Peel Adult Learning Centre, is a non-profit adult education centre that provides programming designed to help adults continue their education and level up their career skills. We have been providing these courses for 30 years and are committed to working with our students from the time you enroll into a class until you’ve successfully completed the program and are ready to transition to your next steps.

In today’s blog post from the Peel Adult Learning Centre (PALC), we are going to discuss how we can help you build your confidence, skills, and knowledge through our adult education classes and services. With locations in Mississauga and Brampton, we are sure to have a class that will fit your needs and schedule. Read on to learn more.

We’d all like to make big changes in some aspect of our life – career, relationships, personal health, or education, to name a few. Some quick fixes would be nice, but most likely, these types of changes don’t happen overnight.

However, the good news is that you can start creating and practicing new habits that put you on the road to making a difference in your world – in a fairly short period of time.

Most people can drop or create a habit within 30 days. The only item you need is commitment. Do you have what it takes?

This list will provide you with a few ideas. Put your creative thinking cap on, and you’ll develop a few of your own ideas for challenges that will make a positive difference in your life:

1. Try a new recipe. Let’s face it. You have the same thing for breakfast every day. Only a couple of different things for lunch. And maybe 10 different things for dinner. You’ve been eating the same stuff for years! Try something new. You’re bound to find something you love. Eat something new each day for a month.
2. Drink only water for a month. How much do you rely on your morning cafe latte? You’re about to find out. Just go one month without drinking anything other than what your adult body was designed to drink – water.
3. Give up your news habit. See how many days you can go without watching or reading any news – either on TV, on the internet, or on you social media channels. Think you’ll miss out on something important? Your friends will tell you.
4. Take a cold shower. There are lots of health benefits to be found from taking cold showers. They’re great for your mood and immune system. See how tough you really are. One tip: Rather than starting with a cold shower, start with a hot shower and gradually keep turning the temperature down. It’s refreshing!
5. Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Get out of bed 30 minutes earlier and do something productive. You might try learning another language or reading. It might be a good time for a walk. Maybe you’ll meditate, pray, or write. See how special the morning can be before everyone else gets up!
6. Avoid complaining. Thirty days without complaining? Can you do it? You might struggle at first if you have a habit of complaining. But you’ll feel great by the end of the month!
7. Avoid negative thoughts. How about skipping all negative thoughts for a month? It’s important to catch yourself early in the process, and there will be plenty of times you’ll have to catch yourself. Breaking this one negative habit can make a huge positive difference in your life.
8. Do something nice for someone each day. You can do 30 things for the same person or for a variety of people. The choice is yours. Try to accomplish this anonymously. You’ll learn how good it feels to do something for someone else without getting anything in return.
9. Study something for a month. Pull the old guitar out of the attic. Learn how to paint. Practice your writing or math skills to get motivated for further studies. This is a great challenge to combine with waking up earlier. What will you learn this month?
10. Exercise daily for a month. It doesn’t have to be challenging, but do something physical each day for 30 days. Think of ways you can enjoy this time. You might shoot baskets in the driveway one day and meet a friend for tennis the next. Take the family for a hike. Play with your dog. Just do something active.

Mindful writing is a powerful skill to practice for personal development. It doesn’t end there, though. By being consistent with your journaling, over time, the habit will help you become more productive and efficient with writing you need to accomplish in school or at work.

In our previous post, we covered four prompts that you can use to help you get your journaling juices flowing! Today, we’ll share four more prompts to help you kick it into high gear:

What is the one thing you most want to accomplish? We have a tendency to get involved in too many minor things.

• What are you willing to sacrifice to accomplish that one great thing?
• What are you willing to give up now in order to get what you want later?
• What have you been dreaming about for a long time that you can feel in your gut will make a bid difference in your life?

What is one skill you wish you had?

• What skill would have the greatest impact on your life?
• What skill is most appealing to you?
• How would that impact your life? Be specific about what you would see, or not see, in that future vision.

Writing isn’t just a great skill to have for school or work. The practice of mindful writing, using writing prompts, can be personally powerful – they can help you to consider things you might not ever think about on your own. Writing is an effective process for personal growth because it forces you to slow your thinking and organize your thoughts. You can’t write nearly as quickly as you can think!

