1. Delete your social media.
Social media, nowadays, usually has the prompt to construct plastic pictures of every individual around you — and even yourself. You need to keep away from that. You need to experience the reality and actuality and LIFE rather than something that has been socially constructed. Yes, you’re using Facebook because of this reason and that reason. But ask yourself this question: Am I being honest to myself? Is it not you who is spending around two to three pointless hours browsing and mindlessly scrolling through a social feed that, truthfully, has no relevance to you? Because I think that it’s true. It was true for me, anyway. That is why I chose to quit the terribly excuse of life and socialisation we call ‘Facebook’ and ‘Instagram’. You should do the same - believe me - you will only discover how much more time you have to spare to do things that are educationally and thought provoking like reading, research, studying, activities, sports - absolutely anything! Just don’t make any excuses. Take the initiative. Release yourself from the tiring chains social media has claimed upon your existence. Zuckerberg doesn’t need you - you need yourself. Your friend who doesn’t have a phone can wait, those Facebook group members can also be contacted through email, and it’s not exactly a life-or-death situation if you aren’t updated every single second as to what other people are doing with their lives. First fill up your own glass, then worry about other people. Really.

2. Clean your environment and your soul.
Grab the sweep (yes, you - not your cleaner) and wash away all the dirt that has clouded your environment. Clean up your shelf, your desk, your bed - take a shower and cleanse yourself and while you’re purifying yourself and your surroundings physically: close your eyes and imagine yourself with your soul in your hands and wipe away all the sorrows, the misery, the constant self-victimisation and the rest that comes with it. You are independent. You are strong, and you do not need to make anymore excuses than you have made in the past. Do this for yourself. Do it. Listen to your favourite music — burst your speakers and scream along to the mesmerising lyrics while losing yourself albeit pulling yourself together. You can do this.

3. Study, study, study.
Surround yourself with new materials, with new books, ideas and thoughts. Forget about examinations, assessments and past performance indicators. Do this for yourself. Do this with the intention of gaining more knowledge about life in itself rather than passing some s***ty examination. That doesn’t matter. What matters is your own personal development of temperament and individual characteristics. This will happen with the addition of gaining more insight to the world around you. If you don’t find that idea satisfying or cool, I don’t know what really will.

4. Wash your dirty dishes.
Face any past mistakes you have made with confidence. Accept your past-self and what has been done has happened. The only way you can move forward with self-interest and happiness will be if you have come to terms and grown to accept whatever has happened in the past. You do not need to consider it a failure, or a sad turn of events - instead a learning experience that everyone absolutely needs in their life and can’t exactly progress without. It’s essential. It’s a prerequisite. You can’t escape messing up - but if you let it consume you then you wont have room to do all the amazing things you have the potential to do and WILL do in the future. Love the cards that you have been dealt with. They’re the only ones you can play, so play them greatly.

5. Stop worrying!
I’ve recently started reading Carnegie’s book on combating worry and it’s wonderful! I advise you all to check it out, because truly you will learn how to focus on the present. With worries comes the inability to be productive or efficient - and that’s a grave opportunity cost and something you wouldn’t want to deal with. Focus on the present tasks at hand, one at a time - as if each task is a grain of sand passing through an hourglass and therefore dealing with each task at a time will ensure that at the end of the day, before you jump into your fulfilling your bed, you’ll have all ticks beside the check-boxes you made for each task at the start of the day.

6. Have a small social circle.
Concentrate your friends in a small circle and focus on truly upbringing and helping them. This will only backfire, and there you have a positive and beneficial relationship with those who actually mean something! Having a few close friends and focusing on what they expect from you is better than spreading yourself thin, having hundreds of friends and allowing society to carve you into a sweet plum: only in existence to satiate others rather your own-self. Do both: focus on yourself, fill your own cup, and have a small circle of friends to focus on while you’re working on yourself. You (and they) will feel great!

7. Rid yourself of anything and everything negative.
Those friends who tell you that you can’t do it, that you aren’t smart enough, not organised enough, not that strong-willed, don’t have the correct temperament, don’t have a good enough reputation, too dumb-witted: to hell with them! You know yourself, and I know you. We both know you can do whatever you aspire to do. The only person that will make a difference to this is yourself; truly. If you think you can do it, I’m damn sure you will. Have faith.

8. Read more books!
There is nothing like books - certainly not movies, at least. I don’t mean listen to audio books while walking to the corner-shop, I mean indulging in a book for even ten or fifteen minutes daily. Not only will this introduce you to greater and bigger ideas or concepts, but you’ll gradually find yourself through the vision of multiple fictitious (or non-fictitious) passages, along with improving your vocabulary, reading skills amongst other things. Just, read. Do it!

9. Forget the past (and the future).
Master the concept of compartmentalisation.

10. Be yourself.
Live your own life and don’t let other people dictate your path to you. Follow your dreams, your passions and certainly your true character. Don’t lie to anyone or yourself. There is genuinely no point to not being truthful: there is no other way. The only path to self-actualisation is through character discovery and loving yourself and your ability to do amazing things. Forget about the path other people have - because that’s the path that they’re destined to follow, but not for you. You have your own supreme destiny that you must feel and acknowledge. Be kind to your future self and be impartial. Love yourself!