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“10% of conflict is due to differences of opinion and 90% to the tone of voice” – Anonymous

Ever heard of the expression “it’s not what you say, but how you say it”? As you grow older and become involved in many spaces, interact with people of different levels of authority – how you address and approach people will become key to a successful relationship. Your tone is just one small component of communication; however, it should never be underestimated. Improving your tone can help create a positive environment, strengthen understanding and appreciation and result in better collaboration and teamwork.

We recently unpacked the importance of running for student leadership, a major part of leadership is the tone of your voice. The tone of voice is an integral part of communication and an effective tool in public speaking. When speaking with others, your tone clarifies and conveys meaning. Your tone can not only affect how people perceive you but also their willingness to listen to you – especially in professional settings.

Different tones for different occasions

The tone of voice in communication is defined as ‘the way a person speaks to someone’. It is how you use your voice to get your point across. If you don’t do it right, there is a risk of your point getting lost or misinterpreted.

How you address your friend will probably be very different from how you address a panel of interviewers or the Vice-Chancellor of your university. In other words, you address different audiences with different tones. This is often based on familiarity. The general rule of thumb, the less “familiar” you are with the said individual, the more formal and respectful your tone should be. You can train your tone to be apt for the correct setting. There are different tones and you need to know which tone befits which setting:

• Formal tone
• Informal tone
• Factual tone
• Directive tone
• Assertive tone
• Friendly tone
• Questioning tone
• Conversational tone
• Respectful tone
• Humorous tone

Are you speaking at a wedding or a funeral? An academic lecture or a plenary of plenary of protesting students? To your grandmother or legal officer? Each of these occasions has different norms for speaking, calling for you to operate in different modes – from formal to informal, from light to heavy, humorous to serious, conversational to highly practiced.

How to improve your tone

1. Think before you respond. Some of us are so quick to just respond without ever considering what we are saying and the choice of words we use. Have you ever found yourself saying to someone “I didn’t mean it like that”? If only you took a few minutes to carefully think about your choice of words and how they will be received, you might have the time to change your wording and be less offensive.
2. Listen to yourself. Have you ever recorded a meeting you were speaking in? If not, you should. Take this time to learn how you interact with and speak towards others. You might even find that your own tone surprises you.
3. Reflect. Most of the time, the reasoning behind a negative tone is a part of the bigger picture. If you are going through a tough time or are feeling a bit stressed, your tone can come off negatively without you even realizing it. Before you go into a space where you’ll be interacting with others, take some time to reflect on how you’re feeling. The last thing you want is to blow up on people who probably don’t deserve the negative tone.

We all know that undertaking extracurricular activities such as Leadership is a great way to develop communication skills, teamwork, and time management skills. Therefore, a good balance between academics and your responsibilities could see you develop into a well-rounded successful student.

However, balancing academics and extracurricular activities is often challenging for students. And this is because most choose to focus more on either one of them while neglecting the other. An imbalance causes poor performance in one area but can lead to stress and anxiety in both, because of the realization that you’re failing in the other department.

These are some of the ways to help you balance better:

Choose your Leadership role wisely

When we spoke about pursuing Leadership, we spoke about choosing a responsibility that is flexible for one’s time commitment. The perfect fit is not always the easiest, rather take time to explore the extracurricular activities available to you and what you could gain from each one of them. When choosing, consider the time commitment required, your capacity, and your schedule.

Manage your time

Plan, plan and plan ahead. The best thing you can do for yourself is to create a priority list that will include both academics and extracurricular activities. Thereafter plan what needs to be done and by when it needs to be completed. Most importantly, prioritize rest. Burnout is real and you don’t want to see yourself burning out due to overworking.

Be honest with yourself – review and reflect

It’s okay to have a go at something and realize it’s not working and therefore try and find a solution. For instance, if you find that you were too ambitious and unrealistic regarding the amount of time you have, give honest feedback regarding your academics and extracurricular activities. Go back to your plan and don’t be afraid to say no when you can’t handle an extra activity no matter how much you want to.

Ask for help

Contrary to popular belief, asking for help is not an admission of weakness. In fact, it takes much maturity to admit to yourself, that you’ve tried doing it alone and you need fellow students, friends, and family to help you. Asking for help could be asking your friends to take notes for you, and get into study group sessions.

Another thing that most people overlook is having an accountability partner. Accountability partners are important because they can help you keep in check whether you’re keeping up with your tasks.

Have the right attitude

Most importantly, it is essential to believe that you can manage your time and be optimistic. Push yourself rather than giving up most activities without exploring. Procrastination and pessimism are the biggest hurdles to becoming effective at time management.

Prioritize your health

I know that in between lectures and attending meetings, it can be easier to eat on the go and grab the unhealthiest meals. But it’s important to remember to eat well, exercise regularly, and be sure to get a good night’s sleep.

Varsity is a short period of your life to learn and grow – both in and out of the lecture hall. For most students, studies are their top learning priority – rightfully so. However, another worthy learning priority is student leadership or running for student governance.

