I have been home for an hour already and none of the work that I had to do this afternoon is complete. See, I’m a teacher and it is report time. This means long hours spent, after school, sorting through marks and writing comments. I have literally just wasted an hour of time when I should have been working because I cannot get myself to knuckle down and actually work. Now although that is not helpful it has motivated me to write this post so it can’t be all bad.
Sometimes when you have mounds of work to do it is easy to just procrastinate and do something else instead. Here are some easy ways to keep your mind focused on the task at hand.
Don’t get too comfortable
If you have work to do and you lie on your bed and get too comfortable then chances are good that you’re going to fall asleep, or get too tired to do the work properly. Find a good medium between the two. For example, I am currently sitting on the couch with my legs crossed instead of lounging on it 😉
Give up your phone
Obviously I don’t mean literally and of course I don’t mean forever. Put your phone in another room and give yourself a goal. Once you’ve reached your goal you may go into the other room and reply to messages, etc. Also, give yourself a time limit for this…and be strict!
Have a buddy
Having someone else that will hold you accountable helps because if you fail to do what you need to do then you will have to answer to them as well. Perhaps when you’re finished with your section of work you can use your free time – your reward 😉 – to send them a message and update them, or see how far they are. However don’t expect a response right away…they might still be busy 😉
Make a to-do list
Having a list with everything that you need to do helps so much! This way you can see everything and keep adding or taking away as the need arises. I love doing this because I always do the smaller and quicker tasks first and leave the bigger ones for later. Now this might not work for everyone so find what works for you.
Set goals
This was briefly mentioned in a point above but it is so good it needs its own bullet. Set small and achievable goals for yourself. Once you have achieved the goal then reward yourself, with something small. For example, if you finish a chapter of your textbook then you can have another cup of tea – this motivated me so much! However, a 40 minute episode of your favourite show is not helpful! We all know that one episode is never just one episode 😉
These are just some of the ways that I life to stay focused and motivated. Do you do any of these? Do you have any other techniques that you would like to share? Let me know in the comments below!
Love,
Kirsty x
I always make lists and set goals find it helpful as a way of motivation☺️
Abbie ?
http://www.abbwhi.com
Lists are life 😉
This is the perfect post for me at the moment, I’m so uselessly unmotivated, eeeeek! My biggest problem is ‘don’t get too comfortable’ I literally laze about the moment I get home from work and all intentions of doing good go out the window, so easy to fall asleep!! Thanks for sharing <3
The minute I get comfortable I know I am in trouble! x
This is a really motivating post and what I needed to read this week. I have been slacking this week with work and this post has reminded me to get back into it! I definitely just get too comfortable after a day at uni when I need to come back home and work some more. Great read!
Lois x
http://www.lifeasloismay.wordpress.com
I am so glad! You can do it! You’ve got this! 🙂 x
These are really great tips! Especially the don’t get too comfortable, I know exactly what you mean. Once I come home from work and I know if I want to eat before 10 I should probably get a move on a cook but once I hit the bed, I’m ordering pizza hahhaa love this – Defo need a note to self!
Jessica | growchangeaccept.co.uk
The minute I get comfortable I know that I am pretty much done being productive haha!
Love this post, definitely have to bookmark as these tips will be a saviour when revising!
I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
I love setting goals and writing to-do lists there’s always a big sense of achievement when you’ve completed them
Tasha x
http://itsatashathing.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/march-2017-lush-giveaway.html
I completely agree with both of these x
great 5 point advice! I also always love the eat your Frog first principle. . I.e. Do the things you like the least first!
That’s what I do all the time! x
I find making lists so helpful to keep me motivated and productive! You’ve given some great tips!
I am glad I could help! x
I am glad that I could help! x
I’ve been struggling a lot with focusing recently so these tips will help me a lot thank you ?
I am so glad x
I should start giving up on my phone, but I just love Twitter so much! The buddy thing really works for me though. Especially if they’re working harder than I am. I get all competitive and want to work harder and better when my buddies are ahead of me 😛
x Envy
I know the feeling! I need to take my own advice and put my phone in a different room haha! I totally get the competitive thing as well! x
Nice tips! My phone and being in my bed are two things that make me lose focus all the time, they’re so hard to give up tho! Lol
haha oh I completely agree with the phone part!
I was so happy to read this! I do find my mind wandering quite a bit when I need to get stuff done, which is really bad if my focus levels are going haywire. Sometimes I get it in lectures, which is a big no-no. Will definitely be using some of these tips in the future!
– Chloe
chloetommo.co.uk
xoxo
I am glad I could help! During lectures is the worst! x
Thanks for all of these tips! I always work alone so never thought that asking someone for a helping hand would work… maybe next time I will try that out!
I am glad they could be helpful! x
Hi, great tips to do lists always work for me. I love crossing things of it once a task is completed. I should try putting the phone in another room as this is s big downfall for me, Chloe #TeacupClub
Lists are my lifesaver! Can’t live without them! x
I’m guilty of sometimes doing work in bed and for using my phone. Guess what I end up distracted or asleep!
These are good tips! I’ll definitely use these when I start my next essay x
I am glad they could help! I get distracted way too easily sometimes haha x
i really love the tips about giving up your phone and not getting too comfortable. I cannot count how many times i choose to do work on my bed and wake up the next morning in that position lolll
haha it’s such a simple thing but so hard to do!