u/gordiony

Proof (ik you can still fake ypt but I promise I didn't)

Studying isn't easy. The whole idea of doing something that you don't like so you can do something you like in the future is hard. No doubt about it. In an era with instant gratification everywhere. Delaying dopamine spikes and doing tough things is, tough.

At it's core studying is how well you understand, memorise and use information. Therefore, I'll be splitting this post into methods to maximise retention and how to beat procrastination

Methods to maximise retention (memorisation):

Best apps: Anki, Quizlet

1. Spaced repetition. In the simplest terms, attempt to recall things you learnt in greater intervals of time. Studies show that it can improve retention by 2-3x. This is scientifically, one of the most effective ways to memorise information. It works wonders for things like memorising definitions, quotes or processes.
2. Flashcards. This was such a lifesaver. It can always feel daunting to memorise a whole chapter of information, yet it feels easy to memorise line by line. Flashcards help you memorise information bit by bit, slowly building memory blocks.
3. Teach others. The act of explaining a concept of definition to others or even just the wall, is a great way to test if you remember and most importantly understand your content. Try to imagine like you are the organic chemistry tutor or something, this one really really helped me make studying feel less mundane.

How to beat procrastination. Seriously.

Best apps: Forest, lockn and ticktick

1. Plan your day in advance. When you do so you mentally commit to doing it. It's sort of like making a promise to yourself. I used to find myself procrastinating as I didn't have a clear thing that I needed to do next. FYI: I had alot of things that I needed to do, I was just procrastinating.
2. Remove distractions. Telling yourself you wont touch your phone that's buzzing with notifications is setting yourself up for failure. Physically move the phone to another room or block it out with an app.
3. Don't get obsessed with planning the perfect schedule because the perfect schedule doesn't exist. You just need to know what you want to do today, write out a quick timeline and start. JUST START!!!

Proof (ik you can still fake ypt but I promise I didn't)

Studying isn't easy. The whole idea of doing something that you don't like so you can do something you like in the future is hard. No doubt about it. In an era with instant gratification everywhere. Delaying dopamine spikes and doing tough things is, tough.

At it's core studying is how well you understand, memorise and use information. Therefore, I'll be splitting this post into methods to maximise retention and how to beat procrastination

Methods to maximise retention (memorisation):

Best apps: Anki, Quizlet

1. Flashcards. This was such a lifesaver. It can always feel daunting to memorise a whole chapter of information, yet it feels easy to memorise line by line. Flashcards help you memorise information bit by bit, slowly building memory blocks.
2. Teach others. The act of explaining a concept of definition to others or even just the wall, is a great way to test if you remember and most importantly understand your content. Try to imagine like you are the organic chemistry tutor or something, this one really really helped me make studying feel less mundane.

How to beat procrastination. Seriously.

Best apps: Forest, lockn

1. Plan your day in advance. When you do so you mentally commit to doing it. It's sort of like making a promise to yourself. I used to find myself procrastinating as I didn't have a clear thing that I needed to do next. FYI: I had alot of things that I needed to do, I was just procrastinating.
2. Remove distractions. Telling yourself you wont touch your phone that's buzzing with notifications is setting yourself up for failure. Physically move the phone to another room or block it out with an app.
3. Don't get obsessed with planning the perfect schedule because the perfect schedule doesn't exist. You just need to know what you want to do today, write out a quick timeline and start. JUST START!!!

Proof (ik you can still fake ypt but I promise I didn't)

Working isn't easy. The whole idea of doing something that you don't like so you can do something you like in the future is hard. No doubt about it. In an era with instant gratification everywhere. Delaying dopamine spikes and doing tough things is, tough*.*

At its core my work involves understanding, memorising and using information. Therefore, I'll be splitting this post into methods to maximise retention and how to beat procrastination.

Methods to maximise retention (memorisation):

Best apps:** **Anki, Quizlet
1 Spaced repetition. In the simplest terms, attempt to recall things you learnt in greater intervals of time. Studies show that it can improve retention by 2-3x. This is scientifically, one of the most effective ways to memorise information. It works wonders for things like memorising definitions, quotes or processes.

2. Flashcards. This was such a lifesaver. It can always feel daunting to memorise a whole chapter of information, yet it feels easy to memorise line by line. Flashcards help you memorise information bit by bit, slowly building memory blocks.

3. Teach others. The act of explaining a concept of definition to others or even just the wall, is a great way to test if you remember and most importantly understand your content.

How to beat procrastination. Seriously.

Best apps:** **Forest, lockn and ticktick

1. Plan your day in advance. When you do so you mentally commit to doing it. It's sort of like making a promise to yourself. I used to find myself procrastinating as I didn't have a clear thing that I needed to do next. FYI: I had alot of things that I needed to do, I was just procrastinating.
2. Remove distractions. Telling yourself you wont touch your phone that's buzzing with notifications is setting yourself up for failure. Physically move the phone to another room or block it out with an app.
3. Don't get obsessed with planning the perfect schedule because the perfect schedule doesn't exist. You just need to know what you want to do today, write out a quick timeline and start. JUST START!!!

