Tag / advice

by Shuters House

To-do list for 2016

A very happy 2016 to all our Shuters family, customers and friends!

Now that the back-to-school rush is over, you must have been thinking about some goals and things you would like to achieve during the course of this brand-new year.

New Year’s resolutions often fail because they are either too ambitious or not realistic enough. Here is an alternative – a to-do list of things you can be mindful of this year.

  1. Spend more time having actual conversations with people rather than interacting on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. Build real relationships with the people around you.
  2. Plant a tree, shrub or bush in your garden, or a plant in a pot on your windowsill. Something fresh and green and alive to look at and to keep you grounded when you get stressed.
  3. Be grateful. At the end of each day, instead of thinking about the things that went wrong, try to focus on all the things that you can be grateful for.
  4. Laugh more. Laugh with others (not at them!).
  5. Take time out to play. There is a small child inside you that needs to be let out every so often. Play, be carefree and have fun.
  6. Be kind. Very often, the people around you are carrying burdens you know nothing about. Kindness to each other can help make those burdens a little lighter.

These are just a few items on our to-do list here at Shuters. Why not add to our list by posting your suggestions on our Facebook page?

by Shuters House

How to keep those New Year’s Resolutions!

Happy new year!

2015 is here, and as the New Year begins, many of us make positive resolutions and promises to ourselves that we intend to keep. We think about losing weight, getting more exercise, living positively, and getting rid of all those habits that are bad for us.

Unfortunately those good intentions and positive resolutions don’t often last for very long.

Here are some ideas that might help you to keep those New Year’s resolutions for 2015:

Be realistic:

Make your goals realistic. It is good to aim high and challenge yourself, but if your goals are unrealistic, you will just become discouraged. Imagine you are an athletic high-jumper. If the bar is set very high, you will jump but knock it down. So you try again, and knock it down again. After the third time you fail, you will stop believing in yourself and give up. On the other hand if you succeed the first time, you will be encouraged to carry on and to gradually aim higher.

Get a buddy

Share your resolutions with a supportive friend or family member. This means that you will be able to talk to someone when you find that your willpower is weakening or when you are feeling down. You can encourage each other to keep going and to keep positive.

Don’t become despondent

If you break your resolution today just make up your mind to make a new resolution tomorrow. For example if your resolution is to eat healthily, and you eat a whole pile of junk food today, remember that tomorrow is another day. Forget about what happened today, and resolve to keep your promise to yourself tomorrow.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts! – Winston Churchill

by Shuters House

Matric results, now what?!

When your matric results come out, you may find that you have not done as well as you hoped. You may even have done very poorly. So now what? There are a number of options you may want to consider.

Apply for a re-mark

If you have just missed passing a subject, you may want to consider applying for a re-mark of that paper. Talk to your school to find out what the procedure is and what application fee applies. The closing date for re-marks is usually towards the end of January, but make sure that you get the correct details from your school.

Male Pupil StudyContact your local FET college

There are a number of FET courses available, which might be an option for you. Some of these do not require a matric certificate. For more details, and to find a FET college near you, have a look at FETcolleges.co.za .

FET colleges will also be able to help you if you want to re-write your matric, as many colleges offer Grade 12 certificate courses. Please make sure that you register with an accredited college. Check the website above for a list of all the registered public and private FET colleges.

Learnerships and Apprenticeships

Another option would be to see if you could become part of a SETA learnership or apprenticeship programme. These programmes do not always require a Grade 12 certificate, and will help you to gain practical workplace experience and start you off on a career. A good place to begin to find information about learnerships and apprenticeships is LatestLearnerships.com .

Go out and find a job – get a driver’s license

Finding a job without a matric certificate can be very challenging. One way to give yourself an edge is to go out and get your driver’s license. This will give you an advantage over other job applicants, even if your Grade 12 results are poor.

Get informed!

For more cool ideas and tips on planning your future, have a look at CareerPlanet.co.za .