Your Guide To Setting Academic Goals As A Student
With the back to school season right around the corner, I thought it would be useful to spend some time reflecting on how to best set goals for yourself as a student, especially when it comes to your academic performance. Of course, everyone wants a good outcome in their academics, and setting functional and well-rounded goals are a great way to achieve that.
Of course, these guidelines can be applied to other kinds of goals you want to set such as for example your health goals or financial goals for yourself, but today I wanted to specifically highlight how to best set academic goals for yourself.
I hope you enjoy this one and that you find it useful in your own academic success :)
My intention today: Introduce to you a set of guidelines that you can use for setting up your own set of functional academic goals.
WHY SET GOALS ANYWAYS?
I know there is a lot of talk nowadays about setting goals so whats the big deal?
Well, the main advantage of setting goals is that it gives you something to shoot for and a general direction to head in. It provides you with a well-reasoned and realistic way of approaching something which you want to get better in.
Goals encourage you to focus better and as a result, because you know in which direction you are heading, you are able to make better decisions. Additionally, setting high-quality goals keeps you focused and highly motivated because you know what you are working towards but fundamentally, also why.
I also want to stress that I don’t think its best to be extremely fixated on purely your goals but the idea is more to keep them at the back of your mind while your main focus should be your journey and the process. The goal is there to merely inform you of what direction you are going in, but your process and daily effort are what is key and what will actually get you to that destination.
HOW TO SET GOALS AS A STUDENT
Determine What You Want To Get Better At
The first step concerning the creation of your academic goals concerns the “what”.
It is all about actually asking yourself which area or what specifically you want to get better at which directly links with what are your current areas of weakness. So spend a couple of minutes thinking about what is an area of perhaps your studies which you consider to not be so strong. Here it is important to realize that areas which we want to work on do not only have to strictly concern the content of what we study but could also very well have to do with our study-related habits or even lifestyle changes that we want to make that will help us out on our academic journey.
Another useful recommendation when deciding what area you want to work on is making the distinction between what is in your control and what falls outside that domain.
For example, perhaps the subject of chemistry is your weakest academic area so you would like to improve your understanding of it. In line with this, you might set a goal that goes along the lines of “I want my end-of-year chemistry exam grade to be X”, and while these kinds of destination-based goals are alright, it is better to set goals that are focused on the process and the daily input, such as “I would like to spend 20 minutes each day revising topic X for chemistry”. This is because in the latter example, we have much more control over our goal and in the first example, the goal that we get in the end is yes, partially in our control, but partially also dependent upon other external factors which we can’t really influence. So keep this in mind, when figuring out what specifically you would like to get better at
Finding Your Why
Once you know what area of weakness you want to work on, it is crucial to consider your why - why do you want to work on this specific area of weakness?
This reason is entirely your own and will form the basis of your motivation and drive to keep going in those times where it may get hard or difficult. Your why gives you a reason and a purpose for doing what you do and for wanting to go after the goals you want to reach. There is no right or wrong answer here remember, only what feels right to you.
Some examples of wanting to improve in an academic setting ay include opening up further studying or career-related options later on, to prove to yourself how much you are capable of or enhancing your growth as an individual.
Creating A Functional Plan
Now that you have identified your what and your why, it is time to consider the how factors, meaning how exactly do you plan on reaching your desired goals.
A plan is there to keep you organized in your goal attainment but to also keep you consistent and on track. It makes the process of reaching your goals much easier because you already have a written out plan that just has to be followed through instead of wasting more time and energy into deciding what you will do, how you will do it and when.
A plan in this case often comes in the form of a revision planner to keep you on track with your studies but it can also include other things such as lifestyle habits you want to do on a weekly basis that will help your academics out or creating a functional series of reminders to help keep you accountable with your plan.
What kind of plan you end up devising and coming up with to reach those goals that you set yourself is entirely up to you, you just want to make sure that in the process of creating such a plan, you are being both realistic with it and adding in some room for flexibility within your plan.
Following Your Plan
Now that you have devised a plan for how you are going to reach your goals, it is simply time to put it to the test.
Try following your plant to the best of your ability for a week or two and see if you have to make any changes to it. Is it too rigid? Have you stretched yourself out too thin? Is the method you have chosen to reach your goal not effective? How could you make it better?
In order to keep yourself both accountable and more motivated in the process of getting to your goals, it helps to track your progress or to want to improve on something together with a friend or group of friends which can help keep you accountable and on track. Alongside all of this, you always want to keep in the back of your mind why you are doing what you do to make sure you are still heading in the right direction.
