Everyone procrastinates. It might be something small like mowing the lawn (guilty!), it might be a larger more important activity like prepping for a mid-term. Either way, I was not always the best at keeping my head down and knuckling through page after page of notes when I was younger, and I wanted to share some strategies I have developed that work great for me (even in my adult life).
- Pick a time to study or work at roughly the same time each day
- Listen to music (quietly) that motivates you and helps you reach a flow state
- Remove distractions from your immediate vicinity
- Choose how long to stay focused
- Work out while studying
Oh alright, I'll go into a little more detail.
Study at the same time each day
This is a longer-term strategy, but it does work. if you continue to utilize this time for something important each day you will begin to form a habit. That's really all it takes! A little bit each day goes a long way. I would target a minimum of a half hour per day and if you find that is not enough, add 15 minute increments i.e., 30, 45, 60 etc.
Listen to motivating music
I love me some metal. This is a great motivating tool for me that really gets the blood moving! However, I have noticed it is not the best for studying for school. Metal makes doing painstakingly boring chores great though. For me that would include cleaning, mowing the lawn, grocery shopping or anything that doesn't require a lot of thought. When I need to focus on studying though, I have found that quietly playing some Christian, pop, or even soft rock will help as long as it's quiet.
Remove distractions
While getting prepared for going back to school my wife and I determined that I needed a study. A small corner that is dedicated to getting work done. Boy was that a great idea! I really need to give my wife credit for this one, she hit the nail right on the head. I have been using the same spot for about 13 weeks now and let me tell you, when I sit here, I am productive. This is my, "shut up and get to work zone". I sit down, put my glasses on, quiet unruly thoughts, and put my mind to the task at hand. the great thing about this is you do not need something expensive and crazy. I bought a $50 desk off Amazon (literally this one) and set it up in the corner of my bedroom.
Choose how long
This is important. For me, it's like my mind has to have a target to work towards. If I say to myself, I need to have this done in an hour and it is extremely important, I am committed. Now for whatever reason, I never actually achieve my goal of having the task done in that timeframe. It usually takes just a bit longer, but my mind is set to hit that target and hit the flow state I need to crank through tasks.
Workout
I set an alarm clock for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up, I finish my thought, and I go do a body weight quick workout. Recently I have been doing squats, push-ups, and sit ups. I do 20 - 25, and it helps re-focus my mind. I will say, 15 minutes for me is a little annoying, I might change to 20-minute intervals but experiment and see what works for you!
End
I started school recently and all I can say is this stuff works. It is difficult working full time and then coming home and studying for an hour or more, but you can do it and these techniques are sure to help.
BOOM!
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