…and have more free time!
I’m guessing you don’t want to spend all your waking hours working on school work, and your teachers don’t want you to either! Here’s a super simple technique that has helped me write 3 books.
Note: What some kids like to do is to invite a friend to do this in their own space at the same time. Then it’s like running a race – you are much more likely to complete it if your friend is running with you.
- Find the best spot to work where you won’t be interrupted. (Your bed is not the best spot, but if it’s the only place you have, go for it. I can explain more on that at another time.)
- Set up the resources you need:
Laptop__ School Notes __ Text books__ Pen__ Paper__ Phone and favourite studying playlist__ (yes, phone! You didn’t think I was going to say that, did you?)
- Do a quick check on what your teachers have assigned and make a short list on a piece of paper.
- Quickly number the list in order of importance. (The subject you need to improve the most might be a good place to start.)
- Find out exactly what you need to do for the first task and get that ready. (eg. Turn to page x and find the questions you are to do.)
- If you are in high school, set a timer for 25 minutes (if you are younger set it for a shorter length of time eg. 15 – 20 min.) and put your phone on the far side of the room. Before you leave it there put it on airplane mode. (I know it’s painful, but you will thank me in the end because you’ll have way more time for your friends once this is finished.)
- Start your playlist*, start the timer and work as quickly and effectively as you can without a single interruption until the timer goes off.
- Get up and move for 5 min. (run up and down the stairs a few times, stretch, get something to eat etc.)
- Check your work. Do you need to keep working on the first task, or is it time to jump over to another subject?
- Without looking at your phone (I know it’s not easy, but challenge yourself) set the timer for another 25 min. and work as fast and effectively as you can for another sprint.
- Take another 5 min. break and do #9 and #10 again. This is most likely the last sprint you will need to do because you have most likely achieved more in these three sprints than in 3 hrs of continuous work!
- If you are finished your work, go to #13 before closing up for the day. If you aren’t, take a longer break of 20-30 min before the next burst.
- SUPER IMPORTANT – Make a list of exactly where you need to start tomorrow, so you won’t have to waste any of your new-found free time!
This method is called the Pomodoro Technique and can give you hours of guilt-free free time! For more see: https://francescocirillo.com/pages/pomodoro-technique
What’s a pomodoro? A tomato in Italian. The man who created this method had a timer that was shaped like a tomato.
(Coming up in the next few weeks…How to work with your Inner Groundhog and How to Sprint Through, (and do well on), Your School Work! If you’d like these sent to your inbox, click the orange “Follow” blog button)
THRIVE 