Lastly, remember that it is all a trial and error and that life is not perfect at the end of the day so don’t be too hard on yourself if maybe if some days don’t go exactly the way you wanted or planned out for them to go. The goal is to just try your best and giving your best effort is already much more than enough. That is all that really matters in the end :)
Try out these steps and let me know about your experiences with them :)
Gaining Back Deep Focus And Meaningful Productivity
In today's ever-connected world, it is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain unwavering focus on what truly matters due to the constant bombardment of notifications, reminders, and distractions. Amidst this blend of enticing messages and captivating diversions, we must adeptly discern what holds genuine significance and what is merely a drain on our time—a task that is growing more formidable.
While I have previously addressed this subject and offered strategies for improving focus, which you can explore here and here, I believe this topic is gaining even greater importance and is evolving into a highly esteemed skill in the contemporary world. The capacity to concentrate and wholeheartedly direct your attention toward a specific aspect of your surroundings is paramount for acquiring new knowledge, accomplishing your goals, and excelling in various facets of life. By enhancing your ability to concentrate and focus, you can significantly elevate the quality of your life, paving the way for numerous new opportunities and profound insights.
I trust you find this piece enjoyable and enlightening.
WHAT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR FOCUS?
There is a variety of factors that can significantly impact or hinder our focus. Below are some of the major ones to be mindful of, as well as some of the most common daily sources of distractions we face:
Internal Factors
Hunger
Anxiety or worry
Stress
Fatigue or lack of sleep
Depression
Medical conditions like autism, ADHD, or bipolar disorder
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia
Memory disorders like dementia
Past experiences of traumatic brain injuries or stroke
External Factors
Device notifications
Unexpected situations that take you by surprise
Loud noises
Bright colors or patterns
Inadequate lighting in a space
Being in a cluttered or messy environment
5 WAYS TO GREATLY IMPROVE YOUR FOCUS
Establishing A Regular Mindfulness Routine
Engage in meditation, breath-work, or journaling: Maintaining a consistent meditation or breath-work practice can significantly enhance your focus by providing a chance to calm and quiet your mind, allowing you to observe your own thoughts and emotions, ultimately helping you make better sense of them. Regular journaling and self-reflection can yield similar benefits.
You can explore my previous articles on meditation here and breath-work here.
Eliminating Potential Distractions From Your Environment
Silencing social media: Keep all social media platforms out of sight and locked during work hours. You can use focus modes on your devices, enable "Do Not Disturb," or mute notifications to achieve this. For guidance on improving your relationship with social media, consider reading about it here.
Minimizing other distractions: In addition to digital distractions, remove any disruptive elements in your physical environment, such as brightly colored or moving objects, loud noises, or distracting items on your work surface. Experiment with identifying which objects allow you to work most effectively when they're out of sight.
Maintaining Fundamental Well-being
Physical Activity: Incorporate at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
Quality Sleep: Prioritize getting sufficient sleep by going to bed at an appropriate time. Consider taking short naps during the day for an energy boost if time permits.
Balanced Nutrition: Consume adequate nourishment to sustain your energy levels throughout the day, and have snacks as needed.
Scheduled Breaks: Allocate time for breaks to recharge, effectively restoring your focus levels to their initial state.
If you're interested in learning more about taking care of fundamental aspects of your health, you can explore the five pillars of health here.
Optimizing Your To-Do List
Prioritization: Prioritize tasks based on time required, task complexity, and urgency.
Know and understand what you have to do: Ensure task clarity and understanding to prevent procrastination caused by uncertainty.
Temporarily do something else: When boredom strikes, switch to a more enjoyable or easier task momentarily before returning to the original one.
Minimize multitasking: Multitasking can leave your brain lingering on the previous task, hindering full concentration on the current task.
Grouping similar tasks: Performing similar tasks together, such as quick tasks taking less than 5 minutes, writing emails, running errands, or shopping, and tackle them during dedicated time blocks.
Timing yourself: Setting a fixed time frame for completing tasks can boost your efficiency and ensure task completion.
Streamlining Your Focus Process
Consider your social circle: Surround yourself with productive individuals to inspire and motivate your pursuit of meaningful productivity.
Setting and achieving goals: Set future goals and visualize your aspirations, helping shape the person you wish to become.
Setting rewards: Reward yourself upon completing significant tasks or projects that demand time and effort.
Stay organized: Maintain organization in both your digital and physical spaces to facilitate focus.
Consider drinking coffee: If you respond well to caffeine, consider consuming it in the morning for heightened alertness and improved focus; however, be mindful of excessive caffeine intake. For a deeper understanding of how caffeine affects the body, refer to my previous article here.
