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Old Jun 21, 2014, 10:30 AM
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Perna Perna is offline
Pandita-in-training
 
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 27,289
Quote:
I also face quite a few obstacles to accomplishing these goals:
1. Laziness - Sometimes it can be hard to just get up and go do what I need to.
2. Distractions - I get distracted by various things (such as my phone, or I don't notice when I drift into daydreaming).
3. Spontaneous Events - Sometimes things come up and throw any scheduled plans out of line.
4. Want to "have fun" at the same time while being able to study.
Hi, Discipline, great, doable new habits. One thing I would do off the bat is reword them so they are all positive; in other words, instead of eating less junk food, word that so you are eating more fruits and vegetables? Then I would start in a practical way. For example, I eat an apple a day. Nothing fancy, just, I eat an apple. LOL. Something like that. I would deal with some of the obstacles with:

1. Check out how much sleep you need and get a bedtime routine going so it is not so hard getting up. I needed 9 hours sleep so deciding I wanted to get up after only 7 was not practical and frustrating. Go to bed the same time each night for 3-4 nights and wake up "naturally", see what your average is. You can't hope to have the same time waking if you don't go to bed the same time; if you get up really late you have to go to bed really late. If you need 8 hours sleep, for example, going to bed at 11:00 means you wake at 7:00 a.m., but going to bed at 2:00 a.m. means. . . If you do a varied bedtime you are going to get a varied wake time which will influence your bedtime which will influence your wake time, etc. You cannot be tired enough to sleep at 11:00 p.m. if you did not get up in the morning until Noon

2. Turn your phone off and put it away. Put away distractions or go somewhere else (dining room table) to study. When I am having trouble with my work I go to the library for several hours, just as if I were going to a workplace. Moving around can help you become more organized, you will have to have a "kit" to take with you of what you need/want to work with? You control what you do and where you do it and can use your imagination to fantasize about what you are working on and where it will get you just as well as something wholly unlikely. If you want to take a break from your studies, do web surfing on schools or places to work or job opportunities or something related to your studies. I have a hard time reading textbooks but do well reading/Googling subjects and questions I have online and I learn the "same" stuff, perhaps better because I'm more interested and it is me-directed.

3. Yes, sometimes things happen. Decide what you will allow to change your schedule and build in time and Plan B if they happen. Create a notebook or alternate texts to read/write in while travelling or doing any sort of waiting. Maybe create flashcards or topics of conversation you can see if you can interest others talking about or asking questions in your favorite subject. Most of all, don't feel guilty for occasionally opting out and doing something else, just control it. Allow yourself breaks and time away. When you mess up, write it up in a work journal and see what you can learn from it, why you "had to" get away and see if you can fix that problem. Join or create a study group for subjects you don't enjoy/get/make you anxious, get help/a tutor.

4. Figure out where the "fun" is in each of your subjects. If you cared about this subject, why would you? Use what you are good at, your imagination, to help with what you are bored with. I had to rewrite a paper for a 3rd or 4th time so spent a whole weekend writing it in verse! I read each paragraph of my chapter and translated the concept/thought into a stanza/half a stanza of a prose poem. Did well on the exam because the concepts became "mine". Talk to your math problems, argue with them, make them come alive and tell you their secrets :-)
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Thanks for this!
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