Fortunately for you, university and college offer myriad opportunities to make your voices heard, represent marginalized groups or lead concerted efforts to better your varsity experience.  Taking on a leadership role can be plain and simple, and be one of the best ways to challenge yourself and learn valuable skills that can be utilized both during and after your varsity years.

What is Leadership experience?

It is a general term used that refers to your exposure to leading people in various settings. In this context, leadership experience comes from serving at one’s college or university. These kinds of roles provide the student with firsthand valuable professional experience. For some of you, this might be an extension of your high school leadership experience. Maybe you were a prefect, class monitor, student rep, head girl, or head boy. As a result, it is encouraged that you extend that experience to a higher level.

Who runs for student Leadership?

1. The myth that we need to demystify is that the student office is reserved for those who have political credentials or for those with ambitions to pursue a career in politics. The student office is for anyone. For instance, it’s okay to be an engineering student who wants to run for student council.
2. Any student with a passion for serving. All you need to be is a registered student with a will and passion for making a difference to those around you.

Fortunately, there’s no shortage of leadership opportunities at varsity. Whether considered “big” or “small”. Here are a few examples:

1. House Comm
2. Dining Hall Monitor
3. Society/Club Leader
4. Orientation Leader
5. Tutor
6. TA (Tutor Assistance)
7. Faculty Student Council
8. SRC (Student Representative Council)

Where to begin the journey of student leadership?

• Begin to do your research on student leadership experiences in the first year already.
• Assess the available platforms and organizations that might be suitable for your needs and capacity. i.e. house comm vs faculty-student council vs SRC (Student Representative Council). The bigger the platform and number of students you represent, the bigger the responsibility. This means you have to assess and ask yourself questions about whether you have the time and capacity to take on these responsibilities based on your schedule.
• If you’re interested in student leadership but not wide-campus student governance, perhaps smaller-scale opportunities like being a tutor or society leader might work best for you.

Benefits of student leadership

• It increases your exposure to university affiliates in your field of study
• In addition to the above, you have access to professionals affiliated with the university and university leadership. This access places student leaders in high-profile positions with exposure to even more networking and career-building opportunities. (Remember when we discussed networking, that your network circle will constitute a portion of your university affiliates/ alumni).
• At a minimum, leadership roles provide students with valuable opportunities to hone skills that then facilitate their transition into the workplace.
• It is important to note that leadership skills might not be a requirement from an employer but they might be an appealing attribute, especially once you add it to your cv.
• You learn to work with a team, mediate conflicts and build community.
• Build Confidence – standing up for yourself, speaking in front of large crowds, and demanding solutions and change.

Challenges of Leadership Experience: Balancing Student office with academics.

• One of the main challenges of the leadership experience is time management. It takes planning and discipline to manage schoolwork and a (typically unpaid) role as a student leader. 
• Another solution is to choose a leadership role that affords more flexibility in one’s time commitment. 
• A good support system will be extremely crucial especially when you’re campaigning for votes (depending on whether you chose the student governance route). The reality of the situation is that you might have to miss classes, even tests because of campaigning for students. Eating late dinners and being generally exhausted. You will need friends and fellow students who can take notes for you, and assist in helping you catch up with missed content.
• Lastly but certainly not least – backlash from fellow students. This might happen quite often. Remember that those you’re representing will be frustrated and you might be the easiest and quickest form of contact, therefore making it easier to put their frustrations on you. Don’t take it personally. After all, Rome wasn’t built in one day.

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, weed, grass or in our distinctly South African lexicon dagga, is one of those controversial substances that see many people divided about whether it is good, bad, harmful, helpful or just a part of life that some people choose to enjoy and others not. We won’t cover any moral or medical arguments here but will discuss some of the legal restrictions and consider responsible consumption as it relates to academic and work life.

The use of cannabis stretches back millennia. With its long acknowledged medicinal qualities, it was prescribed in the treatment of a range of ailments. Prior to the introduction of western medicine, the herb was used in southern Africa to ease and aid childbirth. In India, within the Hindu faith, it was believed to be divinely ordained. In addition to being a recreational pastime that people imbibe in an assortment of ways, it continues to be used for therapeutic interventions and religious or spiritual rituals in various parts of the world.

In South Africa, cannabis was recently decriminalized for a host of reasons, including the Western Cape High Court ruling that its criminalization, for personal use by consenting adults, was in fact unconstitutional. One must be mindful though to understand the difference between decriminalized and legalized. The use of cannabis is highly regulated, and only allowed to be consumed in private, by adults over the age of 18 years. While the recreational use of cannabis in private is legal, many aspects of producing, processing, storing, possessing, transporting and selling it are still against the law. One can only have a limited quantity in your possession, equivalent to what can be personally consumed which is quantified by the law as a maximum of 600g per individual in their private space or 100g in a public place but kept out of public view. The consumption of cannabis products is only permitted in private places, by adults. Consuming cannabis in public spaces remains a criminal offence. Supplying a minor, i.e. a child under the age of 18 years, with any form of recreational cannabis is a serious offence. In summary any deviation from the legally defined recreational use, possession or cultivation of cannabis by an adult in private is a criminal offence. It is very important to research and be informed about the legal limits that apply to the acquisition and consumption of recreational cannabis products so that you do not unwittingly find yourself on the wrong side of the law.