Music or silence: Experiment with different strategies for maintaining focus, such as listening to music with noise-isolating headphones or working in silence. Find what works best for you for different tasks.
Reset activities: Incorporate activities for focus resets, such as stretching, getting fresh air, conversing with colleagues, or having a snack when your focus wanes.
FOCUSING IS A SKILL THAT HAS TO BE PRACTICED
Now that we've explored the factors that can negatively impact our stress and some of the most practical ways to enhance our focus, it's important to recognize that focus is a skill that requires continuous practice.
We're all human, not robots, so we can only expect so much from our bodies and minds simultaneously. There will inevitably be days when we feel more tired, unmotivated, or find it challenging to focus. Importantly, don't be too hard on yourself on those days, as we all experience them from time to time. Afterward, simply continue practicing your focus skills.
Think of your ability to concentrate over a given time as a muscle that can be strengthened through practice, routine, and dedication. You have control over how you allocate your time and energy and what you choose to focus your mental energy on. You've got this
🧠KEY IDEAS
In this blog post we discussed the factors which take away from our ability to concentrate as well as some practical tips on how to keep strengthening your focus capacities.
✏️ REFERENCES
Panel, E. (2023, January 3). Feeling Distracted? 10 Tricks For Getting Your Focus Back On Track. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2023/01/03/feeling-distracted-10-tricks-for-getting-your-focus-back-on-track/?sh=2b59b3217267
Pozin, I. (2012, February 12). Get Your Focus Back: 7 Tips. Inc. https://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/get-your-focus-back-7-tips.html
Lindberg, S. (2022, October 21). Need help staying focused? Try these 10 tips. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/how-to-stay-focused#avoid-multitasking
MSEd, K. C. (2023, August 14). 7 tips for becoming more Mentally focused. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/things-you-can-do-to-improve-your-mental-focus-4115389
How To Work More Effectively & Efficiently
We would all like to know how to work more effectively and ultimately be better at using our time well because time is a resource which is finite for all of us. With so many productivity guides out there stating what not to do and what to do when it comes to maximizing your work output, I wanted to instead focus on the difference between working effectively and working efficiently.
Although these terms are used almost interchangeably, there are differences we will uncover today which make these two concepts worth differentiating and looking into, because each can uniquely impact your productive capacities.
If learning how to increases your output not only in terms of time but also in terms of getting the right tasks done sounds interesting to you, then continue on reading to find out.
I hope you find todays topic interesting and ultimately useful for your own applications for whatever you want to get done or to just become better at managing your time.
EFFECTIVE VS EFFICIENT
We have to first understand that our productivity through the day or during the course of a week can heavily fluctuate, since it is influenced by factors such as our sleep, ability to stay focused, how organized we are as well as other factors. Some days we will be more productive and energetically focused than others and that is normal. The key is to design and adapt your day around how energized and productive you feel for that day. For example, if you had a bad night of sleep, there is not much point in cramming a bunch of heavy energy consuming work for the whole day since your body is less well equipped to deal with it in the moment, so instead on days like this choose easier tasks to do.
Adapt your work schedule and obligations around your mental and energy capacities and most importantly don't be so hard on yourself for being human and having some days where you just cant seem to focus as well or that you feel uninspired or demotivated. It happens to all of us.
But the good news is that those days and times will pass and by taking care of ourselves first and our bodies needs, we can re-equip ourselves to have another meaningful and productive day, in whatever form that is for us.
Now what we have established that, lets look into the difference between working effectively and working efficiently:
Effective working:
It is about producing the wanted results or getting to the right accurate result, essentially meaning that effectiveness concerns the success of our output.
in a work scenario, this links to the quality of our work and also making sure to have a good grasp of task prioritization by getting the right things done.
Efficient working:
Efficiency is about producing the desired results but without wasting any or much resources such as materials, time or energy.
In a work setting, increasing efficiency is often linked with increasing the speed at which you get tasks done but in other cases it can also mean knowing how to manage your energy levels while still getting the right things done.
