My first and latest post was over a month ago...so clearly my attempt to blog is going fantastically! Anybody who has been or is a student will know that if you do manage to find the smallest, most precious moment of free time, then it will be spent drinking, eating or in most cases, sleeping.
I have noticed that personally, I never really feel like I have anything interesting to say or worth blogging about, it's only when I'm on a strict deadline and should be powering through an essay that I feel the need to blog.
So, for this blog I though I would talk about the things I don't always remember to do, but that you should definitely do when trying to accomplish something!
I would generally refer to myself as pretty much an expert at procrastinating, so instead of writing my essay (in true procrastinator-style) I have instead decided to tell you the things I try to do in order to get things done. Here are my 3 main tips, which I've learned through trial and error, and I hope you find them useful:
1.Don't Worry,Be Happy!
- As basic as it sounds, it can be quite rare that you will ever be 100% excited about or committed to doing a project. However, whether it's a school project, a business proposal or just a personal goal, you need to be in a good mood to achieve something you can be proud of. Personally, I find that happy music, whatever that is to you, is a great motivator! My alarm in the morning is a happy, sing-a-long song and I suggest you make a playlist of music that either makes you smile or just inspires you to 'get up and go'. I have friends that like to listen to really calming music while they write essays and that works for some people, but personally, I find it just makes me sleepy and I tend to sing (horrifically) while I type. Which, I'm definitely not doing right now....
Listening to happy music or doing something that you enjoy, be it exercise, painting, eating or whatever is a great way to put you in a good mood before you sit down and crack on with work. Plus, considering most people do their work alone, you don't want to be in your room, alone in a really bad mood, because then you'll get nothing done.
My advise is just to take a minute to learn or remember what makes you happy, and use that to put you in a positive place, where you'll feel like you can do anything and no task will be too daunting!
2.Anything Is Possible!
- Cheesy motivational speaker tactic, but it's true! If you sit there staring at your screen or book and thinking of all the things you can't do, you're only going to make it harder on yourself. Sit back for a minute, calm down and think of a place to start. Whether that means doing background reading, just breaking down your essay question into something easier to follow or making a plan (which I recommend). Sometimes, literally just 'Googling' whatever it is that you have to do can be a help so don't work yourself up about it. There is nothing that you can't do if you set your mind to it, that's how man got to the moon, isn't it? If we can travel into space, then you can definitely finish your project, and do it well at that !
Write a small list and keep it next to you to remind yourself;
a) Why you're doing it - whether it's to get a good grade, a job, to make someone proud (hopefully yourself) etc.
b) What you will gain from doing it - skills, you'll feel fab when you've completed it, you won't have to worry about it anymore and you'll have much more free time.
c) Why or how you're going to achieve your goal. It sounds silly, but even if you just write down something about yourself such as;'I want to succeed' or 'I have done harder/similar things before', it will remind you what you're capable of and that there's always something you have that you can use as a tool.
If you want something, then that's the first step. So if you think you can do it, even a little bit, then you're already on your way!
3.And Breathe....
- Do NOT stress yourself out anymore than you need to be or already are! This means, don't leave everything to the last minute (I know I should practice what I preach, but I'm getting better). The later you leave things, the more pressure you put on yourself and I know for many people, like myself, you're convinced it will work out fine or you'll just about manage it in time. Realistically if you're rushing to get something in on time, it's not going to reflect what you can really do and you're cheating yourself. Plus, if something unavoidable happens or you have to go somewhere, you've practically shot yourself in the foot. Make lists, I genuinely love making lists, to the point where it's sad and I put as much effort into that as I do the actual work. Organising your thoughts and your schedule is essential, so that you don't forget to do anything and end up panicking later.
Your biggest problem when trying to meet deadlines, is most likely going to be you, going inside of your own head too much and driving yourself mad by worrying. So literally, just breathe... if you need a break, take a break for a little while and don't feel bad about it, do something that calms you down or takes your mind of work. You'll get a lot more done if you do it in stages, rather than try and do it all at once, trust me.
Finally - good luck with whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish! I have no doubt that whoever you are and wherever you are, you definitely have it in you to succeed and get the results that you want!
'Believe you can and you're halfway there' - Theodore Roosevelt
J x
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