Depending on how cannabis is processed and produced, and on the individual consumers response, it is considered a stimulant, depressant or hallucinogen. Different consumers have a variety of physical and psychological experiences in response to cannabis which is perhaps one of the most intriguing things about it. Whatever the individual effect, it has the capacity to alter your state of mind. While some people may feel more alert, refreshed and aware after smoking cannabis, other users may feel relaxed, sleepy or calm. If you do part-take in the cannabis, be mindful of how it works for you and whether any activities you participate in will be meaningfully impacted. Like with consuming alcohol, responsibility and personal accountability are extremely important. Some cannabis activists point out that it is only mildly addictive – significantly less than other legalized and regulated substances. Long-term, frequent use has been shown to lead to potential addiction as with cigarettes and alcohol.

Schools, colleges and places of higher education have rules that speak to the use and consumption of substances by their students and on campus-owned sited. It bares knowing in advance what your institution articulates in its policies about the use of substances. Here are some examples taken from university handbooks:

Illness or unfitness to take an examination, caused by taking drugs of any kind except on the advice of a medical practitioner, may be rejected as grounds for the granting of a deferred examination;

A student must not commit the act of sale, distribution, use or possess any illegal drug, as defined by the Drug and Drug Trafficking Act 140 of 1992, on campus;

A student must not drive a vehicle on the University campuses while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs to such an extent as to be incapable of exercising proper control of such vehicle;

A student may be excluded from cover in the medical and insurance scheme as a result of the influence of alcohol, drugs or narcotics upon the student;

Security service guidelines for dealing with people who are drunk or under the influence of drugs on campus property: (after a series of preliminary interventions) the person will be removed to a place of safety where a decision can be made regarding their immediate future.

As illustrated from the above examples, campuses and institutions usually have strict policies around incapacity to conduct tasks, insurance liability and disruptive behaviours as a result of consuming substances. They may go so far as to affect the person’s future with the institution, even resulting in suspension or expulsion. The key take away is that even as one is having fun, being mindful of the institutional rules that may impact on your academic record and good standing for graduation from your programme should always be a priority to be considered. You should know your limits and regulate your use of marijuana (if you do in fact use it) to be within the limits of the law and the policies of your education institution.

Companies and specific kinds of jobs have policies that govern employee behaviour in relation to the use of substances. Some have a “zero tolerance” policy for drug use, even for legal substances such as cannabis. Staff may be subject to random drug tests (as long as the company implements these in accordance with labour laws). Professions in the education, medical and mining industries may have much stricter policies about legal alcohol and cannabis consumption. Such policies often exist where staff need to operate, check or work with heavy machinery. For example, in mining the machine operators, engineers and health and safety officers have “zero tolerance” policies, even for consumption activities outside of working hours due to the potentially dangerous nature of the work and the high stakes risks that intoxication or residual intoxication pose. As an intern or on a work-study learning programme at a mining site, you too would be subject to random drug tests. Having cannabis in your system, even if it was consumed days before, may lead to disciplinary action. It is worth noting that tests to detect cannabis in the system identify the presence of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which can remain in the system for long periods after consumption. For first-time cannabis users THC will leave the system after a few days, but for regular users the compound gradually builds up and remains detectable for significantly longer periods after actual consumption.

If you do use cannabis products, make sure to know the risks – as with any mood altering, potentially addictive substance. Know the laws governing and regulating its use so that you do not risk arrest, prosecution and ending up with a criminal record which will have long-lasting effects. Ensure that you are aware of your education institution’s policies about cannabis use so that it does not put your graduation at risk. When you start working as an employee, be informed about the company policies and restrictions about substance use and related disciplinary steps. As with all things, responsible use and education about the effects and repercussions of cannabis use will protect you from negative impacts and allow you to enjoy the herb without risking your health, well-being, academic track and professional prospects.

*We are aware that long-term, regular and heavy use of cannabis can lead to substance addiction. If you experience strong impulses for, or a sense of dependency on cannabis or any other addictive substance and are unable to control your consumption we urge you to seek help from an addiction counselling service. The South African Depression and Anxiety Group has a hotline to help those living with addiction. Contact 0800 12 13 14 if you or somebody you know is struggling with substance abuse.

When one looks up “alcohol in South Africa” an abundance of bad news posts come up about alcohol abuse, traumas and deaths related to alcohol consumption and what is described as South Africa’s toxic relationship with drinks. You would think we have a problem or something, and you would by and large be correct. We are amongst the top consumers in the world of alcohol, with binge drinking and alcoholism identified as serious public health and safety issues. On the other hand, we produce some of the best wines in the world, the Western Cape Winelands are massive domestic and international tourist attractions for the beauty and quality of the produce and traditional beer has been a part of local culture for centuries. Enjoying alcohol responsibly and in moderation is possible.

