The document discusses the difference between values and goals and how understanding the distinction can help with academic success. It defines values as principles that motivate and give life meaning, while goals are aims to achieve. Determining personal values through reflection helps with effective goal-setting that is meaningful and can be maintained through challenges. Setting SMART and personal best goals aligned with values can provide purpose and focus to improve academic performance. Understanding values and goal-setting strategies empowers students to succeed.
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The difference between
values and goals and why it
matters
How to utilise them for your academic success
Asha Honeysett
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And so it begins…
University…
Another semester…
Another assignment…
Another exam…
Why is this important to you?
What can you put in place to
succeed?
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Poll time
How many of you, know why you’re here?
1. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, why
I’m at university, studying this degree.
2. I know with some certainty why I’m
studying at university, studying this
degree.
3. I have a little idea about why I’m at
university, studying this degree.
4. I have no idea why I’m at university,
studying this degree.
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Objectives
1) What are values and goals and why they
matter
2) How they differ and how they work in
conjunction
3) How to determine your values and connect
them to effective goal setting
4) How to utilise values and goals to set you up
for success
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Values: What are they?
“A value is defined as a principle, standard, or quality
considered inherently worthwhile or desirable. Individuals,
groups, and whole societies hold values. Values are what
motivate and fulfil you. They imbue your work and your life with
meaning. …In essence, a value is what is important to you.”
Julie Jansen.
“Your heart’s deepest desires for
how you want to behave as a
human being; they are the
qualities you want to bring to your
ongoing actions.”
Russ Harris.
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Values: What are they?
Leading principles that can guide and motivate
us as we move through life:
Overarching
Inexhaustible
Intrinsic
Positive
Essential in creating a meaningful life
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Values: What they aren’t
Values are not about what you want
to get or achieve
Different to goals and rules
Goals are about what you want to get
(e.g., job, house, partner, children)
Values inform how you want to
behave along the way of working
toward your goals (e.g., be kind,
loving and forgiving)
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Values: What they aren’t
Rules tell you how to live your life:
the right and wrong way of doing
things
Rules can usually be identified with
the words ‘right’, ‘wrong’, ‘good’,
‘bad’, ’should’, ‘shouldn’t’, ‘have to’,
‘must’ and ‘ought’
Values give us a sense of freedom
because we can use them flexibly
Rules often give us a sense of
restriction or obligation
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Values: Why they are important
Provide a sense of vitality
and meaning in everyday
lives
Provide sense of purpose
and fulfilment
Fundamental change to
how we view and manage
stress or painful life
circumstances
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Values: The benefits
Even small encounters with value-based work can
have big outcomes
Short-term outcomes of brief value-based work
Feel more powerful and in control, proud and strong
Increase sense of connectedness, empathy and love toward others
Increases tolerance for pain and discomfort; reduces rumination
after a stressful experience
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Values: The benefits
Long-term benefits of brief
value-based work
Increase GPAs
Improve mental health
Decrease doctor visits
Help make meaningful behavioural
changes including weight loss,
quitting smoking, and decreasing
drinking
Assists in persevering with hardship
or in the face of discrimination
Decreases self-handicapping
(negative self-fulfilling beliefs)
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Example of brief values-based
work – Try it out
Choose one value and describe why
it is important to you.
Describe what you do every day to
live this value.
Describe what you could do more of
to more fully live this value.
Describe how this value might guide
you through a challenging
circumstance.
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What happens when our lives
are not in line with our values?
Often occurs when we are experiencing values
ambiguity - Uncertainty regarding what is important
to you and which value to put time and energy into
E.g., value of hard work clashes with value of
enjoyment
Can lead to procrastination, frustration and a sense
of helplessness
Important to consider which value is most important
in which context and having acceptance over the
reality that we cannot live all our values at once or in
every context
Having clarity of which value to connect into when
working toward goal attainment is critical in
perseverance and ability to limit distractions
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Poll time
How many of you, know
what your personal
values are?
1. I can easily identify my
values.
2. I have some idea what my
values are.
3. I am unsure what my values
are
4. I have no idea what my
values are.
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Determining values
Asking ourselves values driven
questions
What is important to me?
What do I want my life to stand for?
What sort of qualities do I want to
cultivate as a person?
How do I want to interact with and
relate to the world, other people, and
myself?
Asking these questions in particular
areas of our life…
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Study related values questions
What do you value in your study?
What would make study more
meaningful?
What kind of student would you
like to be?
