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On a consistent basis, I feel that I actively try to seek out ways, or new bits of information, to improve my current self. Since I am a student, with a goal of graduating with a Neuroscience degree and a Professional Writing minor, most of my efforts often center on ways to improve academically, or ways to make the life of a student a little smoother.
A commonality that most UIC students share is commuting. Whether it be from the suburbs or the most North-side neighborhood of Chicago, it can be (and often is) a grueling and tiresome, not to mention time consuming, activity. But commuting and course work isn’t the only thing that we do. A great majority of us have jobs and home responsibilities, organizations that we’re a part of, and not to mention all the other resume-building activities on our mind.
Too often sleep is cut short, meals are skipped or on-the-go, and working out gets eliminated from the daily schedule somewhere along week 10 of the semester. And if you’re anything like me, you often become a bundle of stress around this time, and eventually your health begins to waver. There simply isn’t enough time for everything.
Instead of accepting defeat, I’m interested in how I can do things differently to fall back into rhythm. Although, I already feel that I try to maximize my productivity by doing things like studying on the train, or listening to recorded lectures as I walk to campus from Union Station, there are definitely things I can do to improve my work ethic. Recently I happened upon a Forbes article that listed ways in which “ultra-productive” people managed their day. Although, I typically cringe at anything with a title in close proximity to “15 ways how to…”, I felt that some items on this list could possibly be helpful to combat a ticking clock.
These are some of the few that I’ve picked out to try for myself, complete with my understanding of each:
Focusing on minutes, not hours – squeezing in study time even if you’ve only got 15 minutes before your next class
Using a notebook – carrying around a notebook to write down any floating thoughts that might be bogging you down, a helpful way to clear your mind (because honestly, being stressed takes up a lot of time)
Processing email only a few times a day – productive people schedule time to look at their email, as opposed to checking it consistently throughout the day
Touching things once – if you’re looking at your emails, respond right away instead of leaving the task for a later time
Practicing a consistent morning routine – shower, yoga, smoothie, hug mom
Saying “no” to almost everything – “If something isn’t a hell, YEAH! Then it’s a “no!” – James Alutcher
Check out the full list at the link above to generate some more creative ways you could fool yourself into a 25 hour day. Happy studying and rocking at life!
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