Disclaimer: I built Lockn 😬

EDIT: had to remove all the app recommendations 😞

Proof (ik you can still fake ypt but I promise I didn't)

Studying isn't easy. The whole idea of doing something that you don't like so you can do something you like in the future is hard. No doubt about it. In an era with instant gratification everywhere. Delaying dopamine spikes and doing tough things is, tough.

At it's core studying is how well you understand, memorise and use information. Therefore, I'll be splitting this post into methods to maximise retention and how to beat procrastination

Methods to maximise retention (memorisation):

1. Spaced repetition. In the simplest terms, attempt to recall things you learnt in greater intervals of time. Studies show that it can improve retention by 2-3x. This is scientifically, one of the most effective ways to memorise information. It works wonders for things like memorising definitions, quotes or processes.
2. Flashcards. This was such a lifesaver. It can always feel daunting to memorise a whole chapter of information, yet it feels easy to memorise line by line. Flashcards help you memorise information bit by bit, slowly building memory blocks.
3. Teach others. The act of explaining a concept of definition to others or even just the wall, is a great way to test if you remember and most importantly understand your content. Try to imagine like you are the organic chemistry tutor or something, this one really really helped me make studying feel less mundane.

How to beat procrastination. Seriously.

1. Plan your day in advance. When you do so you mentally commit to doing it. It's sort of like making a promise to yourself. I used to find myself procrastinating as I didn't have a clear thing that I needed to do next. FYI: I had alot of things that I needed to do, I was just procrastinating.
2. Remove distractions. Telling yourself you wont touch your phone that's buzzing with notifications is setting yourself up for failure. Physically move the phone to another room or block it out with an app.
3. Don't get obsessed with planning the perfect schedule because the perfect schedule doesn't exist. You just need to know what you want to do today, write out a quick timeline and start. JUST START!!!

If you'd like another post on how to stay discipined and consistent (not that im super disciplined) but I have some things I don't mind sharing too.

Proof (ik you can still fake ypt but I promise I didn't)

Studying isn't easy. The whole idea of doing something that you don't like so you can do something you like in the future is hard. No doubt about it. In an era with instant gratification everywhere. Delaying dopamine spikes and doing tough things is, tough.

At it's core studying is how well you understand, memorise and use information. Therefore, I'll be splitting this post into methods to maximise retention and how to beat procrastination

Methods to maximise retention (memorisation):

Best apps: Anki, Quizlet

1. Spaced repetition. In the simplest terms, attempt to recall things you learnt in greater intervals of time. Studies show that it can improve retention by 2-3x. This is scientifically, one of the most effective ways to memorise information. It works wonders for things like memorising definitions, quotes or processes.
2. Flashcards. This was such a lifesaver. It can always feel daunting to memorise a whole chapter of information, yet it feels easy to memorise line by line. Flashcards help you memorise information bit by bit, slowly building memory blocks.
3. Teach others. The act of explaining a concept of definition to others or even just the wall, is a great way to test if you remember and most importantly understand your content. Try to imagine like you are the organic chemistry tutor or something, this one really really helped me make studying feel less mundane.

How to beat procrastination. Seriously.

Best apps: Forest, lockn and ticktick

1. Plan your day in advance. When you do so you mentally commit to doing it. It's sort of like making a promise to yourself. I used to find myself procrastinating as I didn't have a clear thing that I needed to do next. FYI: I had alot of things that I needed to do, I was just procrastinating.
2. Remove distractions. Telling yourself you wont touch your phone that's buzzing with notifications is setting yourself up for failure. Physically move the phone to another room or block it out with an app.
3. Don't get obsessed with planning the perfect schedule because the perfect schedule doesn't exist. You just need to know what you want to do today, write out a quick timeline and start. JUST START!!!

If you'd like another post on how to stay discipined and consistent (not that im super disciplined) but I have some things I don't mind sharing too.)

Proof (ik you can still fake ypt but I promise I didn't)

Studying isn't easy. The whole idea of doing something that you don't like so you can do something you like in the future is hard. No doubt about it. In an era with instant gratification everywhere. Delaying dopamine spikes and doing tough things is, tough.

At it's core studying is how well you understand, memorise and use information. Therefore, I'll be splitting this post into methods to maximise retention and how to beat procrastination

Methods to maximise retention (memorisation):

Best apps: Anki, Quizlet

1. Spaced repetition. In the simplest terms, attempt to recall things you learnt in greater intervals of time. Studies show that it can improve retention by 2-3x. This is scientifically, one of the most effective ways to memorise information. It works wonders for things like memorising definitions, quotes or processes.
2. Flashcards. This was such a lifesaver. It can always feel daunting to memorise a whole chapter of information, yet it feels easy to memorise line by line. Flashcards help you memorise information bit by bit, slowly building memory blocks.
3. Teach others. The act of explaining a concept of definition to others or even just the wall, is a great way to test if you remember and most importantly understand your content. Try to imagine like you are the organic chemistry tutor or something, this one really really helped me make studying feel less mundane.

