Productivity

[Dsmoody23]

So, I'm working on some modifications to my free time usage, based on the following experience:

I lost power for about 2 days in the fall. During that time, I had just about zero access to internet (email, facebook, youtube and yes... SDN,) and electronic entertainment (tv, netflix, xbox stupidity, etc.)

That totally sucked for the first 2 hours. Then... miraculously, I found other things to do.

I read books. I walked my dogs twice as far as normal. I exercised. I did homework that wasn't due for weeks. And I was exactly as entertained and content as during 'normal' life.

Then, the power came back on. And I was right back to wasting approximately 50% of my free time on stupid bulls**t.

So, for this coming semester, I'm trying a new strategy of dramatically limiting my own access to non-essential distractions. I'm hoping the same principle will work long term, and I won't miss the distractions once they're not available.

So far:
- Cancelled the netflix.
- Installed Leechblock on both computers, effective tomorrow. The program is set to block any non-useful website for any usage of over 5 minutes per hour.
- Boxed up the DVD player and x-box. Dropping it off at a friends house, with instructions not to return until May.

So, anyhow... the purpose of this thread was to look for some additional productivity suggestions from you guys. Either: things you do that increase your utility, or things you have thought about doing, but haven't gotten around to yet.

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[bigkittinteef]

I used to watch TV while I ate, which ended up taking a lot more time than necessary because I was distracted. Now I study or do class reading during that time. I eat faster (because it's no longer an enjoyable experience) and I am productive instead of wasting time.

 

[JoAnna423]

So, I'm working on some modifications to my free time usage, based on the following experience:

I lost power for about 2 days in the fall. During that time, I had just about zero access to internet (email, facebook, youtube and yes... SDN,) and electronic entertainment (tv, netflix, xbox stupidity, etc.)

That totally sucked for the first 2 hours. Then... miraculously, I found other things to do.

I read books. I walked my dogs twice as far as normal. I exercised. I did homework that wasn't due for weeks. And I was exactly as entertained and content as during 'normal' life.

Then, the power came back on. And I was right back to wasting approximately 50% of my free time on stupid bulls**t.

So, for this coming semester, I'm trying a new strategy of dramatically limiting my own access to non-essential distractions. I'm hoping the same principle will work long term, and I won't miss the distractions once they're not available.

So far:
- Cancelled the netflix.
- Installed Leechblock on both computers, effective tomorrow. The program is set to block any non-useful website for any usage of over 5 minutes per hour.
- Boxed up the DVD player and x-box. Dropping it off at a friends house, with instructions not to return until May.

So, anyhow... the purpose of this thread was to look for some additional productivity suggestions from you guys. Either: things you do that increase your utility, or things you have thought about doing, but haven't gotten around to yet.

This will probably be easier since you are cutting out TV and Internet but for me...GOING TO BED really increased my productivity the next day...as students it is inevitable that every so often we suck down massive amounts of caffeine and stay up cramming until 5am but whenever possible I find it better to go to bed at a decent hour and get up early...I get SO MUCH more accomplished from 6:30am-11:30pm than I do 12:30pm-5:30am. Also, just something I do...I take my study materials (or bills, calendar, something) everywhere I go so that when I have a bus ride, wait at a doc's office, I have something I can read/do with me instead of sitting on FB on my phone.

 

[Bill59]

There have been several studies that have concluded mental multitasking is less efficient than doing things separately. So when we're studying, texting, checking email and listening to music at the same time we think we're getting a lot accomplished but we're actually wasting a lot of time as our brain has to constantly shift attention. Also performance of each task suffers.

 

[kaydubs]

Oh productivity..... Nice thread

To eliminating [distracting] electronics! I'm one of those efficiency people. When I want to "waste" time, I know to just zone out on the web and play around on youtube (or video games. Gosh, they are SOOOOOOO distracting!). To increase my time productivity and focus on studies and education, I tend to block-schedule my time. Even now, during my day when I have x hours to work with, I try to block out parts of my day so I can more or less stay on task. When I'm not working at my minor part time job, I could spend ALL of my time vegging. Instead, I clean, exercise AND study or work on art projects for other people. I borrowed several textbooks in hopes that my brain won't fall into the lazy abyss that it did this summer. I'm slowly working my way through them and really enjoying the bits that I'm learning!

