Midterms are here, and I don’t know about you, but my to do list is piling up! Here are a few tips and tricks to help you to increase your productivity and start getting more done each day:
1. Make your bed.
This is a simple but powerful habit to adopt in your everyday life. As soon as you wake up, make your bed! You automatically will feel accomplished and it will start the tone of the rest of the day. Plus, having a clean environment will help you to focus and get things done.
2. Get things done early.
Do your most challenging or time-consuming work early in the day. It is tempting to do the your easiest work and just get it out of the way, but if you keep pushing it off, you’ll end up burnt out and tired when you finally get to it. If you tackle it early, you will be fresh and energized to give 100% to it!
3. Be specific in your to do list.
Instead of putting broad, multi-step tasks on your to-do list, break it down. Write simple tasks with actions attached to them. That way you won’t get overwhelmed by what you have to do and just start to check things off. For example, instead of “research paper” write down “find 2 sources from library. ” It will empower you to take action and get things done!
4. Stay realistic.
Don’t overload yourself! I tend to get pretty ambitious and write down a huge list of things I need to do. I end up only finishing a few and feeling defeated. Pick only three or four main things you want to get done during the day. Once you get those things done, then you can add some more. It will keep you from getting overwhelmed.
Good luck on midterms and stay positive! Being consistently productive takes time and effort; so don’t be too hard on yourself. Just keep trying your best and watch your productivity massively increase!