Stay motivated

Here are some tips to increase productivity in college.

Geeta Padmanabhan

 

 

Stay alert:Listen to music to improve your mood.Photo: V. Ganesan

The student at Bangalore’s premier law college is polite, but frenetic. “I'm rushing off to the library. Can we talk while we walk?” she asks. Cannot blame her. Her essay on an obscure aspect of law is due tomorrow, she has a hostel party to attend this evening, and she needs to wash her hair. And all those missed calls... 

“Study? That takes a beating,” said Suhas, an engineering student. “I have to squeeze that in, between Facebook, Twitter, texting, biking, hanging out, video games, who has the time? Wish the day could be stretched to 48 hours.” 

You have to learn to cope with what initially appears to be strange timetables of operation, wrote Pranati, Humanities student at IIT-Madras. “I had to get accustomed to the practice of staying awake to ungodly hours with cups of Tifany's coffee.”

So your assignments are piling up alarmingly. You have arrears that never seem to go away. Studies feel like they are robbing you of life. You can't open your FB page without a pang of guilt. Assignment deadlines loom, but you want to stretch, drink water, yawn, and put it off a “little bit” - will start at 6, maybe an hour later? It'll take just a couple of hours, so after the match...

Don't panic. Here are tips to raise output, stay productive.

Write It Down: Once you know what to do, put it on paper and stick it on the wall. It’s a reminder – “get down to work and complete the tasks.” Too much? Break down tasks into “to-do” lists, paste them above the computer, or on the cellphone. Get an app that will remind you of must-do work. Cross out those you finish. Crossed-out lists are big morale boosters.

Schedule Facebook/Email time: The slide into time-wasting begins when you convince yourself, “I'll log on, check mail/wall for new stuff and get back in 2 minutes.” Aaah, “two minutes” goes in cosmic time, my friend. A major chunk of your assignment time is gone staring at the Facebook wall, the clock ticks away. So schedule your time on Facebook, twitter or email. Stick to the schedule. Time lost is lost!

Focus: Most people want total quiet for laboratory assignments. If you are the no-noise type, choose a quiet spot, be unavailable for a couple of hours. Make quiet-time allotment a habit to retain what you study. Also, studying in the same location (room, library, a secluded place in the campus, local bookstore) helps focus and retain information.

Say “No” To Distractions: Turn off your phone, TV, iPod, Video game. Focus on the academic work in hand, take hourly breaks to relax your brain and maintain level of productivity when you get back to work.

Set Goals : Be clear about what you want to accomplish in college. What you will do armed with degrees. Further studies? Another university? Go abroad? Take a gap year? Summer classes in between? Internship? Once you have a set goal, assignments and studies will look like necessary pin pricks.

Just-do-it!: The biggest secret to stay productive is to “do it”. Procrastination and productivity are rivals, you need to let go of one to get the other. Start work asap, instead of waiting for a “better time”.

Fill Your Room With Music: “Singing helps me to stay focused. When the bowler is running in to bowl, I start to sing but as soon as he gets to his delivery stride, I focus on the ball. Singing when the bowler is running in, empties my mind of unwanted thoughts,” said M.S. Dhoni. Set off your favourite CDs or grab your iPod. Psychology Today, in “Music and Productivity: 5 Ideas for Using Music to Boost Performance” says listening to music improves ability to complete repetitive tasks efficiently. Listening to music without words is sure to improve your mood. When mood improves, energy levels increase. Is slow, soft music your thing? Well, it's great for completing the toughest of assignments.

Reward Yourself: Psychologists recommend this as a foolproof system to increase productivity. Rejoice every time you reach an academic goal. Why do you think assignment papers are graded as A, A+? Go for a burger, movie, a gift to yourself, new sneakers, shades - make your choice. Reward-system is what you need when trying to motivate yourself to put in regular hours of work.

