Organization and Time Management Part 6: Reward yourself!
By Chelsea Wicks & Kim England
Now that you have put all this time, energy, and effort into making your personal study plan and developing strategies to follow and stick to it, you’re ready to start studying, right?
Looking at your planner, to-do lists, and upcoming events, some of you may be feeling:
- Overwhelmed
- Already exhausted
- Stressed
- Ready to start! Tomorrow…
- Some combination of the things listed above
Believe it or not, that feeling is completely normal. You may have the most amazing plan in front of you, but the more you look at it, the more you realize how much work you will need to put in. That is why it is so important for you to get and stay motivated. Instead of giving in to these negative feelings, go back to your schedule and find a period of free time.
Schedule a break for as long as you want (it could be 20 minutes, it could be one hour). When you schedule your break, try and follow two simple rules:
- You cannot think about/do anything related to school work.
- You must reward You deserve it!
My reward is ramen! What’s yours?
What reward is it? That, of course, is up to you. Whether it’s going to watch a movie at the theater, taking a bike ride along the coast, going to eat your favorite food with friends, or simply laying down and listening to music, choose a reward that will relax and motivate you. It is important to remember that these rewards are supposed to motivate you, so make sure that you schedule them regularly. This will give you a goal to focus on and achieve each time you begin your studies again.
There are a few things you should remember about rewards.
“Rewards aren’t effective if you cheat.” Reward yourself after you complete a task that you set for yourself in advance.
Second, “rewards should not take away from your planning schedule; they should be added and done only after your initial plan is made” As mentioned in previous posts, planning around rewards would defeat their entire purpose and work against your success.
That being said, be proud of the progress and success you are achieving in your studies, being a student is hard. Congratulations on taking the initiative to develop and practice strategies to improve yourself and your studies.
