Since the midterms are coming up next week, I thought I might write a blog post about managing your time wisely. Isn't it funny how we like to procrastinate and then try to finish the stacked workload until the brink of the deadline? Why is it that we do that? Is there a way to increase productivity and at the same time effectively use our time?
Let's start by talking about willpower. We always need at least a bit of willingness before we do something. Before we start our work, we tend to imagine the work we need to do beforehand, thus making it harder to actually start the work. Therefore, before we even begin, we are already discouraged to make the first step. Instead of doing what we need to do, we then focus on other trivial tasks just to make ourselves believe that we are actually doing something productive. In my case, I tend to clean the room and organize my closet and shelves before exams just to persuade myself that I am completing something, and not trying to escape from studying. On the contrary, when we actually start doing our work, whether it's the day before the deadline or hours before the exam, we find it really easy to finish the work in a limited amount of time. Interestingly, how our brain works is that it tells us to finish what we started. For instance, if we are in the middle of doing something, and then forced to stop doing it, we feel this itch inside us to complete what we left off. Combining these two facts, we can now come up with a strategy to fight against procrastination!
Step 1: Make a to-do list. The tasks will be less intimidating if we actually put it down on a list and tackle with them one by one!
Step 2: Set up a deadline for each and every one of the tasks. Though it might seem insignificant, but if you have a chart that reminds you of what you need to do, the chances of you starting it will be higher than having nothing at all!
Step 3: Don't force yourself to finish everything all at once. Break down your tasks into smaller portions and occasionally give yourself a break. Our attention span simply does not allow us to stay focused on one thing for too long, it's just too exhausting!
Step 4: At the end of the day, evaluate what you have done and what you haven't accomplished. This will make you feel like you haven't finished a certain task yet, and therefore you'd be more motivated to finish it the next day!
Step 5: Reward yourself when you finish a huge task, whether it's a project or a report, or even an essay!
To briefly summarize the tips, all you need to remember is to: PLAN >>> START WORKING >>> HAVE BREAKS >>> EVALUATE >>> TREAT YOURSELF!
Good Luck! (And remember, no multi-tasking because it is not productive and it also decreases work efficiency!)
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