Your Calendar as a GPS
A lot of my students don’t want to plan or calendar out their week. You have a lot of resistance to it. You think that you have more freedom when you can be spontaneous. You feel constrained when you have too much structure.
I want to offer a new way of thinking about calendaring/planning.
If you drive, you probably use your GPS. Putting the address gives you exact turn-by-turn directions to get to your destination. You get there so much faster than if you went by memory or pulled out an old school map.
It's the same with calendaring. You get more things done and more free time just by plopping in what you will be doing. Planning ahead of time allows you to know exactly what you are doing on a daily basis. It eliminates all the confusion, scrolling, and time wasting. You know exactly what chapter you are reading, what research paper you are writing, what class you are studying for, and what study session you will attend. As a result, you get more free time for yourself.
Everyone is different, and it doesn't matter what system you use, paper or digital. You just have to use something!
Here are my suggestions for two types of students.
If you are type A (like me), this is for you.
Make a to-do list - Once a week (Sunday/Monday) write down all the things that you want to get done for the week. Write down everything, school and personal. Maybe it's to do flashcards for human bio, email professors about exam questions, do laundry, buy birthday present for mom, wash car. Write it all down. You want it out of your brain and on to paper. When it's all in your head, it takes up brain space and your brain is working extra hard to make sure you remember the small details. I want your brain to focus on learning and not trying to remember small details.
Cross things off - Start crossing off things that you don’t need to do. Maybe you buy your mom’s present next week, or you wash your car next week. Decide what things you will prioritize, and which ones you will do next week.
Add it to your calendar - Start plopping in when you will do the flashcards, when you will email your professor, when you will do the study sessions.
Now you have a roadmap for the week.
If this sounds too overwhelming, and you are a go with the flow person, no problem. I have something for you too! Instead of planning out your week, you’re going to plan out daily.
To-do list - the night before look at what you have coming up the next day and make a do list.
Daily Calendar - open your calendar or grab a piece of paper. Make sure you have the hours, 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 10, am 11 am, 12 pm etc…
Assign tasks - Start adding what you will get done the next day.
Whether you like to do this on a weekly basis or a daily basis, now you have turn by turn directions for getting it all done.