Next year when I'm "chained" to my desk, I hope I will better budget my time and focus on the tasks at hand.

In addition, I found out that planning new activities also makes me work "better." Knowing I have a trip planned or a new activity makes me focus (my newest intent is to start game-shooting. Once spring comes to call, I'll be out with a weapon of choice practicing my precision and accuracy on game targets. This helps me get through the winter!). I've also heard from a neuroscience friend that daydreaming for a few short minutes helps your brain to focus rather than just idly switching to something else to hold your interest. Or, if you are ACTUALLY tired, a small power-nap refreshes me.

[I am also a multi-tasker... music makes me focus better than ABSOLUTE SILENCE. When I go to take exams, if I scrawl a lyric that I had listened to while studying, I can focus my attention better. But, I might just be a strange one :rolls eyes:]

 

[New Foundland]

Recommended reading:
Distracted by Maggie Jackson

she also did a podcast interview for Point of Inquiry talking about the book, if your attention span doesn't allow you to tackle a book

 

[Tator17]

I agree with making yourself go to bed at a reasonable hour. I've found that if I get my 7-8 hours of sleep, even if I get up early the next morning, I'm more productive.

Also, if I really need to get some work done, I relocate. A coffeeshop, a bookstore, the library, etc. At home, there's just too much (laundry, dishes, dog, cat) competing for my attention.

Finally, a good playlist works wonders. I'm a big fan of movie soundtracks (no words) to get me to focus.

 

[Trematode]

If you have not done this already, figure out what time you are most productive. I am NOT a morning person. I cannot get up early in study. Getting up at 6:30am to go to class for 8:30am would ruin my evenings. By the time I got home, I would be too tired to get any schoolwork done.

This semester, my classes start later. When I get home, I find I have more energy. This energy level increases if I go to the gym prior to going home. Now, when I sit down and do homework in the evenings, I have a hard time prying myself away from it and can easily work from 8pm to 1am in the morning. Before, I would be nodding off while doing my homework and I was constantly keeping an eye on the clock. If I did not adhere to my 11pm bedtime, I would feel like garbage the next day and definitely would not be able to get anything done the following evening.

I do not play video games. My distractions tend to be hanging out with friends, watching tv episodes online and reading for pleasure. I am still figuring out how to deal with those.

I should also mention that my body hates me. Even if I get 7-9 hours of sleep tonight, I HAVE to have a coffee in the morning or I will fall asleep during my classes. On two occasions last semester, I opted for a cappuchino made from powdered mix before class (I slept 8.5 hours the night before... I did not need caffeine!) I dozed off on both occasions. One of my classes was 2.5 hours long and we had a break, so I immediately went and bought myself a coffee. It has gotten to the point where I fear not having coffee in the morning. I have tried taking medication that makes me sleep deeper but I do not find myself any more rested or better able to concentrate when I get up the next day. I have a feeling I am going to struggle with vet school if I ever make it in. I am now wondering if jogging before an early class will help wake me up. That is one thing I have not tried yet.

 

[nordicat]

I should also mention that my body hates me. Even if I get 7-9 hours of sleep tonight, I HAVE to have a coffee in the morning or I will fall asleep during my classes. On two occasions last semester, I opted for a cappuchino made from powdered mix before class (I slept 8.5 hours the night before... I did not need caffeine!) I dozed off on both occasions. One of my classes was 2.5 hours long and we had a break, so I immediately went and bought myself a coffee. It has gotten to the point where I fear not having coffee in the morning. I have tried taking medication that makes me sleep deeper but I do not find myself any more rested or better able to concentrate when I get up the next day. I have a feeling I am going to struggle with vet school if I ever make it in. I am now wondering if jogging before an early class will help wake me up. That is one thing I have not tried yet.