If you were living up to your own
ideal standards, what personal
qualities would you like to bring to
your study?
What sort of friendships and/or
working relationships would you
like to build while you are at
university?
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Values assessment
Barrett Values Centre: Online
Personal Values Assessment
• Free Test and report provided:
• https://survey.valuescentre.com/survey.h
tml?id=5l1OmCPgJO7OG_33NjatBw
• Out of the following list please
select ten of the following
values/behaviours that most
reflect who you are, not who you
desire to become.
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Values
Perseverance
personal fulfilment
personal growth
personal image
power
professional
growth
accountability
achievement
adaptability
ambition
balance
(home/work)
being liked
being the best
caring
caution
clarity
coaching/
mentoring
commitment
community
involvement
compassion
self-discipline
leadership
listening
making a
difference
openness
patience
competence
conflict resolution
continuous
learning
control
courage
creativity
dialogue
ease with
uncertainty
efficiency
enthusiasm/
positive attitude
entrepreneurial
environmental
awareness
ethics
excellence
teamwork
trust
vision
wealth
fairness
family
financial stability
forgiveness
friendship
future generations
generosity
health
humility
humour/ fun
independence
initiative
integrity
job security
well-being
(physical/
emotional/
mental/ spiritual)
wisdom
recognition
reliability
respect
reward
risk-taking
safety
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Studying in line with your values
Out of the 10 values that you
identified, to what extent are you
utilising these in your approach to
study?
What values are being fulfilled by
your study?
Are there other values that you
would like to be incorporating
more into your study?
How might you begin doing that
today? (Does this require you to
do more of something or less of
something)
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Common things students say to
themselves
I can’t cope
I’m too stupid
I’m worthless
I’m a failure
I may as well give up now
I’m not good enough
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Finding purpose in pain…
Geared to avoid discomfort
What does discomfort indicate to us?
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Finding purpose in pain…
Growth mindset:
If you are currently in the process of experiencing a difficult set of circumstances,
and you could develop personal strengths, qualities or abilities that would assist you
to move through this experience, what would they be?
If you were to look back at these circumstances in the future, what would you like
to say about how you handled yourself and the situation?
What would you like your growth curve to look like?
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Finding purpose in pain…
Some questions for you to reflect on:
1. In any moment, in any circumstance, who is the one human being
who can always be there for you?
2. Better than anyone else on this planet, who is the one human being
who can understand and empathise with your pain?
3. Who is the one human being who can truly and completely
understand just how much you are suffering?
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Finding purpose in pain…
Allowing space for the discomfort so we can live by our values and
achieve our goals: Self-compassion/expansion exercise
Even for the darkest storms, the
sky always has room
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Where to begin
In moments of distress or discomfort:
1. Grounding
2. Connecting with the present moment
3. Determining with clarity what is important to
you, in this circumstance, in this moment
(i.e., which value is important for you to
connect with to move forward in a
meaningful way)
4. Values to committed action (behaviourally
based goals that you can commence to do
something to help)
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Tapping into your values
1. Think about a situation that has been causing some concern and/or discomfort
(e.g., an upcoming assignment, and exam, a difficult conversation with
someone).
2. Tap into your values: values driven question or values exercise
1. In the face of this challenge, what do you want to stand for? If you were to
look back at these circumstances in the future, what would you like to say
about how you handled yourself and the situation? What would you like
your growth curve to look like?
2. Examine the list of values and choose up to three values that you can use
to guide you in navigating the situation effectively and bringing you closer
to the outcomes you desire.
3. Values to committed action. Choose the most important value to you for this
situation.
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Values to committed action
(working towards and achieving goals)
Committed action: taking effective action, guided by our values
It is through ongoing values-congruent action that life becomes rich,
full and meaningful (don’t just stare at the compass)
Exercise:
From your selected values, start by choosing one value that you would
like to live more fully. Document:
1. What behaviours or actions do you already do that support living
this value?
2. What could you stop doing, to better support or live this value?
3. What could you start doing, to better support or live this value
more fully?
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Poll time
How many of you know how
to create a meaningful and
achievable goal for yourself?
1. I know how to create a
meaningful and achievable
goal for myself
2. I have some idea of how to
create a meaningful and
achievable goal for myself
3. I do not know how to create a
meaningful and achievable
goal for myself
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Poll time
How many of you follow
through with the goals you
set for yourself?
