You might have heard that slow and steady wins the race but what about "Fast and Steady "?. Definitely, nobody stands a chance against someone who is fast and steady.
You might wonder how to become Fast and Steady?
The answer lies in improving your productivity. When we improve our productivity, we achieve more in less time. People who achieve more in less time are smart and productive.
Today I will share with you some strategies that will help you become smart, productive and will make you achieve more in less time.
Make a To-Do List: What will happen if you just walk without having any destination in mind? You will keep walking without reaching anywhere. This happens when you don't set a to-do list for the day. You just abruptly go through your day without measuring what you wanted to achieve that day and in how much time. What happens at the end of the day? Your day is gone, you might have done a thing or a two but you wasted a lot of time on it and the worst part is you get satisfied by what you did. In this way, you lower your productivity. When you set a To-Do list, you remain focused on achieving it. Once you complete one task, check it off and go on to other and in this way, you will have achieved more at the end of the day.
You will feel a feeling of accomplishment and victory once you check all the tasks you set for the day. keep your task list realistic and achievable. My personal recommendation is not to make the list of more than 6 items in a day. Keep 6 priority things to do and check them off once you complete them. You will see instant boost in your productivity, Focus, and Confidence. Try to plan the next day before you sleep the previous night and write 6 things that you want to do the next day.
Set a Timer: While you work set a timer for an hour or 25 minutes whatever you are comfortable with. I personally set a timer for 1 hour and try to focus in that one hour on the task I am doing and then take a rest for 10 minutes. There are various apps that will help you achieve it. Setting a time limit on what you do makes you achieve things fast in a limited time. There is the Pomodoro technique where you focus on a task for 25 minutes followed by a five-minute break afterward. This will increase your productivity.
Eliminate All Distractions: While you are working eliminate all distractions like social media, phone, etc. keep your phone on silent or better away from you and just focus on the task at hand.
Group Similar Tasks Together: You will save time by completing similar tasks in one session. So for example I try to work out while I talk to my loved ones every day. So I clubbed my workout with my phone call which helps me save time. So you could club listening to daily news while you are having your tea etc. this helps you save a lot of time. Club your tea with news, Lunch with some online lectures, and dinner with walking. If you could save 40 minutes a day with this you save 20 hours a month and 240 hours a year. Considering you study 10 hours a day, You have saved 24 DAYS in a year and this is enough to get ahead of anyone. This is the value of time and compounding effect.
Complete Most Difficult Tasks First Thing in the Morning: Complete the most difficult tasks first and then the easy ones. Your mind is fresh in the morning and is full of energy and as you move through your day your energy goes down and you tend to skip things. So do the most important things first in the morning.
Wake up early: I have a habit of waking up at 4 Am and this gives me 4 hours extra towards achieving my goal daily and compared to an average guy who wakes at 8 AM in the morning. Now I have already told you the power of the compounding effect of time. You can now realize how much time I save in a year being 4 hours ahead each day. The best thing is there is no one to disturb you early in the morning as most of the world is sleeping and you are quietly working towards your goal.
Get plenty of sleep: It’s important to get plenty of sleep so that your working hours can be as productive as possible. Sleep at least 6-7 hours a day. My personal schedule is sleeping 6.5 hours a day.
Exercise and Meditate: Meditation gives you the calmness to carry out throughout your day. I personally have noticed changes in myself since I have started meditating daily at 4 Am in morning. Meditation is your exercise for your brain it keeps it sharp and running and exercise is good for pumping you up and keeping you energetic and focused. Both are really important for maintaining great productivity.
Gratitude: Have a habit to show gratitude to things you possess every day while you go to your bed. When we pay gratitude, we achieve and get more. Be Thankful. This helps you to be consistent with your activities and not feel demotivated because you have a lot of things to be grateful for. We often underestimate what we have and take it for granted. Do not take anything for granted.
Learn to Say “No”: Your friends might be calling you for a party tonight but you have to say NO if you are serious about achieving something in life.
Reward Yourself for Finishing a Big Task: To stay motivated for whatever you do, reward yourself every now and then. Keep track of your small wins and milestones and celebrate them. So whenever you struggle with your progress, you see how far you’ve come! A great investor Warren Buffet once said : “No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time. You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant.” The Journey of IITJEE is tough. You have to be smart, persistent, consistent, patient and above all have an attitude to never give up no matter what. There is no talent here, it's hard work and hard work gets rewarded every time. You might fail once twice thrice You might get demotivated You might feel like giving up You might Doubt yourself Everybody would start questioning your potential But believe me, it would all be worth it one day. Just believe in your dreams and never ever give up on them. At last, I want to remind you to Dream Big, Work hard, Have Confidence, Take Action, and Don't stop until you make it happen. Best of Luck!
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