Five Ways to Stay Productive
The war against procrastination in order to be productive is a battle I fight daily. I’m in my fourth year in a BA English program. I’m taking six classes, mostly English courses and so that means a lot of reading and even more writing. I’m also a faculty assistant and that means leading tutorials and grading papers. I have an internship at a local church and I’m also an RA in the dorm. I have a lot going on every week and I need to be extremely disciplined to at least attempt to get everything done and keep good grades. Here’s a list of 5 ways I stay productive during my week:
1. Set Goals
This may seem counterintuitive, but it really is extremely important. That is step one to getting anything done. Be specific. Set daily and weekly goals. Prioritize what is the most important and pressing assignment that needs to get done, and then DO IT. Don’t take the time to set goals and then not follow through. But make sure that your goals can be realistically achieved or you may become discouraged and apathetic.
2. Find an Accountability Partner/Study Buddy
There is nothing more helpful than having someone to keep you accountable to the goals you set (and to yell at you when you’re distracted on facebook or youtube). I find it extremely helpful and encouraging to have homework parties with fellow students. We meet in the library at a certain time, and then we work on our separate assignments in silence for hours upon hours. It is encouraging to know you are not alone in drowning in a sea of assignments.
3. Create an Ideal Work Environment
The environment in which you do your assignments in is key to being productive. If you have a lot of work to do, you might as well get comfortable. Remove all distractions. Take off your shoes. Grab a blanket. Drink some tea, or coffee, or hot chocolate. Put on your favourite music (that isn’t distracting!). My personal favourite study playlist is movie soundtracks off of Spotify. Find a good location to work, like the library, a coffee shop, or your dorm room. If my work environment is relaxed and comfortable, I am more likely to be able to settle down, focus, and get work done.
4. Reward yourself
After you’ve finished an assignment or a goal for the day, reward yourself. You deserve it! It doesn’t have to be a big reward. Small things work too. It can be merely allowing yourself to take a break and watch a movie with a friend, eat a piece of chocolate from your Halloween stash, play a riveting game of Dutch Blitz – basically whatever! The point is: reward yourself for your hard work. A reward gives me motivation to work hard as well as something to look forward to.
5. Take Time to Rest
This could be considered the most important of the five. Working yourself to the point of exhaustion and sickness defeats the point of trying to be productive! My number one rule for myself is: No all-nighters. This may seem ludicrous for many students, but it is possible! I have never pulled an all-nighter in all my four years of university. Sleep is extremely important in order for your body and brain to function at the best of its capability.
Rest does not just mean sleep. Rest can come in many forms. Do something at least once a week that re-energizes you and gives you joy. This can mean going for a walk, having coffee with a friend, or having a movie-night. Be kind to yourself. I find rest in exercising because it is a physical effort rather than a mental effort. When you are sitting and thinking all day, everyday, it is nice to change things up and challenge your physical ability instead.
Conclusion
If I could summarize my thoughts in a single sentence: Being productive is a lifestyle and a mindset.
What strategies do you use to keep yourself productive in your week?
I would add watching other people fail or quit at what you're trying to achieve. It is egoistical, but it works when all else fails. When I was writing a boring report with lots of other people writing reports in class, a dude got crazy about him not having any ideas and left the classroom. I felt a boost from the fact that I stayed and held on to the writing.
It sounds like a bit of healthy competition can be a great motivator for some people. I can attest to that. My friend and I sometimes "compete" on who can get the best mark on an assignment. In that way, we push each other on to do the best work we can.
One thing I would add to #4 is to use your rewards to push yourself to get more and more done. For example complete one task today reward yourself. Complete two task tomorrow reward yourself, so on and so on. Until you are smashing all your task and therefore smashing all of your goals.
Yes! That's a great strategy to keep pushing yourself forward, to grow, and to ultimately accomplish even more.
I totally agree with your list. You are very disciplined for a college student! When I was in college, I worked really hard but didn't think of #5. Right now, it's following through with things I need to do, but I find that by sunset, I've ran out of the drive to be productive :(
It's definitely difficult to stay focused and find the energy to keep going. That's why I find #5 so crucial to staying productive. Taking time to take short mental breaks throughout the day can make the difference between being able to keep working and burning out.
That's a great idea; taking short mental breaks. I think sometimes we get so lost in the work, we forget to take those needed breaks. Thanks for the tips :)
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