Ugh, I have a similar issue with sleep and falling asleep in classes. I actually had a sleep study done because my doc thought I might have narcolepsy! Tests revealed that I don't, but I suffer from "idiopathic hypersomnia" (aka "you sure do sleep a lot, but we can't figure out why"). I have to take stimulant medication if I'm going to be sitting doing something non-active for a while. It's not an issue working at the clinic since I'm always doing something, but I know I'm going to have to start taking my meds again if/when I go to vet school. I guess it's better than falling asleep in class and having no idea what's going on!

 

[EllieGirl89]

You have inspired me to install the StayFocused app. Thanks dude.

*Cue Facebook withdrawal symptoms*

 

[breenie]

I think the key to being productive is knowing yourself well.

I know I can't study for 4 hours straight. I can really only "go hard" for about 3 hours with intermittent breaks and some Facebook. That's how I am, and I don't try to fight it, but instead just try to get more out of that time.

It'd be nice to cut everything out of my life and become a perfect studybot, but it won't happen and I wouldn't be happy, so I just try to plan around my quirks and abilities.

 

[that redhead]

So, anyhow... the purpose of this thread was to look for some additional productivity suggestions from you guys. Either: things you do that increase your utility, or things you have thought about doing, but haven't gotten around to yet.

The most important thing for me is to-do lists. If I make a to do list, I'm a million times more likely to actually do the things I need to do.

The unfortunate thing is that I've been less productive as a whole this semester (so far, at least) than last semester. For me, it's really, really difficult to come home after school and start studying when it's dark out. I know it sounds absurd, but my brain just does not want to do anything academic when it's dark out. So my strategy this semester has been to say eff it, and wait to do my studying on the weekends. I feel like I get more done and don't have to cram it in/force myself to pay attention.

Another strategy I've used in the past for general productivity is when I'm tired of studying, instead of hopping online and doing something useless, I'll take a break by doing something unrelated but still productive. Like washing dishes, making dinner, straightening up the house, walking the dog, etc.

I'll also give myself a certain amount of time to be worthless every day, because I think that's important too.

Strategies I'd like to work on implementing:
If I'm not studying on weeknights, I should do something else like cleaning on weeknights, which is normally reserved for weekends.
Study more overall.
Pack my bag/gym bag/stuff the night before, so I don't have to scramble in the mornings and forget stuff.

 

[Dsmoody23]

You have inspired me to install the StayFocused app. Thanks dude.

*Cue Facebook withdrawal symptoms*

It's definitely one improvement that I can suggest with no reservations.

Absolutely no part of your life will suffer if you only check facebook once or twice a day.

Beyond that, it's just completely gratuitous. I can't even quantify the amount of usable time I've wasted getting caught up in the completely trivial details of some relative strangers life. I like facebook, in general, because it keeps me in contact with distant friends who would otherwise probably disappear, but beyond that, it's just stupid.

The same probably applies to news, email and other internet stuff. It wouldn't affect my life at all if I just check email once per day, instead of refreshing it constantly.

 

[ARC99]

This is a great thread...good idea Dsmoody23! For what it's worth, here's how I "try" to stay productive...

I don't watch TV on week nights until I'm in bed. Interestingly, this has become a habit now and I don't even watch it during the day on the weekends either.

I only play video games if my bf is home (LOVE COD Zombies!!!)

I always have a "rolling" to-do list (laundry, read chapters, gym, vacuum, clean litter boxes, walk dogs, etc.). I get a sense of accomplishment when I get to cross something off a list. And yes, if I do something that's not on the list, I'll write it on there after the fact and cross it off!

I only check facebook a couple times each day

If I want to spend useless time online, I'll do jigsaw puzzles (http://www.crazy4jigsaws.com/) since it's kinda fun and it keeps your neurons kinda firing. Be careful though...it's free, but addicting!

