What is productivity?
Productivity is thinking of what you aspire to get done, figuring out what you are physically capable of getting done, and creating and completing the necessary tasks to achieve your goals. Being productive as a college student is very beneficial because you have the mindset of getting your school and personal tasks done. What I’ve learned in my three years at college is that time management is very important as time flies when you don’t even realize it. Having a plan, sticking to it, and becoming very disciplined with it, can really set you apart from your peers. Which is a good thing to have when applying to jobs. Productivity can play a major role in both your career and personal life. If you do not know where to start in your productivity journey, I am here to give you ways on becoming more productive.
Set Your Goals
This is the first step to becoming more productive. Having your goals set out in front of you really helps you get through your journey. What really benefits me in becoming more productive is to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Which plays apart any goal you want.
For example, I would have four or five daily educational goals and three weekly educational goals. A daily goal I try to focus on is to finish all of my assignments and deadlines before it is due, so if it is due on Wednesday then I want to have it done by Monday night. Focus on what you want whether it be physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, etc. Once you’ve done that, you will need to start the hardest part:sticking to it. Which is not as hard as many think, and if you do not complete a goal or two, do not beat yourself up for it. You must focus on bettering yourself without placing the harsh and negative pressure because that is what pushes people to quit. The takeaway is that you should know what you want to get as a result when you start the day and by the end of it feel satisfied with the amount of work put in.
Planning
Having a daily or weekly plan can help with scheduling your time. Incorporate your goals and its steps so you can make the most out of your time. Keeping track of what you need to complete throughout the day really keeps you on track. But do not exceed the number of tasks you can handle. There are many people who do not have a good relationship with scheduling because they want to do everything at once. By creating three to four goals every day you can create a healthy and sustainable relationship with your planner. Your goals could be to do everything on your to-do list and more.
Motivation
No, I am not talking about listening to Normani’s song. By the start it will feel great that you have goals set, but after a while it starts to feel as good. It is okay not to lose that motivation because we’re human. Understanding that you will have off days and knowing that life is a process will help you feel more relaxed to allow yourself to take a day off. Something that helps me to get motivated is listening to music. Having upbeat music that makes you turn your brain off for a couple of minutes can really help. Also, watching POSITIVE influencers helps with getting motivation and, personally I like to watch Linda Sun. She just sees life as something that should not be controlled but lived in the happiest way, she is also a college student. Finding things that make your energy go up and makes you happy can really motivate you into completing your goals.
Self-care vs. Self-sabotage
This is very tricky. Many think that taking a break from doing a project or an assignment is good but once laying down and resting, many question if what they are doing is wrong and that they are lazy. But here is some good news: they are two separate things.
Self-care is pampering yourself, hyping yourself up, cooking, dancing, spending time with your loved ones, watching a movie or YouTube videos, taking a break from technology, going for a walk, etc. On the other hand, self-sabotaging is when you do not take care of yourself, give up on your goals and dreams when you’re so close to the finish line, not putting in at least five percent of effort. Try and understand the difference, so you can catch yourself before you end up self-sabotaging.
You can do this! You have to believe in yourself and do not forget to pat yourself on the back sometimes. Just remember how much fun and easier it will get after the first few weeks.
Happy planning!