HOW TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY
Prioritizing your to do list (Using the Eisenhower Matrix method)
Setting a realistic number of tasks you want to get done today (Shortening your to do list)
Tackling your most important and hardest tasks first
Planning tomorrow the night before
Having a block of “me time” without distractions, meeting, calls etc
Communicating well with coworkers, group members or family members
Breaking down large tasks into more manageable sub tasks
Being careful when it comes to multitasking
Measuring your progress to keep you motivates
Take care of the basics: Reducing stress/ anxiety, sleeping well and eat enough (See blog post here)
Take regular breaks to rest and reenergize
Find your biological prime time (At what part of the day do you work best)
Getting better at saying no and respecting your time and energy boundaries
HOW TO WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY
Time blocking: Enter your most high priority tasks into a schedule
Stay organized (Digitally and physically)
Setting and following routines that work for you
Going into work with the right attitude
Don't wait for motivation or inspiration to start since these things are a result of working
Reduce the number of decisions you have to make in a day - you can only make so many in a day
Using idle bits of time (slots of 5-15 minutes) to knock out short tasks
Make the work you do as fun and engaging as possible
Making it as easy as possible to get started on a task
Avoiding distractions and stay focused (See blog post here)
Scheduling periods of deep work
CHECK OUT MY OTHER PRODUCTIVITY RELATED POSTS:
🧠KEY IDEAS
In this blog post we have discussed the ins and outs of working effectively VS working efficiently and why it is important to strike a balance of both to optimize our productive output.
✏️ REFERENCES
Indeed Editorial Team. (n.d.). How To Work Effectively: What It Means and What To Do. Indeed. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/work-effectively
Bonnie, E. (2023). How to work effectively: 13 simple Strategies to Work Smarter. Blog Wrike. https://www.wrike.com/blog/how-to-work-effectively-13-strategies/
10 best strategies on how to improve work efficiency | TonyRobbins. (2023, August 1). tonyrobbins.com. https://www.tonyrobbins.com/business/improve-work-efficiency/
How To Sharpen Your Focus
Recently I have been having some issues with having consistent focus and just generally being able to focus for longer periods of time without becoming distracted. I am pretty positive that this is something that many other people are struggling with, which is why I thought it could be useful to write about it and look into areas such as why a lack of focus is becoming a big issue and additionally why you could benefit from working on your focus abilities. We will also take a look into what takes away from our focus and fore-mostly what are some practical ways in which we can improve this life long skill.
I hope you enjoy and find this useful for improving your own focus abilities and getting some real focused work done.
WHY IS LACK OF FOCUS BECOMING A BIG ISSUE?
The ability to concentrate is defined as “A control of attention. It is the ability to focus the mind on one subject, object, or thought, and at the same time exclude from the mind every other unrelated thoughts, ideas, feelings, and sensations.”
I believe that in todays world it is easier than ever to become distracted, feel dis-engaged and just feel like your mental attention is being pulled in every possible direction. One of the core reasons is that we live in a very fast paced world where we live quite demanding lives, which is largely due to the integration of technology into our everyday lives.
Technology such as buzzing from our phones and constant notifications from social media keep us glued to our screens while sacrificing our attention and focus abilities and preventing us from getting much solid work done. I have written about how social media impacts our well being before and how we can have a healthier relationship with it, so if you are interested you can read more about it here
This is a big issue and one that is often pushed to the side and just accepted as a given nowadays. Technology is likely not going away any time soon, so I really want to emphasize that the digital environment which you create around yourself is up to you and up to you to control and regulate. This is one of the prime ways to calm down your mind while simultaneously improving your focus and attention abilities.
WHY IS IT WORTH TO IMPROVE YOUR FOCUS?
The list of reasons why you can benefit from improving your focus is extensive, but if you really think about it, having the ability to focus for long periods of time nowadays, is almost considered to be a superpower. It is a incredible advantage for any endeavor you set out to do, wether it be work related or a personal goal.
Improved focus can benefit you in the following ways:
Finding more motivation in work and your personal life
Making better and faster decisions
Preventing small mistakes from happening that slow down progress
Preventing memory loss and general forgetfulness
Feeling like you are cohesively working towards a goal instead of feeling like your mental energy is divided into a 100 tiny directions
Producing higher quality work and improvement in performance at work
Improving your ability to learn and absorb new information (books, workshops, lectures, meetings, presentations etc.)
Experiencing less lethargy and mental tiredness
Improving your abilities to collaborate and work with others
Improving your listening abilities
WHAT NEGATIVELY IMPACTS YOUR FOUCS?
There are a lot of activities and factors which can take away from our ability to focus well. Some of these are genuine medical conditions which impair our concentration efforts while others are lifestyle factors - most of which we have control over and can influence.
