How to Scale the Acclivity To Productivity
My middle school years started really strong. I was getting all A’s, and, as an elite Student Council member, I was known as one of the “smart” kids. My GPA was sky-high, and people looked up to me. Things couldn’t be better!
… Until my eighth grade year. I started to lose my momentum. I felt like I was constantly drowning in schoolwork, desperately trying to catch a breath of fresh air. My sleep schedule became nonexistent and my grades started to slip. Getting through that year felt like trying to climb an upward slope — a very, very steep upward slope.
But, looking back on those days, I realize that all that struggle was my fault. Why? It’s simple, really. I was extremely unproductive. And that affected my health a lot.
As the years passed by (well, it’s only been two years, but still), I slowly learned what it means to be productive, and why it is so important. Although I may not be an expert quite yet, gaining this skill made a big impact on my life.
So, without further ado, this is my basic 3-step guide on How to Scale the Acclivity Towards Productivity.
Step One: Avoid Distractions
Go ahead. Roll your eyes and snort all you want. I know what you’re thinking. “Like I haven’t heard this a million times already.”
But, see, the fact that you’ve heard it so often, just proves that it’s super important. Getting distracted is detrimental to your focus. In fact, on average, it takes 25 minutes to regain focus after an interruption. And, sometimes, the concentration you had just doesn’t come back. That’s why it’s so important to figure out what is distracting you, and how you can get rid of it.
Now, I understand that in this day and age we are surrounded by distractions, all. the. time. And it doesn’t help that there’s a whole world filled with them in our easily-accessible devices. In order to avoid the distractions that come from our phones, my recommendation is that you get rid of it altogether.
Well, not completely. But for the time that you really need to focus. Now don’t even try to make the excuse that you need your phone in case “you need help from your friends.” (Trust me, I did that all the time.)
Once you’ve parted with your phone, my next piece of advice is to go somewhere quiet. In order to achieve maximum productivity, it’s honestly best to sit down in a room where you know your attention won’t be diverted by a sibling or the annoying sound your fan is making. Just take the things you need, and focus.
Step Two: Set Up a Schedule
Now, I know you can’t always accurately predict what’s going to happen in the future. Random obstacles get thrown at you when you least expect it. But that’s all the more reason to have a daily plan or schedule that helps you prepare ahead.
I’ve found that planning one day ahead in a journal really helps me get an idea of what the next day will look like, and also helps me work better. Don’t know how to start? Here are some tips:
Decide on Your Priorities
As a student, I learned to decide what classes were more important and would take more effort. I put those at the top of my schedule. Other homework I knew would take less time or that I could complete even when I was tired would be scheduled for later in the day.
Have a Time Limit for Each Task
After deciding on the order in which you think things should go, it’s important to create a time limit so that you don’t run out of time. I usually set up reminders on my phone that will remind me 5 minutes before it’s time to do the task, and 20 minutes before I should be finished. These reminders help me stay on track and make sure I’m able to get everything done.
Schedule Your Breaks
Being productive doesn’t mean sitting at your desk and working for five hours straight. Absolutely not! You need to take breaks sometimes! But in order to avoid binging The Office for two hours, you have to schedule your breaks. This way, you know how long you have for the break and have an idea of what kind of activities you can do during it.
What if Something Takes Longer Than Expected?
This is a question I got recently while giving someone some advice. This is why it’s important to have a schedule laid out for one day ahead. For me, when I find that a certain task runs over time, I look at what other things I have to do and see if I can take any of them out completely or postpone them for another day. That way, I can avoid wasted time.
Step Three: Set Goals
Having goals is important for keeping up your motivation. I’ve always had big goals, and, several times, I’ve ended up getting frustrated because I felt like I couldn’t reach them, or they were too far away. What I’ve realized recently is that there’s a specific formula to setting goals. Here’s some advice:
Start Small
At the beginning of last summer, I set a goal to work out and get a huge glow up for my sophomore year. I told myself I would exercise every day and lose 5 pounds by the end of August. I could already envision myself walking into school with my hard six-pack abs and glowing skin. Never again would I lose another arm-wrestling match because of my weak arms.
Uh, yeah… none of that happened. See, there was one major flaw in my plan. That goal was just too big. I ended up getting really disappointed because I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere.
That’s why, with goals, you have to start small. Break down your bigger goals into little ones that you can achieve every day. That way, you gain a sense of accomplishment and stay motivated.
Whether it’s exercising for ten minutes, or studying for thirty, by starting smaller, you can keep yourself on track to achieving your long term goal.
One Goal at a Time
It’s perfectly fine to have multiple goals. But it’s incredibly unproductive to try and achieve them all at the same time. It’s almost impossible to accomplish even one goal by doing this.
By taking things step by step, and slowly working towards each goal, you’ll be able to get more done than trying to do everything at once.
Conclusion
It’s important to learn how to be productive. It allows us to stay on top of things and keeps us organized. And I understand that being productive is hard. Really hard. But if you can start with the three basic steps, you’ll be able to embark on your journey to maximum productivity.
