What it actually means?
We all have a limited time to achieve our goals. Hence it is very important that we are productive during this time and use it wisely to achieve our goals. Productivity doesn't mean burnout. It means managing our time well, planning and discipline.
⌛ Time flies but you can be the pilot.
I manage multiple internships and volunteering opportunities with the college. But that doesn't mean I neglect college. I maintained a CGPA of 9.45 in college. I also enjoyed my college life with my friends. I also spend time with my parents. I have regular chats with my mother over coffee for 2 to 3 hours. I try to spend 1 to 2 hours every weekend on my hobby. Hence, I enjoy my life equally. I am not perfect but I try my best to balance everything.😇
Focus on being productive instead of busy. 🙂
Productivity tips
The first step to productivity I feel is having a big dream. When you love doing your work and you are passionate about it, you will not have time to waste. Without having goals in life no matter how many tips you read, you will lose focus.
"Dream is not the thing you see in sleep but is that thing that doesn't let you sleep." - APJ Abdul Kalam.
SMART Goals
It’s easier to succeed when you have clearly defined objectives that are based on reality.
80-20 Rule
It is an amazing way to boost productivity. It means 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. For any goal that you wanna achieve, figure out what is the 20% from which the 80% of the results will come. It applies to almost everything.
How to figure out the 20%?
Start with the syllabus. Always keep a printed copy of it with you when you study. This will help in strategizing your study time and be productive. Hence, you will not waste your time while reading textbooks or reference materials. You will only read those parts which are in the syllabus.
To find out what is the 20%, refer to the previous year papers. This will help you in further strategizing your preparation.
Give a few mock tests. This will help to get an idea of time management during exams. Also, spend some time reviewing the errors.
Recognize Distraction
At this step, be honest with yourself. Ask yourself these questions:
- Where do you spend your 24 hours? Every minute counts. Use a template like this to find out where your daily time is going.
📍 Everybody has 24 hours and the question is, what do you do with your 24 hours? That's what makes the difference.
If you are spending time on something that will not help you achieve your goals then minimize it. I don't recommend stopping everything and just working. But having a check on the time is important. We can check it by measuring it.
⭐️ Time management is life management. The secret to your future is hidden in your daily schedule.
Use app & screen timers
See your daily screen and app timers. If you are spending too much time on apps that are not relevant to your goals minimise it. Set a fixed app timer and stick to it.
Doing tasks on a laptop helps me stay more focused on my tasks rather than on my mobile. On mobile, I quickly get distracted and start scrolling YouTube or other platforms and watching content not relevant to my goals.
If setting timers is also not working then just switch off your mobile, keep it away from your desk and start working.
Social media
Relatable, right? 😥
Social media is a double-edged sword. You shouldn't completely avoid it.
Have a list of tasks ready while you open social media and stick to that. Example: If I open YouTube I always have a list of topics that I want to study and I stick to it. If I see unnecessary videos in my feed I simply click on Not interested/Don't recommend posts from the channel.
LinkedIn and Twitter is something that has opened a lot of opportunities for me. I learn a lot from there. In that case, I try to fix the time I am spending there. If I see any new opportunity that I wanna apply to or any useful article or notes, I immediately forward the link to it in my WhatsApp self-groups.
I avoid checking social media immediately after waking up. I generally check social media before going to bed. But do what suits you.
If social media is not adding any value to your life then just delete it. Example: I am not there on Facebook, Instagram or Tinder as they don't add any value to my goals and simply waste my time.
Avoid watching too many motivational videos/quotes and doing nothing.
Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique is centred around 4 basic principles:
Work with time, not against it
Eliminate burnout
Manage distractions
Create a better work/life balance
For me, it works well while I am learning new topics.
But I am generally not very rigid to the timing as I prefer completing a topic before taking a break.
Taking a break doesn't mean opening social media or other distractions. I generally prefer taking a small nap at this time.
It is also important to keep in mind that exams are not 25 minutes. They are generally 2 to 3 hours. So we should expand the time before exams so that we don't lose the attention span in the exam hall.
Things to do during study breaks
I avoid scrolling social media or listening to music at this time as it affects when I go back to study. I prefer to do these at the end of the day before going to bed.
Play mind games like sudoku or any puzzle.
Reorganize desk and room.
Meditation or some exercise
Sit near a window or on the balcony.
Go out on a walk
Read some quotes
Take a small nap.
Have daily, weekly and monthly schedules
To-do list
I always make a list of tasks that I have to do the next day and write them down on paper. I make the list at night before going to bed.
In this way when I wake up in the morning I don't waste time figuring out what to do. I already have a clear set of goals that I need to complete.
I avoid looking at social media immediately after waking up.
For those tasks also set priorities like 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on. This helps to avoid confusion about where to start. You have a clear idea of the order in which you need to complete them.
Multitasking is something that doesn't work for me at all. I always prefer giving my entire focus on a single task, completing it and then starting the next one.
