#sdsmasterpost

goal setting is a way to easily change aspects of your life, but lots of people don’t use it to its full potential (think new years resolutions). without further ado here is.. how to set good ass goals

make a list of things you want to accomplish. anything- be  as realistic or ambitious as possible. be broad!

for example: i want to; get in shape, spend less time on electronics, save money, read more, and get my license

order your list from most to least rewarding. in otherwords, accomplishing those at the top will make you happier than accomplishing those at the end. or just what you want the most to what you want the least.

for example: i want to; get my license, save money, get in shape, read more, and spend less time on electronics

look at your top item and write 3 ideas of how to reach that goal this month. sounds easy right? kinda, i have some criteria for u to follow.

each action must be smart (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound - month)

for example: i want to get my license. to do this i need to practice more, well that’s not smart!

smart!- practice twice a week for 2 hours this month, make flashcards for driving rules and study once a week for 30 minutes, and schedule my license test for late july

write these actions somewhere visible lets be real, ur gonna forget about them if you aren’t constantly reminded so put it in front of ur face!

personally, i have sticky notes above my desk with my goals. also a monthly calendar on my wall where i write out what/when i did something to reach a goal. (i cross out days i do yoga or workout)

check back in with yourself in a month- set a calendar reminder!

on the sticky note, whiteboard, notebook page that you wrote your actions check off the ones you achieved and cross off the ones you didn’t

also! annotate! write how much u did, if u were excited to, if u dreaded it, if it went well or badly, anything relevant.

now its time to.. do it all again for the next month!

now some important notes this will all take time and practice. no worries if u don’t achieve any of your actions at first! lower the bar! say you’ll exercise just once a week, after all once is better than none and you’ll be so proud to have accomplished that in a month. 

also! be minimal in your goal setting. focus on a couple goals at a time, i feel like 3 big picture goals is pretty solid.

use a planner / bullet journal: it will make you more productive to write things down

have a journal: a five year journal, an art journal, a sappy write down all your feelings journal, a dream journal, really anything that you think will help you. reading through old journals is honestly one of the best things you can do

do yoga or meditation: i’m a generally stressed person, as i’m sure most juniors in high school are, and doing yoga makes me so relaxed. everyone should try it!

keep up with basic tasks: cleaning your room, brushing your teeth, showering, making your bed, drinking water, smiling. it sounds simple and easy, but when school and life gets stressful it’s import for your health to keep up with these basic tasks

read: books, graphic novels, poetry, fanfiction, self help books, read whatever makes you happy. reading 1) is good to destress, and 2) builds your vocabulary, improves your focus, your grammar, and has a bunch of other make you a good student benfits

save money: I feel like this is something that is undervalued for high school students. most people our age don’t need to worry about money, or really have a concept of it, but it is important to build a healthy relationship with money while you’re young. Set small goals like putting $20 in a savings account each month ($240 in a year!). Set larger goals like saving 50% of all the money you receive, whether that be from a paycheck, as gifts, allowance, or however else you get money. Set goals like putting X amount into a savings account this year (like 200,1000, whatever you think will be doable, but personally i like the monthly ones more) saving money now will help you be a slightly less broke college student/ young adult one day. also i highly highly suggest looking into getting a job- it was honestly the best thing i’ve done this year. (masterpost)

have at least one technology free day: everyone is so wrapped up in technology and it is important tot take a break, both for your physical health and mind.

sleeeeeeeep: everyone can use a little more sleep. i suggest trying to wake up and go to sleep around the same time everyday (with some exceptions like you can break the routine sometimes and it’s okay). it makes you feel good!!! and then you’ll be less tired in the morning

(yes this is long, but it’s worth the read) As a teenager you don’t really need to worry about money, but it’s important to build a healthy relationship with it! these are my personal tips and tricks/ what has worked for me

how do i spend less money?

have a coin jar where you put all your coin change and don’t keep change in your wallet (my dad had one of these with over $300 in it!)

track your spending!! you can use an app, or use a physical notebook. 

