Joi Walls

As the title suggests, I have the worst time management skills. Despite this, I still manage to get everything I need and want to get done completed. Do I inflict unnecessary stress on myself in the process? Yes, BUT I’m still a pretty high functioning degenerate. 

So here’s the truth: I, Joi Walls, am a serial procrastinator. For those of you who may not know what a serial procrastinator is, it is a person who refuses to complete any task or goal before they absolutely have to. It isn’t that the to-do list is particularly long or difficult, this person just can’t justify doing something today that could be done tomorrow. These people are extremely efficient when they actually get around to getting sh*t done, because, well, they have to be. It’s impressive to watch/experience, but it’s also equally as annoying whether you are an observer or the offender. Regardless of if you are this person or not, we could all benefit from better time management skills, so here are some tips and tricks that have gotten me all the way to professional school.

Get Rid of the Paper

If you’ve made it this far in my post, then you too lack basic organization skills but have an endless amount of important things to get done. This probably means that you lose track of loose papers easily and have no business relying on anything other than your notes app. Do yourself a favor and sync your notes on your phone to the notes on your computer and the same for your calendar. When you finally do get around to your work, all the info you may need is right there in your hand, not in a notebook that you forgot at school. 

Make Lists of the Imperative

On Sundays when I know my week is going to be crazy, I make a list of the things that NEED to get done. These lists consist of deadlines, tests, or actual adult things (like rent). Type the lists in your notes/calendar that we talked about above and now it’s with you wherever you go. I personally have a very selective memory that I don’t get to select, so having these little reminders with me is very important. After you have your list together, start doing the things and then delete them as you complete them. Seeing the list get smaller is sooooo rewarding and rewards are a great way to trick your brain into finishing things.

List Out Study Topics 

This is how I keep track of what I need to study and what I have studied already. For some people, they decide what gets studied when ahead of time and can stay organized that way, but that’s never worked for me. Instead, I list all of the lectures that are on each test and then, as I study the lecture, I note each date I studied. For me this takes away the pressure to get the studying done by a particular day and ensures that I don’t go through one lecture three times and completely forget another.  An example of my list is below.

Finish Lab Work DURING Lab

Disclaimer: this tip goes against everything I believe in, but it’s the best advice I give and actually follow myself.

I have no interest in being at school after hours. I have better things to do like chill on the couch, admire my plants, or call my mom to tell her I had chicken strips for lunch. Plenty of people treat lab like social hour and that’s fine, but for me, finishing my projects is paramount. 1 hour of lecture plus 4 hours in the lab is usually ample time to finish my projects, so that’s exactly what I do. The biggest advantage of getting this done is that once it’s signed off, that’s it (unless there’s a progress assessment over it). The other benefit of finishing your work in class is that you have faculty, residents, and your classmates for help. There’s nothing worse than sitting in the lab alone flipping through your powerpoint trying to figure out how tf to recreate the perfect little preps and restorations you see in lecture. The moral of this story is: get your sh*t done, so you never have to think about it ever again. 

Wake Up Early

A lot of people think I’m crazy for getting up between 5 and 6 each morning, but IT IS SO BENEFICIAL. My mind absorbs information better earlier, so I can study super efficiently. As someone who looks for reasons to postpone things, other people are my favorite excuse (ex. I need to call my sister, and cousin, and best friend and dogs and that’s why I can’t study right now). The vast majority of people don’t like getting up early and as a result, fewer people will be up to distract you in person and online. The final reason for rising before the sun is that you don’t have to worry about crowded roads, grocery stores, or Starbucks seating. Basically everything is better in the morning and if you have to try it yourself to truly understand. 

Hopefully, by the time you finish reading this, you’ll be well on the way to becoming a high functioning serial procrastinator. These are methods that have worked really well for me and maybe you need to tweak them to fit your life. Thanks for reading and comment below some of your favorite productivity tips.  

Peace and blessings,

Joi the DS