Stepping back in time, traditional beer brewing has been part of southern Africa’s history for centuries. In isiZulu, isiXhosa and Xitsonga it is known as umqombothi, the Basotha call it mohlaba and in Tshivenda it is mahafhe. Traditional brews have been a part of festivals, spiritual life and social cohesion, playing an important part in honouring our ancestors and building connections between people. The ways in which it is prepared, stored, served and shared have meaning beyond getting a taste of alcohol. The utensils historically used in the making of traditional beer from clay pots, beer beakers, and calabashes to straining bags and skimming spoons were developed over time to include meaning and beauty. Today, umqombothi continues to be used for different ceremonies and festivities but it is also sold to tourists to give them an immersive taste of local culture. Depending on how long it is fermented for, umqombothi generally has a low alcohol content compared to commercially sold beers and is rich in vitamin B.

Staying in the nostalgic frame of mind, winemaking has a shorter history in South Africa but still we have ascended to be amongst the top producers in the world for quality and variety. The first vine is reported to have been planted in the Cape Colony by Jan van Riebeeck, but it was only when the French Huguenots settled in the colony at the end of the 17^th century that viticulture and winemaking flourished in this region. Today a tasting tour of the Constantia, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Robertson valleys – to name but a few of the prominent vineyard and cellar areas – is a breath-taking experience enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

Upon a considered view of alcohol as a part of South African social culture and of great economic significance, on the surface of things we could really have a beautiful relationship. But a minor scratch to get deeper will reveal that over-indulgence, addiction, violence and a public health crisis is more indicative of our reality. Many explanations exist for why this is so including our traumatic history that continues to impact life today, the type of legislation we have that makes alcohol very cheap and easy to obtain and a widespread culture of heavy drinking across the board. Perhaps it is time to pause and consider what kind of relationship you want to have with alcohol, especially when you are still young and are only starting or have recently started to drink.

Finishing high school and going off to study at university or college ushers in a significant stage in one’s life journey. You are entering the early stages of individual freedom where more of life’s choices are your own decision. Parents and guardians no longer have direct control over your day-to-day activities, there are no longer teachers overseeing your academic life. It is a time where many people experiment – trying to find what they like, who they are and what they want. It’s an important developmental period where lots of changes occur in our transition from childhood to young adulthood. One of the freedoms many people look forward to is being able to legally purchase and drink alcohol once they turn 18. It is no surprise that as all these freedoms converge, some crazy things happen like consuming copious amounts of alcohol. Sometimes being drunk can be harmless, but it is always risky. The risk of all sorts of danger is imminent from disorderly behaviour, walking while drunk, driving while drunk, lowered inhibitions and diminished reflexes. It can leave one vulnerable to becoming a victim of a crime or limit inhibitions to the point where you cannot make sound judgements and you become the perpetrator of a crime. Even where these high-risk behaviors are not necessarily the result of drunkenness, what is almost always a result is anti-social behaviour that is a nuisance to those around you such as regressive physical capacity where you cannot perform the simplest tasks like using a toilet in the manner appropriate for your age, slurred speech, unpredictable control of your limbs, overly loud speech and soaring emotions. Finding the balance between enjoying a drink or 2 and complete inebriation is a lesson we all need to learn early on – for our safety and dignity!

How then can we learn our own limits and fit in with the social settings we participate in? It’s a difficult balance, considering we have a culture of overindulgence as far as drinking is concerned. We certainly need more considered education around healthy drinking habits as a public service. Binge drinking is a national problem in South Africa and has been for a long time. We have a high mortality and trauma rate related directly to alcohol consumption. Namibia, Eswatini and South Africa are in the top five highest alcohol consumers in the world according to a World Health Organisation report released in 2018. It’s interesting, and concerning, that three of the heaviest drinking nations are direct neighbours. When everyone around you is drinking to get drunk, it’s hard not to follow suit especially if you have not even thought about why you want to drink. It seems like a simple question, but in fact it requires deep contemplation. As an engaged and active citizen, one needs to think of the broader impacts your alcohol consumption has on your environment, immediate communities and the public at large. Considering your own physical and mental health, it is vital to know how alcohol consumption impacts these 2 areas of life. There are long-lasting impacts that can emerge later in life after years of heavy drinking. It is not all bad news though, certain alcoholic beverages consumed in very limited quantities are known to have health benefits such as the polyphenols found in good quality in red wine. As an instrument of social cohesion, such as participating in the Holy Communion wine chalice (halted during the Covid-19 pandemic), having umqombothi at weddings and other festivities, or attending a winelands weekend event are ways that healthy levels of drinking (without driving) can work to build community between people.

As a student and employee, there are additional concerns regarding performance and conduct that could have an impact on your academic or professional life. In your university or college handbook, there will be rules pertaining to conduct and lack of performance due to alcohol (and drug) consumption. Misconduct and poor performance due to substance abuse can lead to exclusion. Many companies have strict policies about alcohol consumption on their premises and impairments linked to mind and behaviour altering substances have disciplinary action consequences. In serious cases, particularly where inebriation poses a health and safety risk or can cause reputational damage to the company’s brand, alcohol consumption or misconduct can lead to termination of one’s employment contract.

