Because it comes up a lot for all of us trying to manage schedules that slam more than 24 hours of work into a day, I thought I would make one giant productivity post for everyone to help us all out (including myself). 

10 steps to GET MORE SHIT DONE in a day 

1. JUST START—I think most of us find that sometimes the hardest part to starting a task is overcoming the “ugh—fuck this shit, I don’t want to do this” feeling. So, trick yourself into it. Instead of saying you’re going to work for 8 hours, tell yourself you’ll do an hour… and watch that hour turn into 2 or 3 or 4 magically. 
2. Action fights anxiety—If you’re terrified of a project hanging over your head, just start it!! Instead of waiting till tomorrow or next week when things might be right, just start right now! Do something to help yourself feel better about it. You’ll feel better getting through the rest of your day if you don’t have the fear. If you wake up at 2 am panicked you haven’t replied to an email, get up and do it now so you can go back to sleep in peace!
3. Make a list—Never underestimate the power of writing it down and crossing it off. 
4. Take care of yourself—It’s hard to work when you’re tired or hungry or haven’t worked out, etc. So, prioritize—make yourself #1! You’re fucking worth it. So work out, eat breakfast, sleep 6 or 8 or 9 hours (whatever you need). Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel ready to take on the day. 
5. Stay organized—I have a slightly OCD-type personality. If the desk is a mess, it’s hard for me to do my work. So put things back where they belong, take the time to keep things tidy so you can do your best work.   
6. Don’t multitask—We all think we’re good at this—but the truth is we’re shit. We’re complete and utter shit at multitasking. Do one thing very well instead of four things poorly. 
7. Shut off—Turning away from the work for just a minute can really decrease your productivity. Unless you are actively waiting on a text to hear the test results from your mother’s biopsy or an emergency call from your best friend that your house is burning down almost anything else can wait another hour until you finish your task. Even an email from your boss can probably wait another 10 minutes for you to finish what you’re working on. 
8. Be competitive—Be a better you than you were yesterday. Do more. Show yesterday-you that they’re a lazy bitch and you can do better!
9. Refocus—here’s a list of how to do it in 3 minutes or less. 
10. Give a fuck!!—If you actually care about what you’re doing, you’ll be more motivated to do it!

10 very specific ways to get more shit done

1. Work when you work best—This rule that people work better in the morning is bullshit. Some people work best from 5 am to 7 am, but some of us do our best work from 1 pm to 3 pm or 10 pm to midnight. Work when you do your best work and get things done—whenever that is!!
2. Localize—Put it all in one place. Stop moving between eight study resources or you’ll fail to focus on one thing well—instead condense all your study materials into one place and then focus on that ONE thing. 
3. Multi-task on the stuff that doesn’t matter—It takes no brain power to clean a counter, so when you have to clean your apartment you can also return the phone calls you’ve put off. When you have to stand in line for coffee you can also answer emails, while your lunch is heating in the microwave you can put away the dishes in the dish washer. Get more done in the spaces between. 
4. Be contrary—Who says you have to buy groceries on the busiest shopping day? Go at a weird time when other people won’t be there and you can get in and out faster. Don’t waste your time waiting in line just because that’s when everyone else does something. Do things when you can do it fastest!! Hit the post office at 3 pm when everyone else is at work, go to the gym late in the evening after the post-work rush is over. Do it when you can get it done fast!
5. Buy the right shit—Go ahead and buy the best tool for the task. If you don’t set yourself up right, you’ll just spend more time fighting for things to work than actually working!! 
6. In arm’s reach or screw it—When you sit down to work, get all the things you need ready to go so you don’t have to keep getting up for more paper or some water. If it’s not within arm’s reach, move it or screw it!
7. Bribe yourself—Never underestimate the power of a piece of chocolate, or a night out at the end of the week, or an online shopping spree for that shirt you’ve wanted. 
8. Turn it up (or turn it down)—If you hate the quiet play music, but if the sound is too distracting shut it the fuck off. Work in a space that works for you. 
9. Deep end—welcome to it--Do the hard stuff first. You’ll lose energy as the day goes on, so leave the easy things for when you’re tired and don’t need as much will power. 
10. One touch—You’ve probably heard this one before, but here’s my irreverent version of it. Pick it up—don’t put it the fuck down until you’re done. If you get an email from your professor saying you all have to complete a required form, do the fucking form now and email it back immediately. Why spend more time later having to look at that damn email again? If you realize you’re out of paper towels, check your level of tin foil and tissues while you’re at it so you can go to the store one time. Do it once, do it right, don’t fuck around. 

Oh, and don’t forget to give yourself a break when you need it. Not every day can be a day where everything gets done. :) 

It can be difficult to stay organised and on top of things, especially at college/uni, but it is a crucial skill! Why? It reduces stress, helps you get things done (on time) and produce better work. We all know how difficult it is to balance a social life, grades and getting enough sleep, and, while achieving at all three is (sometimes) impossible, being organised brings you a couple of steps closer.

1) USE A FRIKKEN PLANNER! This is *the* most important. I don’t care if it’s a decorated bullet journal or a Google Calendar on your phone or a notepad you got for free somewhere - find one, use one, make it your own. Plan your tasks in advance, take note of your deadlines and follow through with the next step.

