Similar to Seven ways to not waste your life, except this post is a little less abstract and a little more concrete. 

As of lately, I’ve been extremely frazzled, finding myself running from meeting to class to meeting, barely having time for meals and walking across campus multiple times a day.

I think I may have overstretched myself a bit too much for this quarter. I ambitiously took on many more writing assignments and tougher courses, as well as a job. We’ll see if I can balance this new load. 

My college campus isn’t even that big, yet since I live on one end of campus and attend classes on the other, I often find myself walking 15+ minutes to class everyday. I don’t mind this much, because its the only form of exercise I do.

While I sometimes spend it listening to music or just walking in silence, I can’t bring myself to drop any commitments just yet, so I’ve decided to make every minute of my day count.

This means limiting (notice I did not say cutting out) meaningless distractions such as movies and TV shows, multitasking when appropriate, and overall allocating my time more efficiently.

1) Dictate to your phone. Dictate everything: emails, your to-do list, writing ideas. Smartphones now have handy features that make it so you don’t have to have a full keyboard out to be productive.

2) Read the news while you brush your teeth. Knit a scarf or floss while you watch your favorite TV show.

3) If you aren’t going to spend your walking time being productive, at least consider listening to fast music to pump yourself up and speed up your walk. It will help you reach your destination sooner.

4) Stick to your plans – most of the time. It’s normal to stay later than you planned if you end up having a lot of fun, but don’t look back and regret wasting five hours playing video games.

5) Use every sliver of free time to get something done. In the 15 minutes between classes, don’t check Twitter or Yik Yak; instead, cram in some studying for an upcoming quiz. Taking breaks in between studying actually helps your mind absorb more information.

All of these suggestions make sense in 85% of situations, but bear in mind that there comes a point where the brain is just so exhausted and overwhelmed that sometimes a quiet walk through the dark by yourself is just what you need to clear your mind.

What do you do to stay productive?

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