1. I always follow through with
the goals I set for myself
2. I sometimes follow through
with the goals that I set for
myself
3. I rarely/never follow through
with the goals that I set for
myself
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Effective Goal Setting
Step 1: Tap into the value set underlying the chosen course of
action
Step 2: Set a SMART, PB goal
Step 3: Identify the benefits
Step 4: Identify the barriers
Step 5: Make a commitment
Step 6: Set-up support
Step 7: Set reminders
Step 8: Record and reward progress
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Setting goals and taking
committed action
SMART Goals:
Specific: specify the actions you will take; when, where, who or what is
involved.
Meaningful: The goal should be personally meaningful to you. If it lacks a
sense of meaning or purpose, check in and see if it is really guided by your
values.
Adaptive: Does the goal help you to take your life forwards in a direction that,
as far as you can predict, is likely to improve the quality of your life?
Realistic: The goal should be realistically achievable.
Time-bound: to increase the specificity of your goal, set a day, date and time
for it.
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Setting goals and taking
committed action
Personal best (PB) goal-setting
Aim:
Create a personalised standard of excellence with a map of how
to get there
Do as well or better than previous efforts/performance
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Personal Best (PB) Goal-Setting
Criteria:
Specific – identify precisely what
you are aiming for (outcome and
process goal)
Challenging – raises the bar,
achieves ‘flow’
Competitively self-referenced –
competing against him/herself
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Identifying benefits and barriers
to goal success
Identify the benefits:
The most positive outcome/s of achieving this goal are:
Achieving this goal would allow me to:
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Identifying benefits and barriers
to goal success
Identify the barriers:
What are the potential internal barriers that could interfere with you achieving your
goals (e.g., uncomfortable thoughts (see common thoughts students have) and
feelings (anxiety, helplessness, frustration, low motivation):
If these come up, I will use these skills to help re-engage with the task at hand
(e.g., practice self-compassion/expansion exercise, grounding in the present
moment exercise):
What are the potential external barriers (e.g., resources, competing demands,
interpersonal conflicts with others involved):
If these come up, I will take these steps to navigate the barrier:
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Set yourself up for success by
making a commitment
Make a public commitment to your goal to increase the
likelihood of you following through.
I commit to my values-guides PB SMART Goal here:
Now say the commitment out loud (ideally to someone else).
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Set-up support to increase
follow-through
Utilise social support to increase motivation
Find the right fit: friend, family member, partner, co-worker,
neighbour
Formal support: community group, course, online networks
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Set reminders
Messages or alerts on mobile,
computer, calendar
Ask people in support network to
check-in and/or remind
Sticky notes on the mirror, fridge,
car stereo
Symbol: accessory, something that
you carry with you that every time
you see or touch it, it serves as a
reminder
Recurring event/habit to cue the
new behaviour
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Record and Reward Progress
Write down your step-by step plan in a journal and record your
progress (use graphs, drawings or symbols that plot or mark
your progress)
Reward yourself (small rewards e.g., self affirmation, telling a
supportive friend, noticing the difference your actions are
making in your life)
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The continuation of the journey
Today was just the beginning
Values and goal setting work is a continual pursuit
Being able to acknowledge difficulty and when our mind is telling us
that we are stuck is an opportunity to check the compass and decide
on a path worth travelling
Practice is progress: these strategies may feel foreign. The more you
spend time on a daily basis connecting with values and
demonstrating committed action the more your life becomes rich and
meaningful
There is always help available, and if there isn’t, there’s always you.
Be kind to yourself, be in the here and now, tap into your values and
take a step toward living them
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Poll time
Proof is in the pudding:
1. I have increased knowledge and
skills on how to determine my
values and set meaningful and
achievable goals
2. I am unsure if I have increased
knowledge and skills on how to
determine my values and set
meaningful and achievable goals
3. I do not have increased
knowledge and skills on how to
determine my values and set
meaningful and achievable goal
for myself
Today I’ll invite you to come along on a journey…to ask yourself some big questions, and hopefully gather some information and skills on how to get the most out of your time here at USQ.
There are going to be times, more than likely many, where we face this question…Why am I doing this? Our mind likes to distract us in times of high stress or high demands. For us to have clarity in moving through those times, it’s important to know why we do what we do. I’d encourage you to take the time to ponder this question more deeply to ensure your current choices are most in line with what’s important to you. For example, do you do what you do because of:
Family
Skill base (what you are uniquely good at)
Passion (what you are passionate about/interested in – specific and broad)
Opportunity (for career development, lifestyle, adventure, change)
Financial security
Flexibility (of lifestyle now? Later on?)
