Productivity Plan

PRODUCTIVITY PLANS:

Do you have a productivity plan? If you want to be successful on an AP Test, you’ll need to learn to manage your time. Most people use the Guilt/Procrastination productivity plan. Guilt motivates you to do something when you’re lazy, and procrastination lets you relax when you want a break. Problem is that this is not the most efficient way to accomplish things and besides, it just makes you feel bad about yourself!

For 30 days, try to stick to a productivity plan that will allow you to reduce stress & procrastination, balance your workloads, and let you enjoy time off guilt-free.

Here is a simple way to increase productivity. It’ll take self-discipline to stick to it, but try it out for thirty days and see if it helps you out. Adapt it to your own needs.

1. Create a Weekly To-Do/Goal list. List all the assignments you have to do for the upcoming week and anything else you’d like to do. Try to keep the list to about 20-25 items. Try to condense tasks into 1 item, such as “morning routine” which might include chores, exercise, etc. You could list your routines on page that is posted on your wall in case you forget. You will also want to have a calendar to mark anything that is time-sensitive. After you have created this list, go over it with a parent in a weekly meeting. Your parent can help you see if you’ve overlooked anything.

2. Each night, create a Daily To-Do list. List all the things you want to accomplish the next day, using your Weekly To-do list and calendar. Try to keep this list to 5-10 items.

3. Each day, look at your Daily to-do list. Work from that list. When you have finished everything on the list, you are done for the day. Bring your list with you and check off items as you finish them. You can also set a time limit to be done by. For example, if your time limit is 6pm, you are done by 6pm, even if you haven’t finished everything. Avoid changing tasks or adding new ones to your list, you are trying to avoid an “infinite to-do list” and go for accomplishment. This system creates guilt-free time for rest, and helps prevent burnout.

4. Eliminate distractions. Look at how you spend your time. Do you have enough time to study? Are you spending too much time on the internet? Video games? Goofing around? Talking on the phone? Getting distracted? Extracurricular activities? Identify what distracts you, and make a plan for reducing distractions.

5. Make efficient use of your time - We all have a limited amount of time, so learn to structure it. You can create a time map where you block out your time, listing when you have classes and when you have study time. For example, if you have a class from 9-10am on Mondays, you could block out 10-12 for study time. Another way to manage time is to timebox. Whenever you have an hour, you work for 1 hour on your list and then you get to take a 10 minute break. Each week you should also schedule 1 day off from studying. Usually this is Sunday. If you schedule the day off and are efficient with your time the rest of the week, you can take the day off guilt-free. The last tip is to do like-tasks together. It is more efficient to make 5 phone calls at the same time. It is more efficient to write an entire essay all at once rather than working on it 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there.

Supplies You Will Need:
*Something to write on - something you will not lose. A clipboard is handy to keep your list on (half size or full size), A planner, a notebook, or just write your list on an index card and keep it in your pocket.
*Something to write with - any kind
*Calendar - hang it on the wall by your study area

A good productivity plan is something you’ll use for the rest of your life. It’s well worth trying to create a system that will work for you now!