Tell me if this series of events sound familiar: After coming home from a long day of school, you finally take a sigh of relief as you lay down on your bed. Though you know there are homework assignments and tests to study for, you decide to treat yourself to a little break. After all, you’ve earned it! You choose to scroll through your phone, play video games or watch Netflix for a little, before promising yourself to get back into “productive mode.” Soon, the one-hour break turns into two, three and the afternoon flies by. Now, your time to be productive is cutting into your sleep schedule, which will affect your mood for the following day.

This was a problem I faced throughout my underclassmen years. Though I was aware of my daily to-do’s, I struggled to find the motivation to initiate my tasks and stay focused on them. Though I was looking for ways to fix this, I never realized that with each day, the problem was getting worse – thus, the result of a bad habit. 

Looking back at my four years of high school, I now understand the tremendous power that habits have on our lives, both good and bad. When trying to accomplish anything substantial, habits are crucial in doing so. They are the backbone of our lives, affecting our time management, productivity and organization.

Here are some tips that have helped me develop good habits & improve my productivity:

Physical to-do list: It’s scientifically proven that physically writing things helps us memorize them better. I like to use a small whiteboard to keep track of my daily agenda/goals.

Allotted time: To make sure you don’t fall into the trap of wasting time, give yourself less or the minimum amount of time to complete an assignment to ensure maximum efficiency during that duration. I especially use this method to make sure that I don’t waste unnecessary time on shorter assignments.

Factors of motivation: Think of an activity you thoroughly enjoy. Now, implement that as a form of motivation by using it as a reward for finishing your tasks. I always try to finish my work for the day before going out to play tennis.

Being productive is a key life skill, applicable to countless situations. Though it’s near impossible to be perfect, it’s crucial to recognize room for improvement and continue to better ourselves every day.