Expectations (that you/others/society placed on you)
Values (because it’s important to you)
Other
Also, upon questioning why you’re here studying this degree…if you find after today that your current choice is not in line with your long-term goals or values we have psychologists and career advisors at Student Services that can assist you in making sure your current choices reflect what you want and what’s important to us.
But for now, lets have a look at why goals and values are important and how you can utilise them to get the most out of your time here at USQ.
Goals can be completed or achieved
Live in a goal-focused society, not a values-focused one. When people use the word values they are often talking about goals and rules
Values inform how you want to behave when working toward your goals, once you’ve achieved your goals, or when you don’t achieve your goals.
Can behave in line with our values (kind, loving and forgiving) even if we never achieve our goals
Can achieve our goals (have partner and kids) and neglect our values
E.g., Helping someone because it is in line with our values of being kind and generous (provides sense of freedom and is energising) compared to helping someone because of strongly held rule “it’s the right thing to do”, “I should do it”, “I feel obliged to” (sense of being restricted or burdened).
However, values can be used to set goals, guide our actions, and create useful rules such as ethics, morals and codes of conduct.
In many cases these benefits are the result of a one-time mindset intervention. People who write about their values once, for 10 mins, show benefits months or even years later.
Kelly McGonigal.
In many cases these benefits are the result of a one-time mindset intervention. People who write about their values once, for 10 mins, show benefits months or even years later.
Kelly McGonigal.
For example, pick one value and describe why it is important to you. Describe what you do every day to live this value. Describe how this value might guide you through a challenging circumstance.
For this part of the journey, I’ll invite you to be in a reflective frame of mind…ponder these questions with a disposition of openness and curiosity. You may find it easier to close your eyes or find a focal point while you ask yourself these questions.
Again, I’ll invite you to be in a reflective frame of mind…
In your own time, visit this site or use the following list to determine what’s important. See what jumps out at you and then go by determining how important each value is to you. Is it important, really important, or you can’t see yourself without this value?
And here we continue our journey. So far we have focused on the light side of the coin. For some of you the concepts may have come easily, for others there might be a whole lot of chatter going on in your mind why values-based work will not work for you, that your circumstance is different, that it is too late to turn things around. I’d ask you to just acknowledge those thoughts and continue with curiosity. It would be remiss of me to paint a picture that university does not come without difficulty or discomfort. If it did, I’d be out of a job. Some students that we see face extreme hardship during there years at university and here are some of the common things that I see that might be getting in the road for you right here, right now…
Common things students say to themselves if they are experiencing difficulty making value informed decisions…
These are all things our mind likes to tell us in an attempt to keep us safe, in an attempt from entering into something that could cause discomfort or pain. Historically this has kept us alive, but for the most part in modern society these common thoughts keep us stuck. We’ll turn our attention shortly to how to use your values and set goals to become unstuck
Incongruence between what’s really important to us and what our actions currently are
That there is something at stake
That we care – we hurt where we care and we care where we hurt
That there is some kind of growth to occur through persevering
Again, I’ll ask you to be in a reflective frame of mind as we move through these questions
You are. This means you are in a unique position. No matter how tough things get in your life, you are always there; even if no one else is available, you are; and you can always do something to help (even if your mind says you can’t).
I want you to take your mind to one of the more challenging circumstances in your life. Something that you felt in your heart, in your chest, in your throat, in your stomach, all over. Something that made you feel, it may have rocked you to your core, it may have left scars, it may be something that you won’t talk about or acknowledge even to yourself. And I just want you to allow yourself to feel. Allow yourself to register the sensation, where it is sitting, what it looks like, the shape, the colour, the texture, the temperature, whether it bleeds into other areas or is distinct, the depth of the sensation, and what impact it is having on you. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you feeling this sensation?
Now I want you to close your eyes, or find a spot to focus on, and take your hand, that has offered so much kindness, warmth and love to others, and place it on the part of the body that you feel it most. And I want you to send some of that love, warmth and kindness in ward. Feel it radiate through the sensation. With every breath, the love and warmth enters the sensation and surrounds the sensation, and as you continue to breathe, and send the love and warmth inward, you feel space around the sensation. And with every breath, and the continued warmth and kindness that space around the sensation grows. You may find that the sensation changes, that the shape, colour, texture, temperature changes, or you may find that it stays the same. It does not matter, what is important is that with every breath and the continued love and warmth radiating into the sensation, the space around, and perhaps through the sensation, grows. As you continue to breath and send love, warmth and kindness in, I just want you to notice the sensation, where it is now sitting and the rating of how much you are feeling it. And when you are ready, I want you to turn up the lights on everything else occurring in this room, the sounds, the lights, what you see and feel, and when you are ready acknowledge that you are here and now, and are ready to bring this present moment awareness into the upcoming moments of the day.
