StudyPass - Session 9

This email is about what to do if you feel overwhelmed with school work ... when there's too much to do and not enough time to do it.

 

I don't think you should be trying to find ways to squeeze more things into your day. Working harder isn't always the best solution. Sometimes you have to do less, in order to achieve more.

 

If you find yourself too busy with school work then it's possible that you haven't made the distinction between being busy and being effective.

 

Being Busy vs Being Effective

 

You can be busy doing lots of things with little or no attention on whether those things are actually important.

 

Being effective is about doing the things that are most important. These are the few critical actions that produce the biggest results.

 

If you find yourself with little time to do any study then the chances are you are being busy without being effective.

 

Being busy is often a way to avoid doing the most important, and sometimes uncomfortable things.

 

So what do you do? Stop trying to manage your time .... instead start prioritising.

 

Let's revisit the 80/20 rule

 

You may remember in a previous email I introduced you to the 80/20 rule. It states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the time and effort.

 

So 80% of your results will come from 20% of the time and effort you spent chasing those results.

 

Or put another way 80% of the time and effort you spent studying will make no difference to your results!

 

The trick is to identify the 20% that makes the difference. Then to focus exclusively on that and eliminate the 80% of actions that make little or no difference.

 

You need to ruthlessly apply a strict set of criteria to your actions to ensure that your time and effort will produce the results you desire.

 

Parkinson's Law

 

Here's a very important principle you should know about any type of work ... It's called Parkinson's principle:

 

Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

 

 

What this means is that whatever time you give to a task, the task will expand to take up that time.

 

If you give yourself 10 hours over 4 nights to complete an assignment ... then you will find a way to fill those 10 hours with assignment work.

 

The task will magically expand to consume that time ... you'll spend more time researching ... more time editing etc.

 

But remember, 80% of your time and effort is not producing significant results, so this extra time does not necessarily produce a better result.

 

If however you set yourself a very tight and clearly defined deadline, for example, to complete the assignment in the next 3 hours, then immediately your level of focus changes. Now the heat is on. You must now work smarter not harder.

 

So the trick then is to simultaneously apply both the 80/20 rule and Parkinson's Law to your study ... Always focus on the tasks that are most important and then set tight deadlines for their completion.

 

Here's how ...

 

1. Write a list of the 2 or 3 most important school related tasks that need to be completed in the next week.
   
   e.g. complete the English assignment
   e.g. study for the Science test
   
   To make sure you only write the most important tasks ask yourself questions like:
   
   If these are the only 2 things I get accomplished this week will I feel satisfied?
   Will each of these tasks directly affect my results?
   Which subject(s) are most important for me to improve in?
   
   
2. Now, set a very tight time deadline for each task. Remember a tight deadline helps you to work more efficiently because it forces you to focus on essential action.
   
   e.g. 4 hours to complete the English assignment
   e.g. 3 hours studying for the Science test
   
   
3. Take out your diary and schedule 1 hour study sessions over the next week to devote to each of these tasks. Do not devote any time to any other homework or study until these tasks are completed.
   
   
4. At the start of each session write a specific objective for what you what to achieve in the hour.

 

 

A word of encouragement ...

If after applying this technique for the first time you find you don't meet your tight deadlines, then don't beat yourself up. Just realise that you are developing your study habits here.

 

You will get better at focusing your efforts each time you apply this strategy. You will make more distinctions and find out what works for you.

 

Even if you don't meet your deadlines on your first attempt, you will be a lot further ahead than if you had no deadline.

 

Just refocus and recommit. You are building mental muscle with every attempt you make.

Until our next communication ...

 

 

All the best

Geoff Peteson

StudyPass 

 

 

 

© 2009 Growing Minds Ltd

 

Growing Minds, PO Box 633, Christchurch, Canterbury 8140, NEW ZEALAND