Some medical conditions which make it harder to focus are:
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Dementia
Depression and anxiety
Having experienced a concussion
Cushings syndrome
Epilepsy
Chronic insomnia
Schizophrenia
Bipolar disorder
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Other lifestyle reasons for diminishing focus are:
Experiencing lack of sleep and general fatigue
Improper nutrition and being hungry
Lack of exercise and being still for too long
Excessive stress
TIPS FOR ENHANCING FOCUS
Managing your technological environment
Turn down notifications and distractions from your phone or computer
Use focus time apps
Try out website blockers
Make other people aware when you are and are not available for talking
Manage your social media intake
Lifestyle based tricks
Aim to get high quality sleep each night
Getting in regular exercise
Spending time in nature and on fresh air
Being mindful about your caffeine consumption
Try our mindfulness exercises and meditation
Fueling your body well with the right food (Avoiding highly processed and sugary meals)
Try challenging your brain with concentration games such as puzzles, memory games, sudokus, reading and mental maths
Really try to not go onto your phone and social media first thing in the morning
Work related tips
Setting a timer for when you work (30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour)
Setting yourself a reward for when you finish a set time for working
Avoiding multitasking and intentionally choose to focus on one thing
Setting 3 daily priorities each day which you will get done
Sometimes it helps to switch to doing another task to build up momentum and motivation to do something else
Have a dedicated distraction free space for working
Listening to the right music
I sincerely hope that you were able to take some valuable learning lessons from todays blog post because I truly believe that being able to focus well is a genuine super power in todays world and it is up to you to to take care of it.
Thank you so much for reading this weeks post and I hope to catch you in the next one.
Time Management Basics - Get More Done In Less Time
Today we will be exploring the topic of time management and how we can improve our work effectiveness. I believe this is really important to consider and focus on, as often we get flooded with work and responsibilities which causes us to aimlessly run around our day, without getting any of the actual important work done, while leaving us exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day. This is the classical case of where being busy does not match productively using our time.
Here I have included a lot of my own practical work and time management tips which I use on the everyday, in order to make the best use of my time and days.
If you are interested in similar work related topics, I would encourage you to dive into some other topics I have wrote on this subject matter:
So how do we become more productive with our time? How can we get more done with less? How do we maximize our efficiency and effectiveness?
Read on to find out 🌟
WHY IS TIME MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?
The reasons are plenty, but here is a summary of why you should focus on being effective and genuinely productive instead of just being busy with your time:
The more effective you are with your work, the less time it will take you to finish the work which leaves you more time to do whatever else you want to spend your time doing (This for me personally, is a great source of motivation).
Finding more effective ways to work means that you are likely able to better manage your responsibilities and in turn also your stress levels, which can considerably lower your chances of developing burn out or being chronically over stressed and exhausted.
With better time management you are also able to be more in control of your time with which you can deliver projects and assignments on time while still finding the time for yourself and personal endeavors.
It goes without saying, but better time management significantly improves your working efficiency, which can also boost your confidence as you are able to achieve more with less.
By becoming more time efficient, you are able to focus better and in turn produce higher quality work that will boost your performance in school or in the work place.
IMPROVING YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT
Exploratory Starter Questions
How are you currently spending your time and what you would like to change about that?
What are your current priorities at work/ school (specific projects, tasks, assignments etc.)?
What time of the day do you work best?
How will you keep track of your tasks (digital or paper)?
Why is some work not enjoyable for you to do?
How could you make that work more enjoyable for yourself?
Consider what aspects of your work could you simplify? Remove what is not important or relevant and focus on what truly matters
Consider the Pareto rule which states that 80% of your results comes from 20% of your actions: Which work leads to the greater amount of results for you?
Creating Healthy Work Habits
Health essentials: Sleeping enough, eating breaks, drinking enough water, moving your body
Waking up at a earlier time
Focus on regulating and managing your stress levels (click here to learn more)
Saying no to opportunities when you have enough going on already
Taking breaks during your day
Set time limits in your day (when do you start and stop working)
Have a source of motivation for completing the work and to keep you going
Set Up Your Environment & Maximize Focus
Try listening to music which makes you concentrate or even opt for silence
Manage your notifications and environmental distractions
Prevent your access to social media and other time wasters during work (try using website or app blockers)
Try to declutter and organize your environment very so often in order to keep track of where you keep items and files
Make sure to have a suitable desk chair which fully supports your back and enables you to sit at a good height at your table that will allow you to write or type more comfortably
Create environmental cues which get your brain into “work mode”: Working in a specific room, having a certain scent (candle, diffuser), preparing tea/ coffee or putting on music
Effective Task Management and Solving Procrastination
Focus on 3 main things you can get done each day instead of having a 20+ item to do list (busy is not necessarily productive)
If you have difficulties with starting on something try doing it just for 5 minutes and you will likely see that you will go past the 5 minute mark
Implement time blocking where you assign certain tasks or projects to a certain time period in your day
Do your most energy intensive and least enjoyable tasks first
Set deadlines for yourself if you don't have them already
Setting time limits on each task
Avoid multi tasking
Delegate low importance tasks if possible
If a task seems too complex or difficult, break it down into more manageable steps
Plan your day in advance
Leave some buffer time in between tasks when planning out your day
I wanted to make todays post as useful and practical as possible, because I believe that everyone can benefit from better time management and I think it also becomes quite motivating when we realize that the way we choose to spend our time is indeed within our control.
