productivity

UniversityBlog – Best of October Posts

It’s a new month and it’s time to recap some of the big posts and popular articles.  Time seems to have passed by so quickly!  Well, here are the top 5 highlights:

1. Getting the initial work out of the way, every time – Getting a project off the ground may well be all it takes to succeed in a big way.  I wrote the piece because this way of working has been beneficial to me for many years.  It’s one well worth remembering.

2. Finding Your Personal Lifeskills (Or…”With Others You Can Do-It-Yourself!”) – No matter how much advice is thrown at you, it can only work if you make positive use of it and form it for your own wants and needs.  Expecting something to happen without any of your own input is unrealistic.  This article explains how you can reach a mindset that will allow you to make the most of the advice that comes your way.

3. Redefining Your Comfort Zone: 5 ways to make information your friend – Information has many forms and we take some in our stride, while other forms of information leave us cold.  By redefining your comfort zone, it’s possible to consume a lot more information that you realise.  Go to it!

4. Help for the Hopelessly Homesick – It’s still pretty early in the academic year, especially for Freshers.  There may still be some mixed feelings about moving away from home.  I wrote this after hearing from a number of homesick students and reading various stories on the fantastic site The Student Room.  I think it’s been the most popular post since UniversityBlog began.  There’s no harm in that and I hope it’s been of great use to you.

5. Turning Smalltalk into Bigtalk: 7 ways to find things to talk about – Sometimes it’s difficult to get a conversation going.  I’ve been there before.  You don’t know about a person, so you’re unsure how to find the words to say.  Or you’re with a group of people you’ve never met and want to hit it off with them, but can’t imagine what witty words will impress them.  The 7 tips I mention in this post have helped me to get a conversation up and running on many occasions.

What is ‘Personal Development’?

Today, I have a single EduLink to share with you. An EduLink of great interest and one to get you thinking. Maybe even one that you’ll want to participate in:

Personal Development Blog – Group Writing Project: What Is Personal Development?

Personal Development Blog (which is great, so read it, nuff said) has been taking submissions of posts regarding that question. So I decided – since UniversityBlog is all about Higher Education and personal development within – I’d give this question the once over. Here’s my take:

Runners (photo by richermcm)

Personal Development Is…Appreciating the bigger picture
People often get bogged down with little annoyances that take up far too much time and get in the way of our thoughts. Before you know it, minutes, hours, days, weeks go by and you realise that you didn’t achieve much in that time. To make matters worse, you end up looking at people around you and think how many wonderful things they have achieved in that time, while you were in a fluster. 9 times out of 10, what’s the reaction? Usually it’s to get even more annoyed or depressed with yourself.

But the world is a big place. Don’t be fooled that it’s not. Sure, we can travel in a matter of hours from one side of the world to the other. Of course, we can now easily access more information than we had ever imagined possible just a few years ago. We can pick up a tiny mobile phone and use it pretty much wherever we want and call somebody up, wherever they are. The population of the world is increasing, but our natural resources are shrinking. It’s like a mass claustrophobic panic.

So you may well think the world is shrinking. But I would argue back that the world – and the number of possibilities – is expanding.

Because there is so much going on around us, it can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s best to begin your personal development by taking in the bigger picture. If you can research and understand the central concepts of something before you do anything else, you will have a much better focus for the nitty gritty at a later stage.

So rather than watch the world in fear, or feel discomfort that there’s too much to cope with, your personal development can be achieved by appreciating the bigger picture.

Personal Development Is…Taking control of what matters
Lifehacks are popular among many people. Chances are that if you’re reading this, you’ve heard of lifehacks. If not, a ‘lifehack’ is a way or a technique to make a task easier or improve your productivity and understanding. It’s like a move toward continuing personal development.

I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it many more times…if you’re enthusiastic about something and truly value it (no matter what it is), then you can take control of it and, in turn, develop your understanding and enhance your experiences.

If you find no spark and perhaps don’t even try to engage with what’s there, your personal development will not be able to shine. Enthusiasm equals productivity.

Personal Development Is…Understanding the joy of contradiction
We’re a diverse bunch. One person’s love is another person’s hate. In the same way, one person’s development is another person’s setback.

Because we all work in different ways, we have alternative methods of learning and expanding our horizons. This is why development is a personal thing. If we all worked off the same rule sheet, personal development wouldn’t be such an important pointer to our progress.

To discover new talents, it may only be possible if you are willing to discard what you think you know. When people say things like, “I’m set in my ways” and “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, it’s limiting and more of an excuse than anything else. So we must all be prepared to go as far as contradicting ourselves. Get rid of any pride and stubbornness and be prepared for anything. Then you’re on the road to personal development.

