2023

Things You Shouldn’t Forget When Graduating

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Thank You Cards

With all the things going on during graduation there are small but important details that tend to fall to the side. Make sure you are keeping a running list of everyone that gave you a card or any gifts you received and take time to write down a thank you note. Try to make it a little bit personal if you can, especially for people who went out of their way to do something nice for you. – With this day in age a hand written thank you note goes a long way.

Here is a link to the Thank You cards I got –https://amzn.to/3OHYCC6

Free Thank You Greeting Card on Wooden Table Stock Photo

Respond to texts and comments

Even if people aren’t sending you a card there are going to be a lot of people congratulating you through private messages or even in the comments of social media posts. Take time to respond to those people. I noticed that when I was graduating a lot of people were commenting on my moms Facebook wishing me the best of luck and congratulating me and I know it meant a lot to my mom and her friends that I took time to respond to their messages. It’s a small detail that you shouldn’t miss.

Understand that you not the only one graduating

Since it’s your first time graduating you underestimate “graduation season”. I went to a small school so I figured that my town and community probably received a grad invite from a couple kids but nothing too crazy. However when I was talking to my aunt she told me she had 5 other graduations to attend! It’s important to understand that many people have connections and will get busy during this time. Don’t take it personal if someone you invited can’t make it to your party or graduation.

Don’t get too overwhelmed

This is easier said than done I know but the end of school year is stressful enough and then add on top of that all the graduation details. It can become a chore just to celebrate your accomplishment. Graduation is one of those things you should do in small sections. I recommend making a list of the things you need to do pertaining to graduation. This includes taking grad photos, sending out cards, organizing a party, creating speeches, all of those kinds of things and then do them in bursts. For example taking grad photos should be one of the earlier steps you take and then you can go right into making your card and sending out your invites. This can all happen in January (or whatever fits your timeline). Next you can create a list for your party and start getting it organized. The first steps for this would be finding a location and creating a list of items you’ll need to get for the party. This can happen in February. Following that you can start purchasing/ordering items that you’ll need. The overall point is to not procrastinate and then stress yourself out right around graduation instead prepare yourself so everything goes smoothly.

That’s all I have for you guys today! Hope your senior year is amazing! Don’t forget these details when graduating and you’ll do great during this great but stressful time! Congrats!!

-Nikki Smith

Writing a Valedictorian/Graduation Speech

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No one talks about how hard it is to write a speech for graduation. If your school is like mine you’re basically told to figure it out. I listened to a lot of graduation speeches from previous years as well as some college graduation speeches to get an idea of how it is supposed to sound. I figured I would share all the tips I found in order to create a speech you are truly proud of.

Try Not to Sound Generic

When listening to all the graduation speeches from the past they make vague references and honestly all sound the same. Blah Blah Blah end of our day blah blah blah. When creating your speech include your personality. If you are witty, make some jokes. There are a lot of different ways to make your speech unique to you. One really good example of this would be a speech I saw where the kid connected the experience of the graduates to a rubik’s cube. He started the speech stating that students are mixed up and confused and then went through each year of high school while solving the rubik’s cube. This was a super fun unique speech and showcased one of the skills he was proud of.

Keep it Short

No offense but no one wants to hear you talk on and on about your high school experience. A lot of people there are supporting another graduate and simply want to celebrate them graduating not hear a speech for 30 minutes. Keeping it short also allows you to keep the attention of the crowd. You don’t want anybody dozing off before the class has even received their diplomas. I would keep your speech within 2-3 minutes.

Be Emotional

You are not a robot so don’t read like one. Even if your speech is only 2-3 minutes if you read in monotone you are going to lose your audience. When I was watching speeches my favorites were always when the speaker would light up with a memory or even cry. Understanding that its okay to be emotional will add extra depth to your speech and make it memorable. You’re graduating, it’s an emotional time for everyone so show that throughout your speech.

Look up

This kind of goes without saying but make sure your eyes are not glued to the paper. A lot of schools may request that you memorize your speech but most allow you to have a paper to read off of. If you do have a paper make sure you are looking up at your audience. Even if you don’t look at the entire audience, find 2-3 people that you can look at so that it seems like you’re looking at the crowd. This can be hard for a lot of people that are not comfortable with public speaking but it’s an important aspect to keep people engaged in what you are saying.