“Whether you are standing or sitting, plant your feet firmly onto the floor. Get a sense of the ground beneath your feet and gently press your feet into the ground. Notice the pressure of the ground against the soles of your feet and the gentle tension in your legs. Straighten your spine and gently let your shoulders slide down your back. Get a sense of the connection from the tip of your head to the tip of your toes. Now I want you to notice your attention shifting from your feet and travelling up your body, until you get to your trunk; your abdomen, chest and shoulders. Sit or stand upright and notice the change in your posture. Breathe deeply into and out from your abdomen. Notice the rise and fall of your belly with each breath, the expansion of your rib cage, the gently movement in your shoulders. Notice the air travelling through your airways on each in breath and outbreath. Now exhale deeply, emptying your lungs completely, then allow them to refill by themselves. Now broaden your awareness and notice the whole trunk as you continue to breath in and out. Notice your abdomen, lungs, chest and shoulders. Do this for at least 10 breaths; 15 to 20 if you have the time. Again broader your attention, this time to the outside world, activating your senses and paying attention to what they are receiving from the environment. Pay attention with a gentle curiosity and openness to the experience. Fully paying attention to what you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste. Get a sense of where you are and what you are doing. Smell and taste the air as you breathe it in. Notice five things you can feel (the air on your face, your shirt on your back, the watch on your wrist), notice five things you can see and pay attention to their shape, size, colour, texture and luminosity. Notice things you can hear (the various sounds of nature and the world around us). Now engage fully in the task you are doing, giving it all your attention.”
Specific: Example of a vague or non-specific goal: “I will spend more time with my kids.” A specific goal: “I will take the kids to the park on Saturday to play baseball.” A non-specific goal: “I will be more loving towards my wife.” A specific goal: “I will ring my wife at lunchtime and tell her I love her.”
Meaningful: If it is genuinely guided by your values, as opposed to following a rigid rule, or trying to please others, or trying to avoid some pain, then it will be meaningful.
Adaptive: is likely to improve the quality of that life?
Realistic: Take into account your health, competing demands on your time, financial status, and whether you have the skills to achieve it. Problem-solve barriers if possible. Break into smaller goals to increase success. If it is still not achievable, set a new one.
Time-bound: If this is not possible, set as accurate a time limit as you can.
Distinct from general goal setting in that they are specific (identify precisely what you are aiming for I.e., goal of “doing my best” is a guide, however not specific enough to meet the criteria for a PB goal), Outcome goal (doing better on EOS exam than mid-term exam) as well as process goal (preparing for the exam by refreshing lecturer content each week as well as during exam block opposed to just in exam block)
Challenging (raises the bar – achieve flow when strengths just match the complexity and intensity of the challenge), c
Competitively self-referenced (competes with him/herself rather than with others).
Emerging research indicates using a PB goal-setting learning approach in an education setting increases student motivation, self-efficacy, persistence, classroom participation, enjoyment of learning, task interest, flow, engagement, teacher relationships, and resilience (Martin, 2011).
PG goals effective because they maintain the energising properties of competition, and reduce the counterproductive effects of excessive comparison with others, motivate the student to close the gap between where they are now and where they want to be, applicable to all learners along their learning journey.
Note: Do not start fantasising about how wonderful life will be after you achieve your goal; research shows that fantasising about the future actually reduces your chances of following through.
If not willing to make commitment to someone else, make it to yourself (not as effective).
Someone who shares your aspirations, who will encourage and support
Someone who will acknowledge the success and cheer you on
If not willing to make commitment to someone else, make it to yourself (not as effective).
Small rewards help push you to achieve major successes
You can also access our online resources if you go to our Counselling webpage under Student Services. There you will find information to maintain mental wellness including; tip sheets, videos, audio, and articles.
The resources are skills that students can access 24/7 that are often used during counselling sessions (e.g., mindfulness and relaxation exercises, psycho-education on common mental health issues etc)
https://www.usq.edu.au/current-students/services/health-counselling-wellbeing/counselling/wellbeing-online-resources