Personal Development Is…A positive attitude toward your life and well-being
Mental health is just as important as looking after your body. It has long been said that if the elderly maintain an active mind, they are more likely to be rewarded in keeping a positive mental state and continue to enjoy their life to the max.

I believe this is true, no matter how old you are. To grow in mental stature, a positive outlook on personal development is needed. If you want something, you’re already in a better position to get it.

This is not about selfish demands. It’s simply acknowledging a need for continued action and a willingness to do all that you can in both finding goals and then working powerfully toward them.

Personal Development Is…Questioning, Answering, Debating, Engaging
‘Balance’ is a keyword regarding personal development. We are not always right in what we say and we sometimes have a struggle to help someone out when they are wrong. There’s a lot of scope for disaster if we’re not ‘on the ball’ at all times.

That is why it’s good to do the following:

  • question things;
  • answer other people’s questions when they need help;
  • debate an issue that doesn’t have a clear answer, or hear other people’s opinions if an agreement is not easily made;
  • engage in the issues and involve yourself in what’s going on.

An active interest and a balanced viewpoint can go a long way, even if you have a biased or strong opinion on something that doesn’t have a strict answer.

Personal Development Is…Here to stay…
…because even the smallest advance in your learning and experience is satisfying. We’re not going to grow tired of finding something to put a smile on our face and a bit more confidence in what we do!

Learn to want it

If you’re reading this, you’re probably in the midst of study, or you’re preparing yourself for that time of studying. Either way, you’ve done well to get here.

That’s not me being arrogant about the quality of this site. It’s me acknowledging your aims to succeed and find effective ways of making your time at uni work for you.

But when it comes to all these academic productivity sites and get smart quick tips, you have to be in a position to really want to do your best. There are certainly a lot of quick fixes and means for improvement that we were not all aware of, but it comes to nothing if you aren’t willing to put in the work, time and effort yourself.

It’s not always what we want to hear. Sometimes you want that instant hit of success. You want reward for not trying. It isn’t always fun to slog your guts out to get somewhere. Wouldn’t it be so much better if the treasures were handed out to us on a plate? Isn’t there a way around the side of this mental assault course, so we don’t have to crawl through all the broken glass and mud?

The answer is – perhaps annoyingly – ‘Yes’ AND ‘No’.

Yes, we can achieve a lot more if we learn new techniques and time-saving skills. No, we cannot do it based on the theory behind those techniques alone. The best way to achieve a desired result is to crave it and be able to visualise the end of your efforts with a triumphant conclusion. You have to learn to want it.

Silhouette Series 4 (photo by CathyK)

Even when you don’t want to do a particular job, there’s nothing better than breaking through that barrier and seeing the reward at the end of the road. The tasks can be stinkers, but the return is worth it in the end.

I’ve seen friends procrastinate their way to nowhere. Others have despaired at the amount of work required to claim the end prize and given up half way. No number of tips would have helped their cause, because the belief wasn’t firmly installed in their mind.

But there are other friends who have taken a balanced view of what was needed, then wanted it, worked toward it, and thoroughly enjoyed it as a consequence.

The helpful hints that grace many blogs and websites, as well as books and magazines, are priceless if you put them into good use and use them with as much conviction and positivity as you can muster. But without your own confident push forward, the benefits will be many times harder to uncover.

Here’s just a few of the ways in which you can move toward truly wanting something:

  • BREAK THE TASKS DOWN INTO SMALLER PIECES – If you start a to-do list by writing down “Complete my degree” on a piece of paper, it’s not going to help much. In fact, it’s not a feasible request. The degree consists of essays, exams and presentations. They, in turn, consist of research, reading, writing, lectures, and so on. If any task feels too big and draining, deconstruct it until you have a clearer picture of what is needed.
  • VISUALISE THE END SUCCESS…WHERE DOES IT PUT YOU? WHAT CAN YOU ACHIEVE NOW THAT YOU COULDN’T BEFORE? – Focus on a good result and imagine all the benefits from it. Whether it’s to win a coveted essay prize, finish that exam with the highest grade, or even just to get through to the next stage of a module, perhaps, just think how much better it will be at the other side. A boost or a realisation like this is needed by even the strongest of people. A good salesman sees the riches after the success, he doesn’t dwell on how badly it might go. So if you really can’t muster up any positivity in what you’re doing, no matter how hard you try, it might be time to seriously question your motives and what you want to succeed in. Even finding that out could help swing you into action.
  • GET INVOLVED AT ALL TIMES – Enthusiasm is a funny thing. Allow a particular feeling to wash over you and your perception can change in a flash. If you’re standing on the sidelines, watching the action that you’re not taking an active part in, make a way in and start playing along. Even if it feels a bit forced in the first instance, you’ll be surprised how quickly you can get used to some things and you may not recognise yourself after such a turnaround. It’s possible to teach yourself to want stuff even if you didn’t think you wanted it in the first place!
  • SET TARGETS – Works for some people, doesn’t for others. If you’re target driven, there’s nothing better than having a specific goal laid out in front of you, ready to achieve. This isn’t one of those silly 110% mantras and it’s not trying to win against all odds. It’s just getting to a reason for wanting that prize at the end. The satisfaction of reaching a target is sometimes what it takes. If it works for you, reach for the skies.