That's about it...

 

[Trematode]

Ugh, I have a similar issue with sleep and falling asleep in classes. I actually had a sleep study done because my doc thought I might have narcolepsy! Tests revealed that I don't, but I suffer from "idiopathic hypersomnia" (aka "you sure do sleep a lot, but we can't figure out why"). I have to take stimulant medication if I'm going to be sitting doing something non-active for a while. It's not an issue working at the clinic since I'm always doing something, but I know I'm going to have to start taking my meds again if/when I go to vet school. I guess it's better than falling asleep in class and having no idea what's going on!

Interesting that I am not the only one. Perhaps I can bring it up to my doctor next time I am in and make sure it isn't anything major.

 

[Gimpyrks]

Wow what a great thread! I really have no ways to stay productive, but this semester I have already done more reading and work than I did in most of last semester (except around final times haha!) I feel proud.

I'm going to write a to-do list and not watch TV until I get at least 3 things done on the list, and then limit my time to 30 min to 1 hr and then back to the list. Lets see how long that lasts

I love fb, even though I have been trying not to be on it all the time and have really contemplated deleting it.

 

[Gimpyrks]

Oh me and my multiple posting haha!
I think I'm going to post my "to do" list here and then keep everyone updated. I think it would be cool if we got a lot of people to do that also, might help us to keep on track.

1. Fold laundry
2. Finish lesson 2 in math
3. Do biochem practice problems
4. Review companion animal notes
5. Review intro to animal science notes
6. Do Equine nutrition homework
7. Tidy up
8. Do dishes

 

[bbeventer]

I have taken up going to my office where it is warm (unlike my house) and quite. Also there are little to no distractions there (unlike the library). I find I can do a lot of work in a little bit of time there.

 

[twelvetigers]

Interesting that I am not the only one. Perhaps I can bring it up to my doctor next time I am in and make sure it isn't anything major.

Be careful, if you show up with too many more problems you might get hospitalized.

 

[Trematode]

Be careful, if you show up with too many more problems you might get hospitalized.

Not my fault they cannot figure out what is wrong with me!

 

[bbeventer]

Not my fault they cannot figure out what is wrong with me!

I think its the running trend in docs these days, they get paid the big bucks to say "I don't know."

 

[primatevetjess]

You have inspired me to install the StayFocused app. Thanks dude.

*Cue Facebook withdrawal symptoms*

Thanks for that, I have never heard of it! I installed it and the current icon is RED, counting down my time, haha.

Small Animal Medicine exam tomorrow... and now I'll be closing SDN to save up some of my StayFocused time wasting for later!

 

[Trematode]

I think its the running trend in docs these days, they get paid the big bucks to say "I don't know."

They actually tested me for a ton of random diseases before saying "I don't know". Now I am waiting to see a neurologist. . It could be worse. I could have one of the random diseases they tested me for (none of them were pretty!)

 

[ARC99]

You have inspired me to install the StayFocused app. Thanks dude.

*Cue Facebook withdrawal symptoms*

What is this app you speak of? I looked in the App Store (I have iPhone 4S) and can't find anything that doesn't look like a military app or a camera app.

 

[Tegan05]

This is the first I've heard of LeechBlock, but it's going on my computer right now!
I canceled my netflix last year because of wasting time. Now I spend all my extra time on the internet, but I'll be golden if I can stop screwing around online.

 

[primatevetjess]

What is this app you speak of? I looked in the App Store (I have iPhone 4S) and can't find anything that doesn't look like a military app or a camera app.

It's a Google Chrome app that blocks and limits your internet usage.

 

[abbercadaver]

I really like this thread. It makes me realize how much time I really do waste on the internet. StayFocused is now installed. I usually spend about an hour online in the mornings catching up on FB and SDN while waking up with my coffee, so I allowed myself an hour and a half total on those two sites daily. That means, really, I'm only spending 30 minutes effing off on the internet during the course of the day.