I hope you were able to pick up some useful tips and information from this post because I also enjoyed putting my own time management advice into it which has worked for me and continues to do so.
Thank you so much for taking your time to read this đź’›
Getting Back On Track
Sometime it happens that we fall behind on things and we get off track with habits, rituals or other things that we previously did consistently.
It is normal to occasionally break this pattern of consistency, and to be honest, the idea of keeping a perfect balance at all times, is flaunted at best, because there will always be unplanned things that come for us and change our environment. Wether that be a increasing workload, feeling unwell for a period of time, not adapting well to the changes the pandemic brought about or not getting the result you were hoping for, we can not account for everything.
All of these occurrences are unpredictable and often also out of our control, which as a result can result in us falling out of our previous practices due to getting discouraged or loosing motivation to try again.
Because this is such a common topic where all of us experience set back and failures at some point, I wanted to write this post in the hopes of reframing the idea of having a perfect balance of everything and give you some practical advice on how you can get back on track with what truly matters to you.
Happy reading <3
THINGS TO NOTE
Everyone experiences set backs, failures and makes mistakes at some point. It is normal.
Be kind to yourself after you experience a set back, accept it and don't be angry or harsh on yourself. instead look at it critically and see why it happened the way it did and wether you could do something to prevent it happening in the future.
It is more important how you get back up after a set back and how quickly, instead of wether you always win at everything at first go. Learning to get back up after you get broken down shows you are able to learn from your mistakes better and that you are more persistent as a person.
Turn to gratitude: Look at your failure from a positive perspective, in terms of everything you have learnt from this experience and how it has shaped you into the person you currently are
Focus on things that are within your control, instead of feeling down about things that were out of your control in the first place. Put things into the correct perspective and only then, you can judge them.
10 WAYS OF GETTING BACK ON TRACK
Determine what you are currently falling back on
This may be certain habits or routines you were previously consistent with but not currently.
The reason why it is important to first start with asking what is that we are then able to see wether the things we have been trying to keep consistent with are actually worth it and are the things we actually care about keeping consistent.
Ask yourself what is preventing you from doing those things?
There may be many reasons here, likely some of these reasons will be from your environment (out of your control), while some reasons for hindering your progress may actually be your own cause (in your control)
Here are some examples which you may recognize:
External: Lack of time, lack of a accountability partner, too large of a work load from your school/ work place, tight deadlines
Internal: Lack of interest, poor scheduling, poor time management, lack of focus
What things do you actually want to get back on track with?
In the first part we discussed about writing down the things you are current falling behind on, while here it is time to figure out wether all of those things were beneficial for you to upkeep in the first place or wether you even cared about those habits. There is no point in doing something just because someone tells you to do it without having any internal and intrinsic reason for wanting to do it.
Do things for yourself with your own purpose and intention. If something is no longer relevant or benefiting you, change it up or replace it with something more useful.
Determine how much time you want to spend on those things
This will depend on your own enjoyment of the activity and also how much time you have available in your week or month, so schedule this accordingly.
Perhaps if it has been a while since you did the activity and a longer amount fo time has passed in between, start with baby steps and do the activity for a shorter amount of time in the beginning and then gradually increase that time spent when you build up more a consistent routine.
Determine how often you want to do those things
This can be as little as once a month or as frequent as every day, but this is absolutely necessary to establish before starting since this is the whole concept of routine; to do things regularly and consistently.
Don't force yourself to do too much than you think you can manage right now, but once again build up your frequency with smaller increments to make it a more sustainable process for yourself.
Input your activity into a calendar schedule
You could do this on paper, by printing out or drawing a monthly/ weekly calendar view, or you can use a digital alternative, which to me is more convenient and saves more time in the long run.
By which ever way you choose to do it, this will not only enable you to have a much better grasp of how much time you actually have available but it also simultaneously makes it easier for you to keep consistent at whatever you are doing, since by seeing it visually placed in your calendar it makes it more likely for you to stick to it and not forget about it.
Set up your environment accordingly
Your environment is what you surround yourself, what you see and what kind of energy a place carries, wether that be chaotic, disorganized and without intention, to being a clear and distraction free environment where you can focus when you need to.
I am not telling you to completely clear up your desk or have a complete room makeover if you work well in a more clutter filled environment, I just want to emphasize that it has to be an environment where you can actually work and be motivated to work without getting distracted every five minutes.
