#ielts #ieltsprep #ieltspreparation #ieltsgoals #2021 #resolutions
Advanced vocabulary is highlighted in bold.
We all have a mental list of things that we'd like to achieve in life or things that we wish we could do better at. It is something of a tradition in western culture to make resolutions in January in an often vague attempt to better ourselves, but very few of us ever stick to them.
There is, however, a secret to unlocking your potential and achieving your targets, which I am sharing with you so that you can achieve your IELTS goals. These are 5 ways that you can turn your New Year's resolutions into achievable targets with an actionable plan to make positive changes part your daily habit.
1. Make your targets specific
One of the most common mistakes people make when setting goals is being too vague. Whilst 'I want to improve my English' is a good idea, it says nothing about how you will achieve it. Furthermore, when you have actually spent some of your valuable time trying to improve your English, how will you know if it has worked?
A much better way is to set a specific goal like 'I would like to achieve a score of 6.5 in my IELTS exam by the end of next year' or 'I am going to reach advanced level in English by the end of this year.' These goals can be easily turned into a plan because you have clearly defined what it is that you want to achieve and success is measurable. You could, for example, take an online course, find a tutor and take some classes or buy a course book and work through it methodically to progress at your desired level of proficiency.
2. Measure your progress
One of the biggest reasons people fail to keep their resolutions is lack of motivation. Research suggests that the majority of resolutions, whatever they may be, are likely to have been broken by the end of January!
The secret to motivation is monitoring your progress. It makes perfect sense that once you start noticing the results of your hard work, you are much more likely to continue to do more of it.
Bullet journals can be used in much the same way as traditional year planners, except they are printed with dots instead of lines and start completely blank. Because they offer so much flexibility in organising the layout, they are a great way to measure results and track all sorts of positive daily habits. If you've never heard of bullet journaling before, you can find more information about it here.
If you're more tech savvy, on the other hand, there are plenty of mobile apps that can help you monitor your progress and achieve your personal goals. Call me old fashioned, but I think there is just something about writing in a physical journal that helps me to keep myself accountable. Perhaps it's the weight of the journal itself that helps me to take my goals more seriously? Anyway, I much prefer bullet journaling on paper and recommend it to anyone that wants to increase their productivity.
3. Be realistic
This one is obvious but you'd be surprised how many students set objectives that are completely unattainable for them because they have a busy lifestyle or they just haven't thought about how much work is actually required to reach their target.
When you are setting goals think carefully about other commitments you have in your life and how much time you are realistically able to dedicate every week to achieving your objective. If you are overly ambitious or underestimate how busy you are, you will quickly become unmotivated and might even be tempted to abandon your mission completely.
The same is true if you got a 5 in your latest IELTS practice test and your goal is to achieve 7.5. Although a band score of 7.5 might be the ultimate long-term goal, it could become a source of stress whilst you are studying at band 5. It's simply too much of a giant leap. Be kind to yourself and aim to reach a 5.5 or a 6 next. Only when you have achieved this result is it time to focus on 7.5.
4. Set yourself a deadline
Having a deadline is important. Psychologically, it will be much easier to motivate yourself and get into a routine if you set out to reach your goal by a specific date.
Booking an IELTS test or a Cambridge English exam so that you feel a little pressure to achieve your deadline can be helpful to keep yourself on track. There is no limit to the number of IELTS exams you take so you can always retake the exam later if you don't perform as well as you expected, and next time you take the test you will feel more confident and comfortable with the format.
5. Get into a daily habit
You can make good progress if you set aside some study sessions a few times a week, but for the best results I recommend you make studying a daily habit.
Look at your schedule and identify any period of 'dead' time, like time spent on public transport or waiting for your dinner to cook. Spending 10-30 minutes studying every day is better than spending 3 hours studying once a week. In just 20 minutes you could complete an IELTS writing task 1 question, review some vocabulary, learn a new grammar structure, do an online lesson or read a blog post.
So there you have it. With these 5 important considerations you can turn your New Year's resolutions into achievable targets and implement a plan to achieve the best possible results.
And remember, above all else be kind to yourself. Setting goals is not just something for New Year. If you lose your way, you always have tomorrow to make a fresh start.
What would you like to achieve this year? Maybe you have already made some resolutions? Have you discovered the joys of bullet journaling or have tips for other IELTS students? I would love to hear from you. Share your stories in the comments!
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