Drinking is one of those commonplace activities that actually requires a lot of thinking and planning. Understanding yourself, your limits and your level of responsibility as an adult are all factors to be considered for setting personal boundaries. Once a healthy level of boundaries has been established, you can then enjoy the social aspect of drinking knowing that you have a set point where you will stop while still enjoying the experience.

We are living through an interesting era that allows for the development of new skills, abundant creativity, and instant communication with people situated all over the world.

The best illustration of this is in the palm of our hands. The mobile phone has become a device and platform that supports millions of jobs through its existence.

For example, app stores continue to provide economic opportunities for entrepreneurs of all sizes. This helps anyone with an idea to reach customers around the world and take advantage of new opportunities that would never be possible without it. Creator/freelancer platforms like Fiverr, Gumroad and UpWork offer a global marketplace for professionals to meet and collaborate with clients.

The stark reality of the job market is that some professionals only need a computer and an Internet connection to create economic value. Inside this modern business ecosystem, there are jobs that did not draw much attention only five years ago.

Today, more people are streaming to the following jobs in numbers:

Social Media Influencer

Influencers in social media are people who have grown a reputation for their knowledge and expertise on a specific or a combination of subjects.

They usually publish regular posts about those topics on their social media platforms and generate audiences of people who consume their content. The job opportunity arises when corporate organizations see commercial and marketing value in working with social media influencers. Collaboration between the two groups is made possible because Influencers can set social trends and inspire their audience to purchase specific products or join causes, they are commissioned to promote.

Due to this dynamic, more people have a chance to create job opportunities using their personality, knowledge and unique life experiences. And to be a successful social media influencer, it’s important to write well.

Bloggers were the first group of social media users who used their writing to build communities, wield social influence and make money from it.

Online dating profile writers

Online dating has become ‘acceptable’ in the last few years. It wasn’t too long ago that people raised their eyebrows at couples that started their relationships online.

The proof is in the growing business of writing online dating profiles. These are professionals who write other people’s online dating profiles to increase the chances of attracting potential dates. The process also includes offering pointers on selecting images, editing, tailored dating advice and the writing of personalized bios.

The market exists because not all people find it easy to speak confidently about their character traits. The role of the ghostwriter is to view the client objectively and write about their qualities in a way that presents them in an eye-catching manner.

Newsletter writer

Newsletters have existed in different forms for a long time. However, it is a fairly new concept to sell writing directly to subscribers.

This type of writing work offers independence for skilled writers who may want to work on their own terms. There is no better feeling than the freedom to decide what you work on, how you spend your time, and whom you do business with.

That’s exactly what Polina Pompliano did when she left her writer & editor job at Fortune magazine. She founded her newsletter The Profile. As a media business owner, she has the task of reading many profiles of people and companies to bring her readers the most thought-provoking stories every Sunday. That is the basis of her business.

The opportunity to monetize writing skills is becoming more popular and viable as corporate businesses commit to adopting new work processes that allow for flexibility. For example, sourcing independent creators to work with in order to meet business objectives.

In the modern economy, the ability to build an audience around your skills can be a lucrative job.

Content (Marketing) Manager

The need for organizations to have regularly updated websites has generated jobs for people who write well and think creatively to contribute to the process.

Working with the newly formed roles of SEO specialists and social media editors, content marketing managers create branded content for businesses. The aim is to engage people, build an audience and make the content easily discoverable.

The content manager creates and publishes media on online platforms. They work with visual graphic designers, app developers and other professionals to produce media properties.

In order to develop a consistent brand for a company, the content manager’s skills must include strong writing and editing skills.

Chief Listening Officer

With the growth of social media consumption, it has become important for organizations to keep their digital ears on the ground.

It has never been easier to chat to businesses. Customers now interact with organizations like they do with friends – on WhatsApp, Twitter, through chatbots, etc.

A C.L.O’s main role is to monitor in-house and outside communications that connect with the organization. This includes gathering information from customers to developing a strategy that helps foster improved relationships with customers and employees.

The growth of these jobs is partly supported by the growth of social media usage and the importance of data in business – the same technologies that were young 10 years ago.

Apart from being a tool that helps us store and communicate important information, writing is also an easily accessible and flexible type of therapy. That’s reason enough to celebrate and start looking at writing as a catalyst to improved mental health, academic and career success.

As a student, you process copious amounts of knowledge that is produced from your studies. On top of the coursework, it’s also important to develop and maintain healthy relationships with other students and your lecturers. Most of that ‘relationship work’ will involve writing to those people. In many instances, the life of a student is centered on writing and organizing notes, irrespective of the type of qualification they are studying for. 

A regular writing habit (especially outside of academic work) helps with finding meaning in daily experiences. It also helps to observe those experiences from a renewed perspective. As a result, you will tend to see the silver lining even during your most negative and stressful moments.

