come on that in next month’s blog post!

What habits do you have that you want to keep? Do you have any bad habits that need to be kicked?

Habits are a huge part of keeping up with goals. Often times we set big goals and have the vision of what we want, but the habits we keep do not match the vision. To set yourself on a productive path towards achieving a goal you need supportive and healthy habits. Think about your sleep, nutrition, exercise, and study habits – are they productive or do they need work?

Do you have support ?

As you look back at 2016, are there people in your life that help you achieve your goals? Are there people that want to see you do well and boost you up on the daily? Keep those people around! If you think back and someone pops into mind that always talks you out of going to the gym, or studying – think about spending less time with that person.  If you want to achieve goals you have to put yourself in a productive environment, and that includes your crowd of friends.  

Summer Springboard wants to help you achieve your goals. Take the first step towards getting prepared for college and set the goal of attending a Summer Springboard session this July. We have success skill seminars built to identify and establish a plan to help you achieve your goals.  Don’t miss out!

Happy Reflecting! Look Inward. Go Upward.