Design your environment, your room, your desk or the room where you plan on doing this habit or routine, in a way where you can really use that space for what it is meant to be used for. This can help you to start associating a certain space with a certain type of energy or activity, helping you get into the right head space much faster.
Have accountability:
Set a reminder on your device or have a accountability partner who can either remind you of doing that task at a certain time and sustaining your motivation for doing it, in times where you need a push to keep going.
For example if you want to get back into the habit of exercising, perhaps starting out with a friend or partner who already regularly exercises is a good alternative, as they will likely keep you accountable and also motivated to keep going, and the best part is that you can do the activity together, so its more fun and makes it much more likely for you to stick to the activity in the end.
Stick to your schedule for a month and see what happens
Now that you are at the stage where you figured out what habits and routines you want to reestablish, when you want to do them and figured out how you will keep yourself consistent, its time to put the activity to the test.
This means that you can try the activity (routine, habit etc.) for a week or even better, a couple of weeks, for you to see any faults in your plan or find ways in which to improve it so that it will work even better for you.
Perhaps you were too ambitious with how often you want it to do it per week or maybe you underestimated how much you actually enjoy the activity so you want to increase your time spent on it. All of this is fine and is very useful information to yourself. Use this information and integrate it into your plan so that you adapt your plan to your needs and preferences because after all, you are doing this for yourself, so if it doesn't work for you then whats the point?
Reflect on your progress and adjust
After trial and error and readjusting your plan structure, take some time at the end of this period to sit down and think about your little experiment and reflect on it by answering some of the following questions:
What did I learn about myself in this time?
What could I do differently next time?
Was my initial approach correct? If not, in what ways could I change it?
In what ways did I overestimate/ underestimate my own current capabilities and time constraints?
What was something I enjoyed in my experiment and what was something I didn't find so enjoyable?
With this information I want to conclude this mini guide on how to get out of a rut and start rebuilding your routines and establishing constant habits once again, to get yourself back onto the right track.
I hope that you found some of this information useful and I had a fun time writing and putting down my thoughts on this topic
Avoid Distractions Like A Boss
DISTRACTION REALITY
In the last 100 years, the average pace of living has increased substantially. Everything now is happening much faster and is speeding up even as we speak. Each year the world is becoming more connected, easing the distribution of information, money, jobs, products and resources. Not only that, but we are now also well part of the digital age, where the things mentioned above are promoted and encouraged even more, purely because technology makes life easier and more convenient for everyone who has it.
However, with this interconnectedness and an increase in the activity of our surroundings, we are exposed to more and more distractions each day. The frequency and amount of these distracts will continue growing, which is why one of the most treasured skills nowadays is the ability to stay focused on a task for a set period of time.
BENEFITS OF STAYING FOCUSED
BETTER WORK OUTPUT
The primary benefit of being able to avoid distractions is the ability to have a greater work output, where we are able to get more done in a shorter amount of time. Not only that, but the work which we do produce will end up being of higher quality, as we have poured in more concentrated work that has fewer errors and mistakes in it. Another benefit is that if we are in a focused state then other people who are around us will notice that and will be more inclined to stay focused as well. This is because our environment plays such as a key role in our work, influencing everything from our productivity, focus and our thinking. In order to see and make a change around you, you have to first adopt that change in yourself, since the external world is a reflection of your internal state.
IMPROVES US AS A PERSON
Apart from improving the work we produce, the ability to stay focused also benefits us as a person, improving our personal qualities. Fore mostly, it gives you more mental clarity in the moment as we are more likely to enter a flow state with our work, in which we have enhanced creativity and problem-solving skills.
In order to achieve a state of focus, we have to first make a couple of decisions which allows us to reach this state of focus. Due to this decision making, process, we are able to improve our decision-making skills, as we learn to make the right decisions based on the moment, and we strengthen our will power muscle as we are able to resist the tempting distractions of the outside world, to choose to instead focus on doing something valuable.
Not only that, but when we are fully concentrated on something, we direct our full attention to it, meaning that we are more present in the moment with it, and as a result remember more useful things connected with what we are doing, which overall helps improve our memory recall of an event or task.
Lastly, due to the fact that when we are in a flow state, we experience higher levels of happiness, since we are living and working in the present moment and not focusing on ten things at once, which really only diverts our focus.
COMMON DISTRACTIONS
ELECTRONICS
In terms of electronics, we mostly get distracted by notification rings, whether that is from our phone, computers, tablets or pretty much any other device that notifies us about something. By hearing a sound or a ring, we are tempted to see what it is, which diverts our attention and focus away from the task at hand.