Get Enough Sleep: Research into sleep disorders and brain function clearly shows the importance of sleep in memory and consolidating information. Without sleep, the brain struggles to absorb and retain ideas. “There is a growing interest in the associations between adequate sleep and academic performance,” said Derk-Jan Dijk, Professor of Sleep and Physiology, Surrey Sleep Research Centre.

THE SMART GAME OF LIFE..!

 

There Once Lived A Great Mathematician In A Village Outside Ujjain . He Was Often Called By The Local King To Advice On Matters Related To The Economy. His Reputation Had Spread As Far As Taxila In The North And Kanchi In The South. So It Hurt Him When The Village Headman Told Him, “You May Be A Great Mathematician Who Advises The King On Economic Matters But Your Son Does Not Know The Value Of Gold Or Silver.”  The Mathematician Called His Son And Asked, “What Is More Valuable - Gold Or silver?” “Gold,” Said The Son. “ That Is Correct. Why Is It Then That The Village Headman Makes Fun Of You, Claims You Do Not Know The Value Of Gold Or Silver?   He Teases Me Every Day. He Mocks Me Before Other Village Elders. As A Father This Hurts Me. I Feel Everyone In The Village Is Laughing Behind My Back Because You Do Not Know What Is More Valuable, Gold Or Silver. Explain This To Me, Son.”  So The Son Of The Mathematician Told His Father The Reason Why The Village Headman Carried This Impression. “Every Day On My Way To School, The Village Headman Calls Me. There, In Front Of All Village Elders, He Holds Out A Silver Coin In One Hand And A Gold Coin In Other. He Asks Me To Pick Up The More Valuable Coin. I Pick The Silver Coin. He Laughs, The Elders Jeer, Everyone Makes Fun Of Me. This Happens Every Day On My Way To School. That Is Why They Tell You I Do Not Know The Value Of Gold Or Silver.”  The Father Was Confused. His Son Knew The Value Of Gold And Silver, And Yet When Asked To Choose Between A Gold Coin And Silver Coin, He Always Picked The Silver Coin. “Why Don’t You Pick Up The Gold Coin?” He Asked.   In Response, The Son Took The Father To His Room And Showed Him A Box. In The Box Were At Least A Hundred Silver Coins.   Turning To His Father, The Mathematician’ s Son Said, “The Day I Pick Up The Gold Coin The Game Will Stop. They Will Stop Having Fun And I Will Stop Making Money.”  The Bottom Line Is… Sometimes In Life, We Have To Play The Fool Because Our Seniors And Our Peers, And Sometimes Even Our Juniors Like It. That Does Not Mean We Lose In The Game Of Life. It Just Means Allowing Others To Win In One Arena Of The Game, While We Win In The Other Arena Of The Game. We Have To Choose Which Arena Matters To Us And Which Arenas Do Not.

Keep Smiling

Important lesson for all…dont miss to read

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which it was written:

“Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym”.

In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues,but after a while they started getting curious to know what  was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.

The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.

Everyone thought: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!”. >

One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself.

There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:

“There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.

You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success.

You are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change,when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

“The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have withyourself“

Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don”t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality.

The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.

The world and your reality are like mirrors laying in a coffin, which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to imagine and create his happiness and his success.

It”s the way you face Life that makes the difference

Aspiration

A father told his son, "You must read well. You must not waste your time. Time is very precious. A second which is passed, is passed for ever. It will not come again. Always set your targets high. Then only you will be successful. You will achieve your goals only when your target is more than your goal. For example, one who just wants to get 40 per cent and pass the exam must work to get 60 per cent. Then only he will pass the exam. You must get a distinction. In maths you must get at least 90 per cent. For which you must aim at getting cent per cent. Ok? "

Few days later

"Dad! I want a car," the son asked his father.

"Car!" exclaimed the father. He continued, "Why do you need a car? Are you an officer? You are still a student. When I was your age, I had only a cycle. I have the car now after having seen so much of life. A motor bike is sufficient for you, at this age. We will buy a motorbike.All right?"

"Dad! This is exactly what I actually wanted," said the son with joy.

You will achieve your goals only when your target is more than your goal.