2) Start early. I know, procrastination is beautiful and seductive, and you have two weeks until your essay is due, but start early! As soon as you get an assignment or task, start working on it. Even if it’s just reading thoroughly through the task, start as soon as you can. If you have any questions or problems, you will have enough time to get them answered. 

3) File your work weekly. It reduces both physical and mental clutter. I write my class notes on loose leaf paper, then, at the end of the week, I put them all in a big, ringbinder file. It keeps my backpack light and I know exactly where to find my notes when I need to refer back to them.

4) Colour-code if it’s not distracting. Some people find colour-coding too distracting, time-consuming and ineffective. Other people find it impossible to live without. Some people are in between. Figure out where you are on the spectrum and choose a system that works for you.

5) Do a little every day. It’s so much easier to stay organised if you break big tasks down into smaller ones and tackle a small task every day. I personally find this to be the most effective in reducing my stress, since I don’t have this huge “OH MY WORD I NEED TO STUDY” panic hanging over me. Sometimes all I need is two or three hours of studying throughout the day during the week to ensure that I don’t need to spend 12 hours on Sunday afternoon freaking out to finish my physics problem set.

6) Schedule time to relax, screen-free. I am as addicted to and in love with the internet as much as any tumblr user, but I’ve recently found that taking an hour every day to relax, without my laptop, phone or watching TV is really beneficial. Do some yoga, pray, read, daydream, draw…whatever doesn’t feel like work. I’ve come to realise that mindless tumblr scrolling isn’t actually all that relaxing. I still love it, but it’s simply not effective in clearing my mind. Having an hour to refresh my mind completely has been a game-changer, and it helps me feel more mentally organised by reducing mental clutter. 

I hope these are helpful! If you have any questions, feel free to message me or send me an ask! You can also find my studyinstagram @ munirastudies. Happy studying!

xx Munira

Revision.

• Different styles of revision will work for different topics. You might find a style that works for all, or for none. Whether it’s mind mapping, rewriting notes or learning via audio, experiment and see which suits you best.
  
• Plan ahead. It doesn’t have to be strict, but have a loose idea of the goals you want to finish by the end of the hour/day/week. Give yourself time to finish the goals, and think realistically. Your plan doesn’t necessarily have to be written down, but checking things off a list can help to keep you on track.
• File your notes. Even if it’s just keeping them in piles together, or using a paperclip. Having organised notes can help to keep your thoughts in order.
• Past papers are a great way to revise! They give you an idea of what the questions will be like, and allow you to time yourself to make sure you don’t spend too long on one thing.
• Create summary pages from notebooks, in your own words. This helps memorisation and means you can make things much more concise.

Well-being.

• Take regular breaks. Take a break at regular intervals, or as a reward for finishing a task. Don’t think about work whilst you’re on a break, either, clear your mind and step away from your study area.
  
• Snacks and drinks. Always have a drink by your side, and have a selection of snacks with you to keep your energy levels up. Water is an obvious choice, as well as fruit!
• Revise in a well-lit, quiet place.
• Exercise! This is good for general well-being, but it’s a good way to de-stress.

1. TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

One hugely important thing that we students forget to do is to take time for ourselves. Is there something that you absolutely love to do but can’t seem to find the time for during the semester? This could be reading a book, working out, or even catching up on your favorite shows. No matter what it is that you love to do, you need to make time for it at least once a week. This will really help you avoid feeling burnt out and exhausted.

2. PLAN AHEAD

The next thing you need to do is prepare in advance by filling out your planner. If you have a planner filled out and ready to go, you will much more easily be able to see when your next exams are. This should take away some of that stress because you will be able to prepare in advance. If you struggle with this, read my post on how to stop cramming for exams. Another reason why planning ahead helps you to avoid burnout is that it helps to keep you on top of your work. Because we all know that once we start falling behind on assignments, it is that much harder to catch back up.

3. TAKE STUDY BREAKS

If your professors are anything like mine, they usually end up giving you two to three exams in one week. While this is difficult, it is possible to study effectively for each test and to ace the exams. However, in order to do this, you are going to have to start implementing study breaks. I know it feels like you don’t have enough time to stop studying even for just a little bit, but you need to. Taking study breaks is so important because it gives your brain a quick rest so that when you return from your break you will be even more ready to work.

One great way to start including breaks into your study time is by using a technique called Pomodoro. (Yes, I know that is a very strange word). Pomodoro is a technique that calls for twenty five minutes of distraction free work, followed by a five minute break. Once you have repeated this cycle four times, take a longer ten minute break. Then, start the process over. An extremely easy way to start implementing this technique is by using the a website called tomato timer. This website is great because it already has all of the times scheduled in. All you have to do is click a button! I have been using this technique lately, and it is a great way to trick myself into being more productive while I work.

4. KEEP A CLEAR PERSPECTIVE

Even though school is stressing you out right now, it won’t be like this for long. I know that my years at college have absolutely flown by, and I’m sure that yours will to. As you go throughout the semester, just remember that in a few years you won’t remember all of this stress and you certainly won’t remember that low grade you made. While you are in college, soak up every minute of it. Just think, this is the next step to your future career, and if that does’t excite you then I don’t know what will!

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