i use a notebook and have 4 columns: item, price, date, then at the end of the month i total my spending

use student discounts!! also coupons!!! check groupon or retailmenot for coupon codes (they always save me like $7 on papa johns pizza)

bring a water bottle with you when you go out with friends bc spending money on water is annoying 

use libraries or borrow books from friends instead of buying books, wait until holiday sales/ your birthday to buy expensive things (like jeans, a computer, a fitbit), buy off-brand stuff

go to the store with a goal in mind so you don’t end up buying more than you need. go to target thinking  “i need a new moleskine notebook and pens for my bullet journal” instead of not knowing what you need.

also take college level classes in high school (but only if you think you can succeed). getting credit now means you might get to save some money on classes in college

why should i save money?

as a teenager you likely aren’t buying your own food, toiletries, phone bill, and other necessities, so you have the potential to save the largest percentage of your income!

college is expensive, moving out is expensive, saving money now will take some pressure off you in the future.

where do i get the money?

get a job! (if you’re old enough to work legally) not only is working part time a good source of income, but it gets you out of the house and gets you doing something that is not school. and it will improve your people skills (also college apps)

how do i get a job?

ask! it’s terrifying the first few times but after that it’s okay.

look at snagajob.com and indeed.com ! be warned: not all companies will hire teens

go to job fairs! your school or local teen organization might host some

pesit/babysit/housesit/plantsit/walk dogs/shovel snow/rake leaves/ do yard work: make an ad and put it on your social media, have your parents put your ad on their social media, if your neighborhood has a website or board type thing put one there!

sell your old stuff: there’s all those apps (poshmark depop), but i think a traditional yard sale is the easiest

make a change jar! grab some old container and just throw all your spare change in it, by the end of the year you’ll be shocked by how much you have

ask for an allowance from your parents or ask if they can pay you for household chores

okay i have some money, now what?

set up a savings account: i think maybe you have to do this with your parents?? i suggest using the same bank as your parents

set a goal for how much you want to save. this could be in a percent, or an amount monthly, or an amount yearly, or you could do that thing where you save every $5 bill you come into contact with

ex. i started 2017 with a goal of $20 a month (w/o a job), and in 2018 i’m upping it to $150 a month

think about money. you’re saving money to invest in your future, to invest in yourself, to not start out your life in thousands of dollars of debt. doesn’t that sound better than having designer jeans or $20 pens?

hiya! I took ap gov last year and the mnemonics i had were super helpful, so i decided to share them with the world! some are really good, and some are kind of a stretch, but whatever works! I hope this helps you all!!

court cases

Dred Scott v Sandford: slaves are not citizens, the federal government can’t prohibit slavery in the territories: Dred Scott sounds like Dred’s not, and Dred’s not a citizen

Engel v Vitale: no more state sponsored prayer in public schools: Engel sounds like angels, angels are not vital(e) 

Gitlow v New York: free speech applies to the states: you gotta get low (on the chain of power, so like to the states) to get your rights

Korematsu v USA: essentially ruled that relocating Japanese Americans during wartime (WWII) was constitutional: Korematsu is a Japanese name, and Koremat-sued! (i don’t think he actually sued but you get the point)

Lemon v Kurtzman: struck down state funding for private religious schools, funding had to pass the lemon test: lemons are sour, the opposite of sour is salty, the schools were salty about their funding getting taken away

Mapp v Ohio: established the exclusionary rule: eXclusionary rule, X marks the spot on a map (Mapp)

McCulloch v Maryland: established the supremacy clause: Maryland is not supreme!

Plessy v Ferguson: separate but equal is constitutional: P and F look similar and are on separate sides of the case. they aren’t equal, but neither were the so called ‘equal’ facilities 

Schneck v USA: established the clear and present danger test=free speech can be limited when a clear and present danger results: Schneck can’t talk shit

amendments

1st: freedom of RAPPS: RAPPS = religion, assembly, press, petition, speech

9th and 10th: the constitution prioritized the rights of the people, so the rights not listed in the constitution belong to the people amendment (9th) is before the powers not in the constitution go to the states amendment (10th)

13th, 14th, 15th: first slavery is abolished (13), then you can be a citizen (14), then you can vote regardless of race (15)

22nd: presidential term limits: two four year terms, 2+2=4

25th: established presidential line of succession: the 5 in 25 looks like an S