Don’t Over Hype or Under Sell Your School

Even though you are graduating and you won’t be going back to high school it still looks bad to lie. In your speech it’s important to stay true to yourself and bring up fond memories but if you overhype your experience your class will not appreciate that in your speech. Similarly if you undersell your school and start bashing on the staff or other aspects of the school it will only make you look worse. Refrain from being disrespectful and dishonest in your speech as much as possible.

Get Personal

If you don’t normally talk like Albert Einstein don’t do it in the speech. Yes it will be heard by a large audience and you most likely want to make yourself look smart and respectable but at the end of the day people don’t care. I found that when writing my speech I wrote it in the same way I would write an essay or other academic assignment. I used unnecessary vocabulary and other extra embellishments that make the speech look good on paper but not so much when it is read out loud. It’s important to write the speech as if you’re saying it rather than writing it so that you sound the most authentic. You’re a person not an AI so sound like it.

Rehearse and Repeat

If you have to memorize your speech obviously you’re going to be doing this step a lot but for those that are allowed to have a paper don’t rely too heavily on the paper. It’s important to repeat the speech over and over again so that you can look up without losing your spot or messing up. Rehearsing your speech also allows you to figure out how you want to read it, when you need to pause, all those aspects that create tone. All in all this helps you understand all the aspects you need to incorporate so that on graduation day you can kill it.

Okay guys that’s all I have for you today if you would like to see my full speech head over to my Pinterest page. I wish you the best of luck in creating an amazing speech that represents all the accomplishments you and your classmates have made. Congratulations!

-Nikki Smith

5 Tips To Stay Fit During the Summer

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As a former high school athlete I never truly struggled with staying fit simply because I was always active between practices, open gyms, and camps. I played both volleyball and basketball for the last 4+ years but since the season has ended I’ve made it a point to try and stay in shape. Without sports I had to find a way to stay healthy and fit on my own. I’ll be sharing some tips that I find helpful for the upcoming summer.

Find a type of workout you love/ Explore

There are so many ways to workout: cardio, weight lifting, pilates, etc. Explore different styles of working out to find what fits you best. It is also very common to switch what you do if you are not enjoying it anymore. For example I was really into at home YouTube video workouts for a while and then transitioned to weightlifting which I found to like better. It’s all about preference. Find what makes you want to workout. Once you find what works best for you…

Create a fitness routine

As a former athlete I am very used to “working out” from 4-6 (after school) for 5 days a week. I continued to do this because I found that it worked the best for my body. I didn’t want to workout early in the morning or late at night and I didn’t want to work out directly after a meal. Some people do better in the morning while others thrive in the evening. Find what works best for you. In addition to creating a schedule, create your personalized routine. For example Monday=Upper body, Tuesday=Core, Wednesday=Cardio, Thursday=Lower body, Friday=Full body or some variation tailored to you. Having a routine will help you stay consistent and allow you to dive right in.

Minimize the thought process

This may seem weird at first but don’t overthink it. You don’t need to always have a super intense sweaty workout to stay in shape. Unless you have large fitness goals it’s okay to not go to the gym or even workout everyday. Having an active lifestyle change will help you stay in shape and maintain your body. Going on a walk, or swimming, maybe playing some basketball really any physical activity will help you stay in shape. In this society everyone is trying to lose weight or have crazy fitness goals but simple changes to one’s mindset can turn the “burden” of workout out into a fun activity. One of my favorite ways to be active without necessarily working out is riding bikes with my little brothers. I know that some people don’t want to go around riding bikes but this is a perfect example of just getting outside and doing something fun.

Have a goal

Having a fitness goal will keep you motivated. I’m not going to lie, motivation is one of the hardest parts of staying in shape. There are many ways to create a fitness goal you could aim for consistency for example: I want to do something active 6 times a week. You could do a number oriented goal: I want to lift this much weight by a blank amount of time or I want to run a mile in under this amount of time something like that. I would recommend straying from weight oriented goals (losing/gaining weight) because at least for me it can be very discouraging, weight fluctuates so much even day to day. It can be hard to not focus on the number and progress so don’t make losing or gaining weight a huge priority if you’re trying to stay fit.