When talking about notifications, it is integral to mention the process of instant gratification, which works on the bass of our brain releasing the pleasure chemical dopamine every-time is anticipates success. This anticipation of "success" can come in the form of a notification or simply viewing photos or videos, like those found on many social media networks. When our brain does come across this content that we associate with "success", we get a short term hit of dopamine, which further enforces our brain to continue scrolling through our Instagram or any other social media feed, even though a fair chunk of time has already gone by. What initially only starts out as "Just 5 minutes of scrolling" can easily end up being half-hour or even more. This is one major "pulling in" factor of social media and the reason why it has so many consistent users.
This year alone, in 2020, there is an estimated number of 3.6 billion social media users globally, where that number is only expected to rise even higher in the future. In terms of how much time we spend on average per day scrolling through our curated feeds, heavily depends on the country, with the average in the US being around one whole hour.
Apart from notifications and the alluring magic of social media, we also have to consider the popularity of email checking and just how much of a distraction this can be. Although email can be useful and is certainly a major communication force today, it can also quickly turn out to be a very big waste of your time, simply because of how its built and the sheer amount of information that is sent to our inbox on a daily basis.
Many studies continue to prove that the average person during a workday can spend up to several hours on email, where they check it several times per hour and most of the time keep the email tab open in the background, further acting as a distraction.
BACKGROUND NOISE
Being surrounded by a noisy and distracting environment, whether in a school, work or home environment can be detrimental to getting anything done.
Disturbing noises can include anything from people around you that are loud talkers or laugh and argue frequently. Furthermore, noises of traffic, people passing by, catchy music or other sounds that are in your environment such as construction work or someone cleaning, can also directly distract you.
It is crucial to try and minimize these noises, as if they are constantly persistent in the background, they can disrupt us and make us lose our focus and attention.
MESSY ENVIRONMENT
Often when having cleaned our room or workspace, we often immediately feel more organized, clear-minded and easier to focus on whatever we are doing in that space. That is simply because the space we are in is less crowded and cluttered with objects and materials that simply cloud and distract our mind whenever we lay our eyes on them.
The reason a messy environment distracts our attention is because whenever we see something in a space, we acknowledge it which makes us think about the object, thus making us lose focus on what we were originally working on.
I always recommend that you try and keep your living and working space cleaned as it really does heavily impact your mindset and mood throughout the whole day.
NOT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF
While staying focused during your work is heavily dependent on external factors such as your environment, we often also like to neglect that is it heavily determined by our internal environment, in terms of how we are taking care of ourselves and our health.
A lack of sleep, for example, has been shown to seriously impact our thinking abilities and creativity the following day while eating a diet high in processed foods has been shown to make us more tired and experience more blood sugar spikes that makes-our levels of concentration waver throughout the day.
Taking care of your health involves:
Sleeping enough each night
Drinking enough water
Eating a balanced and varied diet that suffices your daily needs
Including exercise and movement in your day
Taking regular/ scheduled breaks from work
Managing your stress and taking time to relax
Having a social circle in which you feel welcome and happy
MULTI-TASKING
While at first glance, getting more things done at once by multitasking may seem to be the way to go, research from the last decade is emerging saying that multitasking has serious long term drawbacks on our work output and focus abilities.
Our brain finds it hard to focus fully on two or more things at once, as our attention is constantly located form one thing to the next, never really giving us time to get int he zone and enter a fully focused state.
Multitasking has been shown to
Result in more mistakes because we are less focused
Produce lower quality work
Hinder our memory of the task at hand
Inhibit creativity while we work
Waste our time in the long run
Make us not live in the present moment, as our attention is constantly on other things
HOW TO GET INTO A FOCUSED STATE
Make one space only serve one function
Try to keep a clean environment around you
Before starting a task, determine what is the purpose of doing it and what do you want to get out by achieving it
Write out a to-do list, instead of keeping everything in your head. Your brain is meant for thinking not storing
Prioritize your work
Split large tasks into smaller more manageable chunks
To get more mental clarity, try out meditation; Even just five minutes could get you into a different headspace
HOW TO SAY FOCUSED
Mute electronic distractions
Try playing calming background music while you work
Keep caffeine during the day moderate
Avoid the distraction of a noisy environment by closing your doors (if possible), relocating to a different work environment or buying a pair of noise-cancelling headphones
Take care of your wellbeing and health in terms of your sleep, diet, social well being, drinking enough water, exercise and taking breaks
Avoid multitasking
Take regular breaks from working
Time yourself while you work, to know when to stop and take a break
Install special apps or internet blockers on your devices that temporarily make sites or apps unavailable (Such as social media)
Schedule time only for checking emails (If you have a lot of them)