Writing out your thoughts and feelings helps you have a strong handle on the following mental health challenges:

• Grief and loss

When a loved one passes away, we can find solace, reflection and acceptance by writing about their life and the lessons they taught you.

• Anxiety

Many people can attest to having a childhood filled with anxiety. Keeping a journal and publishing blogs about life and your learning can help you become better at communicating your thoughts. Consequently, you can also become more confident and sociable.

• Depression

2020 was a mentally challenging year for the world and it’s fair to say many were in a dark mental space. Having a creative outlet like writing proved to be therapeutic and a good distraction given all the was happening in the world because of the Carona Virus.

• Communication skills

Taking the plunge to publish your thoughts and knowledge can allow you to gather feedback and improve. The feedback loop can boost your confidence. It also invites people with the same perspective to reach out.

The benefits of writing your thoughts and feelings:

• Build a second brain that spans years

Imagine if you were to read through ten years’ worth of notes that you wrote, on different topics, moods and attitudes.

That collection of notes is a powerful repository of knowledge that shows different mindsets of the same person. It is the act of creating a second brain.

When you are armed with a collection of notes that span back years, you can look at your mind outside of yourself, so to speak. This gives you the ability to identify behavioural patterns that lead to how you interact with the world.

• Write for mental and emotional clarity

Every time you decide to face a blank page or screen to express yourself or make a To-Do list, you choose to sharpen your mind.

Writing helps with the thinking process. Over time, it makes it easier to remember details from lectures, meetings, articles, videos and other media.

As you develop a strong writing habit, you’ll begin to pay more attention to your behaviour and the world around you.

• Improve your creativity

When you organize information using notes, you invariably elevate your creativity in the process. The notes carry different pieces of information and that presents an opportunity to combine the ideas written in your notebook to create fresh ideas.

A systematic way to store notes encourages open-mindedness. And it puts you in a position to make connections between contrasting ideas.

A writing habit is also an opportunity to develop a consistent idea generation system.

• Learn to store (and perhaps, publish) the ideas that you learn

The reality is that in every interaction you have there is something interesting to learn. From throwaway conversations, television series episodes, movies, YouTube video right through to music.

When you have a system to save and sort that information, learning becomes easier and happens anywhere. When you are an avid note taker, you listen to people with a strong intent to understand them and learn something new.

Collecting notes is a great way to inspire curiosity.

• Maintain relationships in your life like a champ with clear communication

Another interesting reality is that when you improve your writing skills, your relationships benefit. Writing necessitates that the writer resolves any emotional chaos they may have happened inside of them in order to create words that connect with other people.

Along with a daily writing habit grows the ability to communicate thoughts in a clear manner. When you can write clearly the quality of your conversations also improves.

Whether you are looking to advance your marks, change directions, planning ahead will help you stay focused. Planning is significant as it directs us on how to tackle the year ahead. We just need to be flexible, acknowledge that our plans will have to accommodate for some uncertainty.

Review the past year

Before you can plan for the year ahead, you need to review the year you have just had. And don’t only assume everything was awful.

• Acknowledge the victories, mistakes, experiences that grew your skills, and those that didn’t.
• Look at what moved you forward and what held you back. Write these details down so that you can use them to make a strategically sound plan for the year ahead.
• Identify three large wins and three areas that needed work.
• Look at how you spend your time through the year – did it align with your goals and what didn’t.

Establish a routine

Aristotle once said, “we are what we repeatedly do”. Routines are conscious ways of doing things repetitively and in a specific order. For example, waking up at a certain time every day and sleeping at a certain time, having coffee, going to class, going to the gym and studying for an x amount of time. Creating routines is important because they help promote self-care and create healthy habits. Having a routine can lead to happiness and fulfillment because we can accomplish the most important things to do vs the urgent things.

Having a routine and sticking to it is incredible, however, you should give yourself time. Productive habits take time to develop. If you are too hard on yourself, you might never have the chance of enjoying the benefits of a routine. Your success depends on how seriously you take your routine.

Create a schedule – daily, weekly and monthly

• Write down all the important dates and deadlines you know for the year. Some you might not know immediately but as you find out, keep filling in the dates.
• Write clear and measurable goals.
• Create a specific action plan for each goal.
• Think about big quarterly events and schedule those too. It helps you to plan your week in advance instead of scrambling for time to get everything done. It also helps with delegation too.

Avoid procrastination

You are more likely to procrastinate if you don’t have a set plan or idea. If you know what you need to do and by when, then it makes it easier to eliminate most distractions. By limiting the number of distractions around you, you’re more likely to get done what you need to do. Shut your phone off or set it on flight mode, retreat to a quiet place and listen to classical music, study in the library as opposed to your room where you might be tempted to sleep in your room.

Work on a side hustle

Even if you’re a student, it’s okay for your plans to include sheer enjoyment and recreation. Without distracting your studying, exploring your passions and interests can help you learn new skills and techniques that might not be taught in a traditional workplace. And who knows, it might also help advance your career.

