Time Management | Mind Prep & Checklist
1. Daily/Task List
You should have a section on your vision board labeled “ Daily Shit!” lol that's what I have. Always have fun btw.haha. This shit is important lol, time for some facts, by simply writing down your goals increases your chances of succession by 42%, fact numero two, by simply being in a positive mind-frame this increases your productivity and succession rate by 31%. I learned this from an International FBI hostage supervisor. Pretty cool right?
Why and How does this overlap into time management Coach Mogressive?
Great question, Our time is one of the greatest assets we have in life. We make life decisions subconsciously based on our self-worth & emotions. So ask yourself before saying yes to someone or something, is this worth my time. Could I be spending my time more wisely or investible? Treat your time like cold hard cash money.
Once you choose what you want to spend your time on, take these steps.
For example, If you know you have to study for class today, don’t just write “study” on your vision board under daily tasks. Take ownership, and break it down completely. For me, I like to plan out every task I plan for the day, week, month, hour.
Don’t write “study” write, read pages 12-45, summarize at the end- focus on writing on “ xyz “ because we have a test on this chapter next week. (put details in your planning). Break down goals into small or micro steps. This leads to Time Management & an increase in your productivity.
What if I have to read 5hrs of reading material? Or have too much to read before class?
Learn how to be resourceful, plain and simple.
Think of this as a game/challenge/adventure, Here's a simple analogy, “There is $1 dollar on the other side of a river, the river is full of your sharks with laser beams! lol and death. Only way to cross is by putting one foot in front of the other, on a narrow bridge no wider than your head. Would you walk to the otherside side for the $1 dollar? Probably not…right? Ok now, replace that $1 dollar with your dog, cat, mom, dad, daughter, son, grandma, loved ones. And they are about to fall in!! I guarantee you will run across that bridge, regardless of the obstacle.
What i'm trying to say is, change the way you think about something that might feel impossible. Make the reason or Why so big or important towards your life and you will find a solution rather than objections of how its impossible.
Stop thinking like the rest of the world, and begin thinking for yourself! Talk to yourself, ask yourself quality questions.
“Your strengths are someone else’s weaknesses, and your weaknesses are Someone else's Strengths”
Time management | Environments | Mental Prep
Daily Environment/WorkStation: The right supplies (take care of your equipment & it’ll take care of you) and the ideal calendar (Overlap your calendars, Canvas calendar, Ical, outlook, etc.) are first steps to managing your time well, but there is more you can do. Create a clutter-free zone, an area that will allow you to thrive and perform your best work efficiently.(Taking Ownership) It has to be a place where you want to be, or it will be difficult to go there and stay on task. Some important elements to consider are:
Comfort: You want to find an area that’s conducive to sitting for long stretches of time. But don’t get too comfortable, or you may get too relaxed to give your work full attention. (complacency kills)
Distractions: While a good rule of thumb is to eliminate distractions from your environment, the extreme to which you have to do this varies by person. Some people require absolute silence, while others might find the silence itself to be a distraction, and instead work better with some low-level activity around them. Try working in a few different environments and see which suits you best. ( Put your F*** away while you study, in class, doing hw, etc…your phone can wait, think of it as building patience exercise. See how long you can last without touching your phone?)
Leave time to relax. If you’re constantly burdened with chores or responsibilities, leaving no time to decompress isn’t healthy. It can lead to burn out, which is counterproductive to proper time management. Be sure to set a little bit of time each day or week for yourself to regroup and relax so you can start fresh.
Stress reducer. Think about any time you’ve had to rush out the door, or throw something together with little to no notice. You probably felt panicked and stressed. Neither of these is good for our overall health, causing an increase in blood pressure and irritability. This negative effect on your mood can cause problems in your work and home relationships, too.
Higher quality work. When you’re rushed and starting to feel that panic and stress, it’s harder to think clearly. If you’re not thinking clearly, you’re less likely to put out quality work. It’s easier to miss small details and make mistakes that could otherwise be avoided.
Same time, same place: Many online students perform better with a structured schedule. For those who need it, a good system is to study at the same time, in the same place every day. Even though you are not physically going to class, you still are going to class. Another strategy that all students should do, like starting right now! You need the structure, be your own personal assistant, routinely write down and assess your goals. Set aside some time every evening to write down your goals for the next day, and every morning to review what you need to accomplish. This little bit of structure can pay off in a big way when managing your time.
Stay Away from Distractions
Distractions are the biggest obstacle in achieving effective time management goals for military students. They are the endless holes that will devour your productive energy and keep you from achieving your goals. As a good time manager, you must be able to first identify these distractions and then be able to eliminate them effectively to ensure proper time management. The best way to do this is to create how your typical week is and within that week how your typical day goes by. By doing this, you will realize how much of your precious time is wasted in getting distracted and meaningless activities.
Of course, it is not possible to be active and productive all the time, but the evil distractions will keep you unproductive for a longer time than necessary. Once you identify such distracting activities as watching TV endlessly, surfing the internet aimlessly, and indulging in social media that lead you to procrastinate, it becomes easy for you to eliminate them from your life. Procrastinating is a great evil in the way of productivity as it tends to turn an easy task into a difficult one and a challenging task into near impossibility. So, make sure that you do what needs to be done today and do not put it for another day.
Being Productive is the Key to Success
Once you have identified and worked on eliminating time distractors, the next task to achieve regarding time management for military students is to increase your productivity. You should be able to develop an anti-procrastination plan that will help you in finishing your daily tasks on time. Figure out what motivates you, is it music, hobbies, passions, goals, loved ones, reading, watching, listening, etc.. figure out what you like, so you don’t have to bother worrying about what you don’t like or what doesn’t motivate you. Consistency is the long game, stay focused and motivated, and consistency will effortlessly be instilled within you.
Share some Ideas here