How to beat procrastination. Seriously.

Best apps: Forest, lockn and ticktick

1. Plan your day in advance. When you do so you mentally commit to doing it. It's sort of like making a promise to yourself. I used to find myself procrastinating as I didn't have a clear thing that I needed to do next. FYI: I had alot of things that I needed to do, I was just procrastinating.
2. Remove distractions. Telling yourself you wont touch your phone that's buzzing with notifications is setting yourself up for failure. Physically move the phone to another room or block it out with an app.
3. Don't get obsessed with planning the perfect schedule because the perfect schedule doesn't exist. You just need to know what you want to do today, write out a quick timeline and start. JUST START!!!

If you'd like another post on how to stay discipined and consistent (not that im super disciplined) but I have some things I don't mind sharing too.)

Disclaimer: This is just my 2 cents. Feel free to agree or disagree with me 😄

Back when I was studying, I found it extremely hard to execute. Planning felt easy. Yet actually doing the plan I made felt impossible.

I realised that something was fundamentally wrong. either with myself, the way i was planning... I wasn't sure. But i knew something had to change.

If you relate to this do keep reading, its worth it. Otherwise, this post may not be able to provide you with value if you don't face this issue 👀

Since I can't exactly swap myself out for something better, I was left with the only choice but to upgrade the way I plan. Inherently, I associated upgrading with making my plan better. More rigid, more defined, clearer. But that was a mistake. I learnt that the hard way.

>Maybe we weren't made to churn out work consistently like robots.

The productivity apps that used back then assumed that I'd have the consistently energy, focus and output every hour of day. But that's just not how we operate.

Some hours are sharp, some are slow. Some tasks breaks helped me recover, some made it harder to start work again.

Maybe the problem isn't a lack of discipline or motivation. I'd argue the fact that we made attempts at using planners / productivity apps shows our desire to be better, to do more with our time.

Maybe the cold, lifeless plan with rigid timings was the problem.

Heres 3 things I learnt:

Firstly, the perfect plan doesn't exist. The only thing you need in a plan is what you want to realistically accomplish in the day. That's it. Pick something and just start working.

Second, do not obsess over the time you spend working, but rather the things you need to do. Parkinson's law explains this beautifully. Try to estimate a realistic duration for your tasks for the day, but don't hold yourself to it strictly. This is not to say that you adhere to the mentality that you have all the time in the world, but rather: I'm going to do my best to finish what I set out to do in this time. If it ended up needing more time, so be it.

Lastly, don't plan the day to look nice.

>its 0802, i was supposed to start at 0800, ugh... I'll do it at 0810

I'm sure this sounds familiar. This was the hardest one. Fundamentally, it was a mindset shift. Starting a task at 0802 is no doubt better than 0810.

Good luck folks ❤️

Disclaimer: This is my personal view. I feel this way. You don't have to feel the same. It's just my 2 cents. 👀

Quite recently, I've went down this rabbit hole of unproductive productivity / performative productivity.

The 5am 18 step morning routine. The notion "second brain". The to do list planners.

Honestly, doing these "productive" things felt really good. Like I felt like I was doing something. Something productive.

But yet when it came to finally doing the task I had planned? It felt so hard. and I couldn't explain why.

That's when I started doing more research.

I learnt the following:

1. Planning isn't doing. Planning to do the work is not the same of doing the work. Sometimes the action of planning tricks your brain into thinking so, creating a sense of "free accomplishment". This makes you prefer planning more instead of doing more which hurts you a lot in the long run.
2. Planning an imperfect schedule can be more productive than planning a perfect one. Spending 1 hour planning a "perfect" schedule with no time wasted is makes you a lot less productivity for 2 main reasons.
   1. Firstly, that's wasted time and energy. Our daily deep focus capacity, is capped at roughly 4 hours. In other words, after 4 hours, our ability to focus on a deep level and achieve that "flow state" reduces. We shouldn't be spending 25% of our daily "budget" on that.
   2. Secondly, having a schedule with no wasted time also means you have no buffer. Therefore, should you estimate the time required to complete a task wrongly, your entire schedule falls apart instantly. You start to fall behind, and that puts additional unnecessary stress on yourself.
3. Win the day, win the year. While I understand many times we have deadlines throughout the week, that's all they should be. I absolutely love the idea of microproductivity, where you break a massive goal/task into smaller quantifiable chunks. Rather than planning your weekly schedule on a Sunday night or Monday morning, try planning day-by-day. Still keep track of your overall weekly goals and tasks but during the day, just focus on the day.

TLDR:

1. Stop planning, start doing.
2. Your plan should never be perfect because we aren't perfect. Sometimes tasks take longer or shorter than planned.
3. Plan and execute day by day.
4. Stop feeling productive, start being productive.

Thanks for reading till here! Hope it helps 😄