The beautiful thing about side hustles is that they encourage creativity, self-development and confidence.

Reward yourself and celebrate your accomplishments

It’s very important to attach an incentive to complete a task and perhaps incorporating this in your planning might help. After studying for a test or completing an assignment, consider giving yourself a reward. It could be as simple as, “Once I finish this assignment, I can watch an episode of my favorite show.”

Planning and setting your goals can be vital for anyone with a vision for their future. Before we explain the importance, we must understand what planning is. In short, planning is a process of deciding in advance where you want to get (goals) and how you will get there.

Why is planning important?

1. It helps identify your goals and helps you decide clearly and concretely what we need to do.
2. It helps you to ensure that you understand your goal and what you need to do to reach it by involving everyone in the planning process.
3. It makes you work in a goal-oriented way rather than in a loose or ad-hoc way where we just respond to issues and crises with no clear plan or goal.
4. Planning helps you see in advance those things that can help you achieve your goal and those things that can prevent you from achieving your goal and work out what to do about them.
5. Planning helps you decide how best to use resources (people, time, money, information, equipment) so that these elements make the most significant contribution to achieving your goal.
6. Most importantly, planning helps you to be accountable for what you do.

Why is planning your academic year important?

• Reduce anxiety
Anxiety is real and it exists. While we can acknowledge its existence, equally so, it’s important to recognize ways to minimize it and you know what they say, prevention is better than cure. Many students face a huge amount of pressure and uncertainty when it comes to their future, finances, qualifications, and even social life. However, having a plan can help you piece the puzzle together. Helping you see a clear picture of what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. Often anxiety has to do with lack of control and this is why planning helps because it can give one a sense of “control”.

• Identify strengths, weaknesses and areas where you can improve
Planning can help you gain insight into where your strengths and weaknesses lie. For instance, when you plan, you’re able to distinguish whether studying at night or in the morning works for you. You’re also able to see if perhaps you should take an extra class and whether you can afford to take an extra class etc.

• You’re able to keep your options open and have the flexibility
Perhaps one of the most important reasons as a student to plan your year is to be able to keep your options open. Changing direction, pivoting, re-adjusting, whether it’s changing time slots or something as drastic as switching degree programs is part of the academic experience. Having a plan in place and keeping track of progress or regress helps ensure that you have the ability to take on new opportunities as they arise. But most importantly, opportunities that are fit for you.

Common problems arising from ineffective planning

For most of us, we often plan and fall short of these plans. This can happen due to encountering certain challenges – these challenges often mean that the plans developed are not very useful and effective. The following are some of the common problems experienced:

• Your year can change as a student and the plans no longer seem relevant – so we abandon the plans and react in ad hoc and unstrategic ways as opposed to re-adjusting our plans.
• The difficulties we experience and these can arise from the fact that we set unrealistic goals. For example, it is unrealistic to claim that you will study every day for 5 hours. When will you rest? Go to the gym? Cook? Etc. While it’s important to push ourselves, you also want to be careful not to put yourself up for failure before you’ve even started. This can lead to demotivation causing you to up on your plans completely.
• We are not able to say what we have achieved, only what we have done.

Around the months of December and January people, organizations, even whole populations tend to reflect on the year that has passed. We may ask ourselves “How did I get here? Have I met my goals? Have I made a difference in the world? Have I progressed? Am I happy? What’s happening next?” To be self-aware at the individual level, in a relationship or within an organization it is necessary to ask deep questions of ourselves, looking back on what has happened and also forward towards what we want to do. To pause, reflect and contemplate is part of leading an intentional life. Those who are goal- and purpose-oriented do this at regular intervals in order to measure where they are at, whether they are doing the things that complement their purpose and dreams and to take stock of their emotional, psychological and physical well-being. The key benefits of self-reflection as a long-tern practice are that it helps you to become resilient, prepares you to be innovative where opportunities arise and augments your leadership skills.

Why is reflection an important part of life

If you seek to live a life of purpose, introspection is an important habit to practice at regular intervals.  Often it is easy to identify the areas in life that we want to change, where we feel unsatisfied or frustrated, but it is also important to be mindful of where we find our happiness and feel we are achieving. When you recognize and celebrate your successes and achievements, know what brings you happiness, joy and a sense of fulfilment and can align your activities, practices, work and relationships to your purpose you are far more well equipped to be a grounded, balanced and an empathetic person. Remember though that it is a life-long journey that needs a long-term commitment and ongoing work.

As a life-long practice self-reflection helps you to develop the inner tools to pursue your personal goals and recognize when opportunities arise that fit in with your long-term plans or may lead to growth you had not previously anticipated. It helps you to know yourself, what you have and where you are at, your purpose in life and what things are meaningful to you. Over time, you will have a deeper knowledge of your talents, what you have to offer the world and what gives you meaningful joy. These are the building blocks for sustaining your motivation to do the things you need and want to do.