—

So you’ve got a few steps:

First, take this advice on board and you can do so much.
Second, the productivity advice will be even easier to absorb.
Third, and finally, you will enjoy it more precisely because you want it.

Single curve (photo by lusi)

What’s the M Matter – Part 2

Following on from yesterday’s offering, here are five more ‘M‘ things that matter for students. And all because the word ‘matter’ begins with the letter M. Crazy, eh? Anyway, here we go:

Students (photo by gokoroko)

MANAGEMENT MATTERS
You are your own boss. Nobody can take that away from you unless you let them.

Productivity is only possible if you manage what you’re doing. So here’s how to briefly manage any aspect of your life (include your life as a whole, if you like!):

  • Make a plan
  • Edit/Revise the plan if any changes arise (if you can’t fit things in or get it to work, you need to cancel something out, even if you really want it)
  • Keep reviewing the plan (if you don’t keep on top of a plan once you’ve written it, why on earth did you write it in the first place!?)
  • Stick to the plan

This is very basic, but it works this way. If you know HOW to implement this, you can’t go wrong.

MIND/MEMORY MATTERS
I’m not about to give you loads of special ways to remember stuff. Neither am I going to explain how to study effectively.

All I want to say here is that you needn’t give yourself too much work. It’s best to work smarter, not harder.

This is explained well in detail at Gearfire Student Productivity. So I’ll shut up with this and let you check that link out instead!

MODERATION MATTERS
Obession and addiction are just around the corner. It doesn’t matter what the subject is; if you are going overboard with something, you risk losing focus on what’s REALLY important.

The word ‘moderation’ is used for alcoholic reasons a lot of the time. “Enjoy your drinking in moderation”, is the kind of thing you see placed at the bottom of an advert for vodka, or a poster for a drinks promotion in a pub.

But it’s wise to do ANYTHING in moderation. Most things are fine on the odd occasion, but are best left in with the mix of things, rather than taking up too much time. The important word to note here is BALANCE.

Get your balance right in day-to-day business and you’ll benefit from a much better day. Everything from your leisure time right through to your study time will pack a bigger punch if you do each thing in moderation.

MOOD MATTERS
Over the years, we have become freer to choose our own mood without caring what others think. There are fewer social repercussions then ever. So if we want to have a stinking mood, who’s to stop us?

But this is rather missing the point. Now we can act however we want, we stop trying to improve our mood. If anything, the mood is allowed to magnify and cause even more problems.

Ultimately, the person who benefits least from this is you. What a surprise…

When you next find yourself in a bad mood, there’s obviously nothing worse than bottling it up. But once you’ve let off some steam in whatever way you wish, it’s then time to take your mood in a different direction. No use dwelling on it, you’re better off dealing with it.

Now then…this isn’t a cue to eat handfuls of chocolate or find someone to punch. It is a good cue to do something like this:

  • Clean around your room
  • Move to a different environment (if you’re at home, go for a walk; if you’re on campus, go into town and take in the vast number of people around you; if you’re in a large group, go and find a peaceful place to gather your thoughts)
  • Change your clothes just to get a different feel for the day

These are just examples. Anything that changes the situation should help. It doesn’t really matter what you do, so long as it’s not a quick fix of eating badly or damaging something. You’ll either cause some other problem or be on a real downer later.

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
We all like to belong. From a single close friendship, to a subscriber of a worldwide phenomenon, it’s always great to feel like a valued member.

All too often, the focus on membership is sometimes left to one side. If a particular relationship breaks down or you’re not picked for a team, that immediate membership appears broken. It’s at this point that reality melts away, leaving your focus unnaturally on that single issue alone.

To give yourself a boost, always remember your solid memberships elsewhere. When one thing collapses, it rarely takes everything else with it. No matter how difficult a break is, we can get up and put the matter behind us.

Yes, getting over a knock is easier said than done, but you belong to your own special club and you owe it to yourself to make the most of it. And more importantly…to stay a member in the club. Look around you, take in the view, and with a little bit of personal positivity go out there and conquer the world, no matter what’s just happened!

on green1 (photo by gozdeo)