Complete the tasks which will take more time and focus on the part of the day when you are most productive (it can be morning or night).
Monthly and Weekly Planners
You can get many such templates from Canva
I generally get a printout of it and write things. I always prefer it rather than doing online. I also use multi-coloured pens for prioritizing tasks. This planning plays the most important role in helping me manage multiple things with college.
WhatsApp self groups
I use 3 WhatsApp self-groups and have pinned them on top. The reason I chose WhatsApp is that whenever I come across anything useful on LinkedIn, Twitter or WhatsApp, I immediately share it in the self-group. This helps me in many ways:
Having all things in one place
I always have my mobile with me. So if suddenly any task or idea comes to my mind I can immediately note it down.
If I come across a link to apply for a job, fellowship, BootCamp or any opportunity in general, I immediately share it in the self-group.
I don't miss out on doing something or applying for any opportunity because I forgot about it.
I have 3 self-groups in my WhatsApp:
To-do lists: Here I store the tasks that I have to do within 2 to 3 days (or max a week) or the application links whose deadline is within a week. I check this group daily.
Reminders: Here I store the tasks I have to do within a month or two or the application links whose deadline is in a few months. I check this group twice a week and move the tasks to the to-do lists group when the task or application deadline comes near or when I am ready to apply.
Notes: For storing any useful notes, projects, ideas or anything that I want to save to look into it in the future.
Google Calendar
Whenever I register for any conference to a webinar, I make sure to add the schedule to my Google Calendar. It helps me avoid missing them due to time zone differences.
I also use it to save meeting time for my internships here.
I generally avoid adding academic goals here as I prefer to keep them separate. But do what works for you.
Study tips to maximize productivity
Have a clean and organized desk
Avoid studying/working in bed.
Have a clean and organized desk for study. It should be spacious and have sufficient light.
Keep everything you require while studying on your desk. In this way, you don't have to get up every minute to search for something. Hence you can completely focus on your studies.
Notes
Always make your own notes especially if you are preparing for any entrance exam. I had my own notes for preparing for my Masters entrance exam and it helped me a lot. For college it depends. I generally made my own notes for subjects that seemed a bit difficult to me. But taking notes from my friends worked well for college exams. In fact, it saved my time a lot.
Notes should be clean and organized. I generally prefer to have different copies for different subjects.
Use coloured pens for heading. Having good notes to study from and revise can save a lot of time and help in being productive.
Study regularly and avoid piling up everything before the exams.
Make mindmaps. They are useful for remembering and revising quickly. You can get many mindmap templates from Canva. Here is an example of a mindmap that I made:
Utilize commute time
Travelling to work/university or journeys to places generally takes up a lot of time.
Having some goals to complete during this time can help us save a few hours daily and use the time productively.
It also helps me avoid spending extra time mindlessly scrolling through my social media feed.
If I don't have any extra work then I carry a book to read during this time or listen to audiobooks. Hence I learn something new.
This YouTube channel helps me a lot to get some amazing book recommendations: Helly. She has some beginner recommendations too. Her recommendations match a lot with what I like to read. But I do recommend exploring and then finding out what you like to read. 📚
Asking for help
Asking for help can save a lot of time and help you stay more productive.
✅ Ask for help from people who have experience in the area in which you are looking help for.
⚠️ Random and free advices can end up wasting a lot of money and resources.
If you feel stuck somewhere don't hesitate to ask for help or seek mentorship. Our POD leader said to us during our MLH Fellowship that if you are stuck at something for more than half a day you should probably ask for help. We often hesitate from asking for help by thinking that it is a silly question. Here are a few steps I followed when I got stuck on something:
Google about it.
See if someone has already answered it on Stack Overflow.
If the project has a discussion forum then I look into that too.
If I get any answer then I try implementing it and see if that works.
If all this doesn't work out then:
Open-source:
I ask in the public channel of the project.
I give a detailed description of the problem which contains what I am trying to solve, my approach for solving it, where exactly I am facing the error and relevant screenshots. I also add any other details that can help the community in answering my doubt and helping me with the problem.
College assignment/project: Ask in the college group. If I don't get any help from there then I ask my Professors.
Personal project or anything else: Ask my friends or ask in the public channel of the student communities that I am a part of.
Conclusion
I always believe in taking advice from people with experience. I don't watch any random channel on YouTube giving motivation or advice even if it has a lot of views. The toppers in any field or exam have really cracked the code to effectively use their time and be productive. Also, they share simple and realistic approaches to time management without using a lot of jargon.
This channel has helped me a lot: Chamomile Tea with Toppers
Podcasts are also something from where I learn a lot.
Another thing which I strongly feel is that everyone is different. What worked for others might not work for you. So always be flexible in your approach. Taking care of mental and physical health is also very important. Avoid stress and procrastination and appreciate yourself for how far you have come. Spend time with your family and friends. Avoid getting into a race and comparing yourself with others. Give your best every day.
