I've spend Monday-Wednesday this week in total denial of my ever-growing to do list. Filled with errands and long term assignments, I've realized that today is going to be a little bit of a work marathon. For me, this ends up working really well. The first week and a half of class I haven't had a ton to do, which has been a little bit boring. I work really well under pressure- I love having deadlines and meetings and a schedule packed full of things I'm excited about. Today is one of those days.
Here's how to get it all done:
Empty your brain
Write everything you can think of on paper in no particular order. Make a column for appointments (with times next to them), one for errands, one for emails/phone calls and one for homework.
Prioritize
What do you seriously need to get done? Put a star next to these items. You can't always do everything, but make sure you get the most important things done.
Make a schedule
On another sheet of paper, list appointments by time, and leave room in between where you can schedule in errands or work. I simply write "run errands" or "do homework" without being too specific about what exactly I'll be doing. I then make a second column with the tasks I need to complete. I then cross out items as I complete them.
Leave time for meals
A big mistake I used to make during my "work marathons" is forgetting to factor in mealtime. It is not healthy to eat every meal while you work or to skip meals- you'll crash much sooner than if you had taken even a 20 minute break to have something to eat to fuel your brain (and no, coffee is not a meal). Try to schedule a meal with someone else so you force yourself to get up from work.
Take breaks and drink water
I take a lot of quick email or Refinery 29 breaks where I mindlessly check out interesting articles or reply to new messages. However, getting up and walking around even for 5 minutes makes a huge difference. Drink lots of water too to keep your mind sharp.
Find a work buddy
I work really well when there are other people around me who are getting things done- it's kind of inspiring! Call your best friend, your class mate or your boyfriend (hello you're sitting across from me) and get to work. To hold each other accountable and not get too distracted, set designated times where you can hang out and be totally unproductive (like getting dinner together, again hello bf).
Tackle emails
This might just be me, but sometimes when I need to get a start on being productive, I respond to all of my emails. Getting just something done makes my to do list seem way more manageable.
Turn up the music
Listen to some upbeat music every time you feel like you're losing focus. This works best when you're doing little tasks rather than say, reading or writing. Sometimes slower jams can put you to sleep.
It's almost Friday! Hooray!
xoxo