Focus on your diet

If you listen to any fitness influencer they will always tell you that what you eat has more to do with fitness than working out. Now I am not saying go on some weird crazy diet but being mindful of what you put into your body goes a long way. This plays into your mindset of staying fit as well. Being mindful of when you’re full is important, understanding that your body may crave certain things and it’s okay to give in to those cravings and over all being aware what types of foods you’re eating. We all know that eating whole foods with nutrients is better than processed meals however a healthy combination of both will leave you more fulfilled mentally and physically. All in all, eat foods that make you feel strong and energized and relish in the not so healthy food from time to time.

I wanted to include a part where I say I am not a doctor or nutritionist, simply a teenage girl trying to share how she stays fit. This is NOT professional tips or advice. With that being said I hope you enjoyed and can stay healthy throughout the summer. Good luck! With love..

-Nikki Smith

Reset For The New Year

Nikki Smith1 Comment

5 ways to start the new year right!

As we venture into the New Year we are all inspired to better ourselves. Let us take all the valuable things with us into the upcoming year; all that we learned and grew from in 2022. But as I say this I want to leave all those negatives that we have also accumulated. This post is all about setting yourself up to have the best possible year and get you in the right mindset to accomplish your goals. Starting with …

1. Set up your Google Calendar or Planner

Use your calendar as a tracker. Write down all life events even if it’s just hanging out with friends this way you can track long term goals. For example if one of your 2023 goals was to spend more time outside you would log in your calendar if you spent significant time outside that day.

Tips I suggest when you set up your calendar or planner would be to color coordinate. You can do this anyway that works best for you but I suggest breaking each category down and giving it a color. You want your calendar to represent yourself and become a space you enjoy. Your planner should be something you want to look at each day so make sure to take the time to really customize it. (Don’t forget to update any events or appointments that you made previously).

2. Declutter!

The New Year is the perfect time to get rid of all the unnecessary items you no longer need and have been putting off getting rid of. Let’s be honest you’re never going to wear that one t-shirt you have “just in case” you need it one day. Donate or sell the clothes you don’t wear anymore. While you’re at it the junk drawer you’ve been hoarding can probably use a clean out. There may be other places in your home that you’ve been thinking needs to be cleared out for a while. Now is the time to do it! The motivation you feel right now with the new year reset will fade so use it while you can to do those extra things you’ve been putting off all of 2022.

3. Clean Your Space

Going hand in hand with number two. Now that you have decluttered it’s time to wipe down all the mirrors, vacuum, and dust. Cleaning your space after decluttering and getting rid of all the unnecessary items you’ve been hoarding feels so rewarding. If you want to reset yourself and your mindset it starts with your space. Having a clean and clear space will transfer over to you. So make sure to dust the corners in your house, clean out the shower, and wipe down all the mirrors. The feeling of being refreshed is such a productive way to start your year in the right mindset.

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

4. Create Your Goals for 2023

Everyone is setting goals for themselves. Thinking of new ways to be better and feel accomplished. If you haven’t already, sit down and write at least 10 reasonable goals on a piece of paper. Yes a PIECE of PAPER. This could be a sticky note on your mirror or the front of your notebook anywhere that you will be able to see it every day. I recommend making a vision board to represent each of your goals. I personally use Canva and find that it’s very easy to create a collage of items that represent my goals. This is helpful just so you can have a visual representation of what you want to accomplish. Again set this as your phone or laptop backscreen so you can see it everyday. In addition to setting goals, make a plan on how to achieve each of those goals. For example if you want to save a specific amount of money this year set up a plan to set aside an amount each month. If you have health goals, make a plan to meal prep every Sunday so you will have readily available meals. Apply this method to each of your goals!

Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

5. Treat Yourself to Help Accomplish Your Goals

Having a reward system in place will allow you to keep pursuing your goals. Getting excited to use new things that bring you joy will inspire you to keep working. Let’s say you wanted to drink more water in 2023, splurge on a water bottle that you’ll love. If you want to plan more, invest in a great planner that will work best for you. It’s all about personal preference and tailoring these items to yourself. Take the time to understand what you need in order to be successful and then purchase an item that fits those categories. It’s easier to accomplish goals when they don’t feel like a task but rather something you actually enjoy. 

I hope these points helped you in some shape or form to get ready for the upcoming year. Apply these points and I bet you will be increasingly more productive and able to start the year with a clear, concise mind. I wish you the best of luck in accomplishing your goals however big or small they may be. 

-Nikki Smith