how to stay optimistic about a new school year

Howdy y'all! School is starting tomorrow for me and I know a ton of my blogger friends have already started, so today I want to talk a little bit about how we view the school year and how we should be viewing the school year.

I struggle so much with negativity - I can always find something to complain about and I get very riled up about it even if it's not all that important. Over the past school year, I was kind of miserable because it seemed like everything was going wrong. I was almost always angry about something and by the end of the year absolutely abhorred coming to school everyday. I found that right when school got out for summer, I was a much, much happier person and since then have been trying to channel that optimism and work on having that all the time.

I'm nervous about going back to school because I think it's very possible I could slip back into old habits of a bad attitude and I'd really like to be more of a light this year. So, I'm writing this post as a reminder to myself, but also as a challenge to all students to be a light in their school community this year - whether at the high school or college student, it's important that we remain optimistic about school.

But how do you do that?

For one thing, quit posting how upset you are about back-to-school all over social media. I'm guilty of this just like everyone else, but first of all, it's disheartening and discouraging to all of the people that see that tweet or Instagram post, second of all, it's encouraging your own 'bad behavior' by making you think negatively about the situation. Instead, try tweeting something that you're excited for this year, or wish others luck with their school starting.

Another thing I try to do is find things to get excited about. For me, this year it's the teaching class where I'll get to intern as a student teacher at an elementary school and the yearbook that I get to start designing and working on. Maybe make a list of all the good things about school to look at or buy yourself a treat every Monday so you have something to look forward to.

Something I'd like to do this year is get someone to keep me accountable. Ask one of your friends to stop you if you start complaining excessively or have a negative attitude about something. You'll be able to regroup and regain a positive mindset.

Lastly, remember that school is a privilege and it's so important to get educated. I know sometimes that's hard when you have a teacher that doesn't teach but if that's the case then you need to figure out a way to educate yourself. I have struggled with that A LOT over the past two years, but I'm not putting up with it anymore. You deserve an education and if that means you have to be your own teacher, then you've got to be your own teacher.

How are you staying optimistic this school year? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great day!

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*Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored or endorsed in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.*

4 steps to take your blogging mindset from 'ew' to 'woo!'

Howdy y'all! I can't believe that there are only two posts left of 2015, and that I am fast approaching my 3 YEAR blogging anniversary!!! It is absolutely insane to me that I've been doing it this long - it seems like just a few months ago little 13 year old Alison sat down to write her first post. But, I'll quit being cheesy now and get on with some content! This morning I wanted to talk to y'all about blogging, and how your mindset can shape your experience blogging, as well as that of your reader.

Some say the writing is what defines the blog, others photography, design, content, engagement. These are all important factors in blogging, but the way you execute all of them stems from your mindset. How you see yourself as a blogger, how you see your blog, and how you see your readers.

We all have those days where we just want to reschedule the post, skip the Twitter chat, and go watch and unholy amount of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix - and that's fine. But if you're sitting down every day and thinking 'I hate this,' then you've got a problem. Here are some steps to take your blogging mindset from 'ew', to 'WOO!'.

Write content that you are genuinely excited about. Yeah, you're probably staring at your screen saying "Duh, Alison," but there are times that I write a post just because I need a post, and those are always the times I wish I was doing anything else. When I write something I'm truly passionate about, I get SO excited to share it and promote it and tell other people how passionate I am about this thing!! Also, your readers can definitely see when you are, or when you aren't happy with a blog post. I personally, as a reader, am drawn to blog posts where the author is happy to be writing what they're writing - this is especially noticeable in bloggers who only write sponsored posts. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a few sponsored posts, but when that is literally all you write, and you only seem excited about one or two of the products you promote, it turns off your reader.

Look to blogs you admire to get you all fired up. You have to be a little careful with this one, because sometimes it leads to the comparison game, and we all know what that does to blogging morale. However, having someone to look up to encourages me to keep getting better, and to always try harder.

Be consistent and plan ahead. I find that when I've planned in advance, it's always easier to get a post done with a positive attitude. Also, keeping a consistent calendar helps you to create a good schedule for yourself, just like with a sleep or exercise schedule. Basically, if you know what's going to happen before it happens, you can make it happen.

Don't overdo it. When I was a new blogger, like when I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, I tried to schedule myself to write 4 posts A WEEK. And it couldn't be just any post either - each day had a theme, so I was confined to what I could write. While this isn't out of reach for a full time blogger, for a 13 year old who also had to balance school and extracurriculars, and who had no frame of reference, this was completely out of reach. I guarantee, you won't be motivated to get stuff done if there's too much stuff to do.

Hopefully these simple steps will help you to rethink how you write your blog, to make it something you're super duper excited about!! How do you keep a positive attitude about blogging? Let me know in the comments below.

Have a great day!

Follow me on:
Twitter: @beautynblazers
Instagram: @beautynblazers
Pinterest: Alison H. (@beautynblazers)
Facebook: Beauty & Blazers
VSCO: alison_h

Contact me at:
beautyandblazers@gmail.com

*Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored or endorsed in any way and all opinions expressed are my own.*