The past two years have been a time where we really do need to reflect. We continue to live through the tumult of a global pandemic and it has been widely reported that people have increasingly experienced dissatisfaction, depression, anxiety and a sense of hopelessness. It is a moment in history that will be remembered for centuries. During this period, we have experienced and observed rapid and large-scale shifts in how we do things that have been challenging, scary, sad and filled with uncertainty. This era of heightened change, uncertainty and precarity requires us to do reflection for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is important to carve out the physical and mental space to pause, take a breath and think deeply about the situation you are in and what it means to your life in the bigger sense especially during periods of prolonged chaos or uncertainty. Having that time to think gives you the space to be creative in contemplating what your next steps could be to help improve your emotional processing, decision-making, situational observation and communication skills. Secondly, reflection allows you to step out of the immediate intensity of your situation and context and seek to find understanding and meaning in the broader setting. As you become more skilled at the art or reflection, you can apply a critical observational view to the things you are reflecting on. Looking not only at how they have meaning to a particular moment, incident or period but what the long-term implications are and how you can carve out opportunities for personal growth and new ways to survive, find happiness and connection, and pursue the goals you have set for yourself.

Self-reflection is important because it allows you to get to know yourself as you are changing in a transforming world; it can help you to conscientiously remember the positive experiences you’ve had and actions you have taken as well as processing the challenges, difficulties and traumas you are living through; it can be a tool for mindfulness and making sense of your experiences. It is a useful foundation before you do goal-setting as it helps you to recognize what your priorities are and what unresolved issues you may need to give attention to. By practicing self-reflection, we strengthen our capacity for self-awareness – the ability to see and understand ourselves beyond the superficial and instinctive, how we fit into the world (with our friends, family, partners, communities) and what makes our lives feel meaningful.

What does reflection entail

In practice self-reflection can be done in different ways: as an individual, within a group (such as your closest family or circle of friends) or with the help of a coach or therapist. In whatever format you decide on, it requires 5 essential resources: time, mindfulness, observation, openness and objectivity. When one first starts doing self-reflection it can initially seem daunting or intimidating but as with all new skills your capacity will improve with practice. For a practical ‘how to’ framework, let us use the example of an individual starting to work on self-reflection. You will need to set aside times that you can dedicate to thinking about what has happened in your live during the period of time you want to reflect on. The time commitment may be over several sessions. You may set a slot for brainstorming what period you want to reflect on (e.g., the past 24 months), then you may want a different day to work on documenting the most significant things you want to work through (such as work experiences, your health, your academic performance, a certain relationship), you may need a separate time to document your thoughts and feelings on each area of reflection. It will be useful to identify places where you can work peacefully, with no interruptions and what tools you will require to document your observations. Writing down your thoughts, reflections and understandings may work well, or you might prefer drawing or recording audio/visual clips. Documenting your content should be in the form that works best for you and that you can come back to later if you need to. As you create your story you will need to intentionally reflect on and remember the things you note as important to you, the things you think have had the most impact. It is important to recognize the positive and negative impacts. During the documentation process you will probably already start experiencing emotions that relate to those experiences and situations, this process of recording/remembering and feeling are the early stages of self-reflection. Once you have captured all the experiences and memories you want to work with, you can then interrogate what meaning they have had for you, why you felt the way you did, what you want to do with those feelings, lessons and experiences you have learnt for moving forward and what you need to do if you want to make changes over the coming months and year. Document your thoughts, feelings and resolutions as you work through understanding the areas of reflection and identifying what actions you want to take for the future. At this point it is helpful to create a set of goals or preliminary action plan which you can come back to at a later stage and develop further.

There are some exceptional circumstances where self-reflection may lead to negative results. While it is valuable to practice self-reflection at regular intervals, be wary of it becoming an obsessive habit. It is a tool for assessing how you are doing and one means of remaining focused on your priorities and goals. However, if done in excess, it may cause you to become overly critical and judgmental of yourself and hinder your confidence in your own abilities to perform or take decisions. When done in a healthy way, self-reflection can be useful for remaining focused, building happiness and recognizing your own growth and achievements. Another area of concern to be mindful of is if you are dealing with unresolved or ongoing trauma, self-reflection can be a very intensive – even disturbing – exercise. You may need to work with someone who is therapeutically qualified to support you in navigating that trauma and can help with identifying how you can heal, look forward to the future and understand what internal shifts are happening.

In short self-reflection is the repeated act of thinking about your life in an intentional way to examine and make sense of your experiences and future plans. It is an intentional look at your inner-self –thoughts, emotions, ambitions – activities, relationships, endeavors, history and imagined future. It is a process to examine how you are doing. A chance to take the time to think about what you like, what works in your life, what you would like to cultivate to build your resilience, happiness and sense of satisfaction. It is also a time to take an honest account of what you are not satisfied with, what has not been working for you and ask yourself whether there are areas of development that you want to work on so that you are aligning your inner-self, choices and activities with the long-term plans you have for your life. Self-reflection is conscientious, considered and deeply introspective. It is building a relationship with yourself, knowing your own story and putting your life in perspective so that you have the inner tools to pursue a life that you find meaningful.