We don't watch much TV, but I am going to tell my husband that when he gets home from work, he can play his video games instead of us watching TV while I'm cooking dinner. Maybe that'll motivate me to do more homework/class reviews after dinner instead of TV and then directly bed. (I'm kindof an old fart. I'm in bed by 9pm most nights).

Dsmoody, way to go with threads making me feel inadequate. First the fitness one, now this? I'm going to have to start paying you to be my life coach.

 

[nuevaburra]

\
Dsmoody, way to go with threads making me feel inadequate. First the fitness one, now this? I'm going to have to start paying you to be my life coach.

Except I think that the apps mentioned above will block SDN, too, so then how would you get your suggestions for getting in shape and not wasting time on things like SDN?

On a side note, while we are naming awesome technology tools for getting stuff done, I'm going to plug "mint" for smartphones or mint.com as a personal finance tracker that is REALLY easy to use and actually helpful. It makes me super paranoid to give one site access to all of my passwords but it really helps me keep track of my money (or more accurately, my appalling lack thereof).

 

[PetPony]

Productivity: going to the gym and watching Netflix while you're there.

I decided if time allows it, I have to go to the gym if I want to watch my tv shows. I did it this morning. My goal is to bike 10 miles in a few weeks. While that's easy for a logic people, it's really hard for me who's been lazy for almost a year now. But. I went from three miles to seven in four days. Thank you, Netflix.

 

[kaydubs]

It makes me super paranoid to give one site access to all of my passwords but it really helps me keep track of my money (or more accurately, my appalling lack thereof).

Technology! where?? ......does anyone else find it minutely annoying that Googlechrome is messing witz my accounts? Then people ask, 'why'd you use google?'

 

[Dsmoody23]

Except I think that the apps mentioned above will block SDN, too, so then how would you get your suggestions for getting in shape and not wasting time on things like SDN?

On a side note, while we are naming awesome technology tools for getting stuff done, I'm going to plug "mint" for smartphones or mint.com as a personal finance tracker that is REALLY easy to use and actually helpful. It makes me super paranoid to give one site access to all of my passwords but it really helps me keep track of my money (or more accurately, my appalling lack thereof).

The one I'm using (Leechblock for Chrome,) lets you pick which sites you want to block and to what degree.

For instance, I gave myself ~5 minutes per hour on SDN (no rollover,) with open usage for whatever BS I want to look at on Sunday nights.

It's very easily customized, and doesn't block anything unless you indicate you want it blocked.

 

[happydance]

LeechBlock installed. Thanks for that tip.

Personally I have a hard time staying focused on school when I am reading a really good book. I get so absorbed in the book that I can't do anything else. A few months ago I found out that my local library allows you to borrow electronic audio books. You just have to install an add-on called Overdrive on your computer and on your iphone, ipad, tablet, android phone etc. Audiobooks are not as fun as real book but it means I am less tempted to waste time "listening" to a book. I have it on my phone and I listen when I am jogging at the gym, driving my car, doing laundry, cleaning...

 

[nuevaburra]

I love audiobooks! Makes commuting so much more enjoyable..

Now I just need a Firefox add-on that stops the cats from trying to sleep on my keyboard when I am writing.

 

[Trematode]

How come I feel like crap when I only get ~6.45 hours of rest?
I am up early to meet a group for a project, even though I think I am no longer in their group, but since they hate to check their emails, I have to try telling them in person I guess. I have an organic chem quiz this afternoon and I have to finish preparing for a chemistry lab (they want you to compare this "flow chart" before each lab, which is just the lab manual regurgitated. I do not understand the point). Let's see how productive I am between 8:30 and 1:00 . I wanted to go to the gym tonight, but I do not know if I can do that and stay awake long enough to get a powerpoint done for lab tomorrow. We shall see.

 

[Dsmoody23]

Now I just need a Firefox add-on that stops the cats from trying to sleep on my keyboard when I am writing.

Try Fire.

Or a real Fox.