There are numerous writing prompts that can help you to discover more about yourself and possibly open up new ideas and possibilities. Here are a few to get you started:

How do you think others view you? Imagine being an observer and watching yourself go through your typical day. What would you think about yourself if you were the average person? What changes do you think you should make based on this observation?

• There can be a big difference between how you observe yourself through your own eyes compared to how the world views you.
• Getting “outside of yourself”, even just for a moment, may help you notice habits that you weren’t aware of.
• Some of these habits are positive ones that you should continue, but others may not be as favourable and could be holding you back.

My name is Moji. Before PALC, I worked at the RBC ( Royal Bank of Canada). I was a customer service representative. I worked there for eight years and 6months. I was a dedicated worker, but I never moved positions. I trained and even did peer mentoring but was always stuck. I later had to leave because I had a crisis in my family life which led me to mental and psychological breakdown.

The way I was feeling about my future was not good. I had established myself and I thought I would eventually move into another position at RBC, but after my breakdown, I was disappointed. I felt like a failure and I was lost. I have 2 kids so I started borrowing strength from them. They picked me up when I was down and I looked at them as a responsibility, so I had to do whatever it takes.

A NEW START

Starting all over was not part of my plans, but here I was at PALC and determined to succeed, so I was ready to start all-over. I found PALC very accommodating. My initial encounter with the reception would make or break me and it encouraged me even more. PALC made me comfortable. Made me safe and made me feel like I was making the most amazing decision.

When I started classes I felt a little lost. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to school. I was still worried about an income but Jen, one of my instructors, was such an amazing human being. She is full of resources and empathy. I eventually got the hang of it.

How can you stay motivated when learning moves online? In the classroom, you are physically present with an instructor to engage you in the subject and other adult learners to socialize with. When it’s just you, your room, your laptop, and a zoom call, sometimes you need to take charge of your experience. Did we mention the distractions at home, too?

You need to find a balance that will enable you to continue your education while fulfilling your other responsibilities. Try this formula for making learning effective and fun.

Staying Disciplined with Virtual Learning:

1. Set goals. Keep your purpose firmly in mind. Remember your main objectives, whether you want to upgrade your skills to get a better job, qualify for college entrance, or pursue an apprenticeship.
2. Plan your week. Block out time for your most important activities. Tackle demanding tasks during the hours when you’re usually at peak performance.
3. Establish routines. Cutting down on daily decisions can make you more efficient. Adopt habits like doing your assigned readings one hour before bedtime.
4. Limit distractions. Focus your attention on your studies. Keep your phone and TV turned off during school hours.
5. Start small. Baby steps build momentum and make big projects seem less overwhelming. Break your work down into specific measurable tasks. You might spend a morning outlining your essay or summarizing your notes.
6. Dress up. Getting out of your pajamas and putting on pants can help make you more productive. Comb your hair even when you’re alone and off camera.
7. Perform reviews. Work on your study skills. Ongoing reviews of your class materials will help you to remember what you’ve studied and may help you earn higher marks.
8. Take tests. Research shows that practice tests are one of the most effective ways to learn. Your instructor may provide them, or you can write your own.
9. Create priorities. Respect your limits. If you’re adding coursework on top of your other responsibilities, give yourself adequate time for sleep and other essentials. Scratch some other items off your to do list if possible.

We know that last year was a challenge for a lot of people on many levels. The key to bringing in a new year with a brighter outlook lies in your goal setting strategy. Do you have one?

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about getting a better job or going back to school? If so, set some clear and attainable goals for yourself that will help you get there. Here’s how you can do that:

Don’t Rush

Take a step-by-step approach to your goal. It’s important to take it slow and not take on too much at once. The main reason that some people fail when it comes to their New Year’s goals is because they take on too much at once and don’t have a realistic plan to follow through with.

It’s easy to say: “I want to get a better job” or “I want a college diploma.” Keep in mind that big goals like these will take some time and effort. Job searching can be hard to even begin because the thought of it may feel overwhelming. Getting a post-secondary education requires time and patience as it can take a few years to get it under your belt.

Remember that sometimes the beginning can be the hardest part. Get a support team of a few friends or family members together. They can be your cheerleaders and help you muster up the courage and enthusiasm to continue with your efforts. You’re not in it to give up……you’re a warrior!