Productivity

Do you ever feel overwhelmed as a student or as a professional? Do you find yourself procrastinating and feeling burnt out by everything you have to do, so sometimes the important things get done differently than you'd like?

Productivity is vitally essential to basically everyone, no matter your profession. As someone with a hectic life, staying on top of everything is very important. Here are all my tips to be productive.

1. Create to-do lists

Create a list of everything you need to accomplish this week, both major/minor tasks, and how long it will take to do each job on your phone or on a notepad.

2. Prioritize tasks

   First of all, you need to reassess what to focus on. It may be overwhelming to see all the tasks you have to do in seven days, but after this step, I assure you, it will feel less daunting. Some things that would be the top priority are any school assignments or anything related to what you do outside school. For me, that's auditions to film, lines I need to memorise, character studies, etc. This is what you need to focus on and put all your attention towards.

Some things to consider are:

- Urgency:

• What is the deadline for each task?

• Which one needs to be finished first (always the one with the deadline closest to today's date).

- Importance:

• How important is the task? What would happen if it wasn't done on time?

• What is the effect that the task will have on other tasks?

• Are there any prerequisites that need to be done before this task? Is it mandatory for you to do this task before; otherwise, the other tasks can't be done?

• If the task is left unfinished, uncompleted, incomplete, or poorly done, how will it affect you, and what is the cost of that?

• What does the opportunity cost? What would it cost you if you spent your time on Task A and not Task B? What could you miss out on?

• Can you assign the task to someone else or have someone assist you with it?

After evaluating all the tasks based on factors such as these, you will know what to prioritize.

3. Schedule and allocate time for each task

   This task will definitely help all of you college students. If you schedule and allocate time for each subject, you will do substantially better on the exams and therefore end up with a good grade in the class. 

   So grab a planner, preferably with a weekly time schedule layout, and start jotting down tasks to do throughout the day. 

• Make sure you stick to your schedule.

   If you spend too much time on a specific task, it's okay to reorganize your schedule. So I didn't finish Task A. After work, I would finish Task A and only watch two GC episodes instead of three. I'm good as long as I am in bed trying to sleep before midnight!

4. Get in the zone

• Disconnect from Social Media

If you're working on a task that doesn't involve the internet, disconnect from it. Our phones are a massive distraction in our daily lives, so when I am studying or doing something that doesn't involve my phone, I keep it across the room from wherever I am (or in my backpack if I'm not at home) so I stay on track. I always have an alarm on my phone for the allotted time I gave myself for each task. When the alarm goes off, I'll take a few minute break, like on weekends, putting my laundry in the washer, into the dyer, and finally folding/putting them away are my so-called breaks between tasks.

• Find your sanctuary

My happy place, my sanctuary, is a local coffee shop in my hometown. When I was at Community College, I went to this coffee shop practically every day after classes were over while I waited for one of my parents to pick me up. I also went there a lot over the summer after work, so I could write blog posts and whatever other things I needed to do. Wherever your sanctuary is, go there and do work there. I always do my best work at a coffee shop. I'm not sure why. It could be the relaxing ambiance and the smell of freshly roasted coffee. 

• Block out noise

Some people, like myself, can work with music, but block out noise if you aren't one of those people. You could even put on a pair of headphones but not have it plugged into a phone or computer if you need to block out the noise around you. If I'm at this local coffee shop and working on something imperative, I'll put my headphones on so no one bothers me.

5. Optimise your time

There will always be inevitable activities that will waste time in your daily life, from errands to chores to meeting with friends, so you must optimize your time so you get each task done correctly and on time.

• Waiting time

This is another unavoidable thing. Waiting for the bus, waiting for class to start, etc. Usually, these waiting times are relatively short (5-15min), which isn't enough time to do work that requires focus. I like to respond to emails, update social media, and converse with family and friends during this time. I'll use my time on the bus or whatnot to do the same if the trip is relatively short. If it's a long trip and I have the space, I will bring out my laptop and start some easy work (like writing a blog post) during the journey. That gives me more time during the day to focus on important tasks like homework etc. 

6. Keep track of each task

   Once you've allocated time for each task, make sure you stick to it and that each job is on schedule. If one task is undone, re-arrange your schedule and make sure you catch up on it ASAP to avoid procrastination or postponing.

7. Reap a habit

   Finally, it might sound straightforward, but tough to follow through. Starting a new habit is hard, but if you do it repeatedly, you will reap a habit. Over and over, you will be able to prioritize your tasks, focus, and maximize your productivity, without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.

  The mind has a memory, and it subconsciously recognizes patterns. If you knew the trick to manipulating your mind, you'd realize that it's actually easy to do or achieve anything you set your mind to.