What can we learn from the world’s most successful, to help us be our most productive? Arianna Huffington is all about sleeping well and pausing throughout the day; Elon Musk champions first principles thinking; while Richard Branson wakes up at 5.00am to work out.
One thing’s for sure – they are all masters of time management and do am impressive job at integrating simple yet effective strategies to get the most out of each day. Here are a few tricks to help you better manage your time during study periods.
Clear your mind
You’ve got to be in the right mindframe to be able to tackle certain tasks, let alone the day in its entirety. Make sure you start the day early, well rested and alert. Pause throughout the afternoon when you feel yourself petering away to reflect on your output for the day, meditate or perform breathing exercises. You’re not effective when your mind is cluttered, so clear your head to enable ultimate focus.
Prioritisation is key
Make a habit of reviewing your priorities daily, giving urgency to tasks that take the least amount of time. It pays to compile a list; you can even include your short-term goals for study, work and personal life. Once complete, tick them off to help motivate you and give you a sense of achievement. Be aware of your long-term goals as well, as it’s important to consider those on a regular basis and tie them back to your daily tasks list.
Make use of ‘dead’ time
Although it may seem like a good idea to get stuck in to your favourite Netflix series on the train ride home from work, is that time better spent doing something else? Use your commute time, lunch break or the time you have to yourself after the kids have gone go to bed to squeeze in extra reading, take a quiz or watch a video from the weekly content.
Be confident
In many ways, productivity is more about your attitude and approach than anything else. A fear or lack of confidence allows for procrastination, and that’s a real killer of productivity. By staying positive and in control of your mind (and task list), you’ll become a master of time management and reap the rewards.
For more tips and advice on time management and fitting online study into your life, reach out to our team of Student Enrolment Advisors on 1300 535 919.
