In a previous blog we spoke about common New Year’s Resolutions and in the Centres I have heard a few of yours this week.  Here are some ideas that may help you achieve your Resolution so that you become one of the elite 8% of people who will be celebrating success later in the year.  Some of your language goals may be: Complete a certificate; Practise your French/Russian more; Travelling; Speak to your grandparents in Greek/Italian..  All of these are great goals and one of the best ways you can achieve this is to Clearly define your goal – Make it a SMART goal (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound)..   e.g. I want to go to Thailand in June and talk to the locals about daily events; I want to complete my Certificate III (my goal) by the end of the year; I want to start ‘thinking’ in French by March; I want to speak to my family in Greek by Easter.  Just make sure you are setting a REALISTIC goal.

1. Track your progress. Measure where you are now and where want to be. A principal of psychology is that if you can measure it, you can change it.
2. Be kind to yourself – have some patience. Progress (especially in languages is never linear). You may see rapid progress and then hit a plateau. You want your language to be natural and subconscious mind and this takes time.
3. Publicise your goal (to family or friends). You have a VLLC family that you can share your goal with. I know this takes courage, but it dramatically increases your odds of success to share your goals.
4. Diarise it. Put it on your schedule.  We all choose to spend our time the way we do.  Make your language goal a priority and schedule lessons and practise time onto your calendar.
5. Start again, when you slip up… As Vince Lomardi said – “It isn’t whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up” Don’t turn a bad day or temporary failure into an excuse for giving up…

I love hearing students’ goals – and am always happy to give you some personal strategies to help you achieve them.  Use the momentum of the New Year to become bi or multi lingual.  It will change your life!!!
Jo

For those of us who are getting older—or who might be looking after a loved on who it—it's important to remember that a healthy mind is an integral part of a fulfilling lifestyle. There are several key steps we can take to keep our brains in top condition throughout our lives:

Get active and stay active. Physical exercise promotes good blood flow in the brain, and research shows it may stimulate production of new brain cells. Both of these may help stave off cognitive decline.

Eat a healthy diet. The same dietary problems that contribute to cholesterol-clogged arteries in the heart can raise the risk of problems such as stroke. Most experts recommend a diet that's rich in antioxidants and that helps maintain a healthy weight.

Stay socially connected. Social engagement reduces stress and also appears to provide a protective effect against dementia. Social support can be found in many places, including church, work, clubs, and by volunteering. 

Exercise your brain. Reading, writing, doing puzzles, playing memory games, learning an instrument, learning a language,  enrolling in a course at a local community college—these are all great ways to keep your mind active. Such mental activity appears to prevent the loss of brain cells and may even spur formation of new ones.

Each of these points requires an active investment, but the return for you and your family will be well worth it.

ref: Focus on the Family.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol: Many people think that a cup of coffee or glass of wine (or something stronger) will calm the nerves before flying. It does calm the nerves but does not help combat the fear of flying. If you have had a drink or two or have had a bit of a caffeine overdose you will feel downright dreadful on the plane and this makes things worse.Consider a herbal tea such as chamomile before a flight. This relaxes you and has no side-effects others than perhaps helping you snooze on your cruise in sky. On board avoid alcohol further, take a couple of chamomile teabags on board with you if you must to retain the relaxed state. And keep yourself hydrated.

Distract yourself: One superb way of overcoming your fear of flying is to keep your mind and yourself busy. Thankfully, modern aircraft are generally fitted with superb entertainment systems, especially on long haul flights. But on short haul roots, especially with budget airlines, this may not be so. In these cases bring some music to listen to, many airlines permit playback devices today or at the worst bring a good book. Striking up a conversation with the person next to you can also be a great way to take your mind off flying.

Understand that turbulence is normal: One of the biggest fears of flyers, even those who claim not to be afraid of flying, is turbulence. Modern aircraft can actually withstand a lot more turbulence than many imagine. Modern aircraft are tested to limits that few can imagine (see research). The trick with turbulence is to accept that it is part of flying and there are many other aircraft have a ride that is just as bumpy. Try telling yourself that this is just a gravel road not a highway and things are all going to be fine. Before you know it the bumpy patch will soon be over.

These are just 4 simple ways to help conquer your fear of flying. They are easy to do and simply require a little positive thinking. If you can embrace these 4 tips flying should be a little easier for you.