Do you keep a commonplace book? It’s not entirely a journal or a scrapbook – it’s more a carefully curated notebook compiled of texts copied from anywhere and everywhere. It can contain anything as long as it affects the compiler. I’ve had this one since I was 16, it is reserved for my most favourite lines from poems, books, songs, films, etc.
I really really wish I was a cat, I’m not built for this capatalist society but I am built for sleeping 19 hours a day and knocking things over
“I’m not everything I want to be, but I’m more than I was, and I’m still learning.”
— Charlotte Eriksson, Everything Changed When I Forgave Myself
Because it comes up a lot for all of us trying to manage schedules that slam more than 24 hours of work into a day, I thought I would make one giant productivity post for everyone to help us all out (including myself).
10 steps to GET MORE SHIT DONE in a day
JUST START—I think most of us find that sometimes the hardest part to starting a task is overcoming the “ugh—fuck this shit, I don’t want to do this” feeling. So, trick yourself into it. Instead of saying you’re going to work for 8 hours, tell yourself you’ll do an hour… and watch that hour turn into 2 or 3 or 4 magically.
Action fights anxiety—If you’re terrified of a project hanging over your head, just start it!! Instead of waiting till tomorrow or next week when things might be right, just start right now! Do something to help yourself feel better about it. You’ll feel better getting through the rest of your day if you don’t have the fear. If you wake up at 2 am panicked you haven’t replied to an email, get up and do it now so you can go back to sleep in peace!
Make a list—Never underestimate the power of writing it down and crossing it off.
Take care of yourself—It’s hard to work when you’re tired or hungry or haven’t worked out, etc. So, prioritize—make yourself #1! You’re fucking worth it. So work out, eat breakfast, sleep 6 or 8 or 9 hours (whatever you need). Do whatever it takes to make yourself feel ready to take on the day.
Stay organized—I have a slightly OCD-type personality. If the desk is a mess, it’s hard for me to do my work. So put things back where they belong, take the time to keep things tidy so you can do your best work.
Don’t multitask—We all think we’re good at this—but the truth is we’re shit. We’re complete and utter shit at multitasking. Do one thing very well instead of four things poorly.
Shut off—Turning away from the work for just a minute can really decrease your productivity. Unless you are actively waiting on a text to hear the test results from your mother’s biopsy or an emergency call from your best friend that your house is burning down almost anything else can wait another hour until you finish your task. Even an email from your boss can probably wait another 10 minutes for you to finish what you’re working on.
Be competitive—Be a better you than you were yesterday. Do more. Show yesterday-you that they’re a lazy bitch and you can do better!
Refocus—here’s a list of how to do it in 3 minutes or less.
Give a fuck!!—If you actually care about what you’re doing, you’ll be more motivated to do it!
10 very specific ways to get more shit done
Work when you work best—This rule that people work better in the morning is bullshit. Some people work best from 5 am to 7 am, but some of us do our best work from 1 pm to 3 pm or 10 pm to midnight. Work when you do your best work and get things done—whenever that is!!
Localize—Put it all in one place. Stop moving between eight study resources or you’ll fail to focus on one thing well—instead condense all your study materials into one place and then focus on that ONE thing.
Multi-task on the stuff that doesn’t matter—It takes no brain power to clean a counter, so when you have to clean your apartment you can also return the phone calls you’ve put off. When you have to stand in line for coffee you can also answer emails, while your lunch is heating in the microwave you can put away the dishes in the dish washer. Get more done in the spaces between.
Be contrary—Who says you have to buy groceries on the busiest shopping day? Go at a weird time when other people won’t be there and you can get in and out faster. Don’t waste your time waiting in line just because that’s when everyone else does something. Do things when you can do it fastest!! Hit the post office at 3 pm when everyone else is at work, go to the gym late in the evening after the post-work rush is over. Do it when you can get it done fast!
Buy the right shit—Go ahead and buy the best tool for the task. If you don’t set yourself up right, you’ll just spend more time fighting for things to work than actually working!!
In arm’s reach or screw it—When you sit down to work, get all the things you need ready to go so you don’t have to keep getting up for more paper or some water. If it’s not within arm’s reach, move it or screw it!
Bribe yourself—Never underestimate the power of a piece of chocolate, or a night out at the end of the week, or an online shopping spree for that shirt you’ve wanted.
Turn it up (or turn it down)—If you hate the quiet play music, but if the sound is too distracting shut it the fuck off. Work in a space that works for you.
Deep end—welcome to it--Do the hard stuff first. You’ll lose energy as the day goes on, so leave the easy things for when you’re tired and don’t need as much will power.
One touch—You’ve probably heard this one before, but here’s my irreverent version of it. Pick it up—don’t put it the fuck down until you’re done. If you get an email from your professor saying you all have to complete a required form, do the fucking form now and email it back immediately. Why spend more time later having to look at that damn email again? If you realize you’re out of paper towels, check your level of tin foil and tissues while you’re at it so you can go to the store one time. Do it once, do it right, don’t fuck around.
Oh, and don’t forget to give yourself a break when you need it. Not every day can be a day where everything gets done. :)
Just vacated beds are sometimes comforting or pleasing to look at.
avousmorne
Know what you want to achieve soon and in the future. This helps you know where to go and stay motivated.
Do the most important things first to save time and energy.
Have a daily plan that includes work, rest, exercise, and learning.
Make big tasks smaller so they're not scary, and you can see progress.
Use methods like the Pomodoro Technique (working for a while, then resting) or blocking time to get more done.
Notice when you're avoiding work and make yourself start.
Control yourself from getting distracted or doing things just for fun.
Say no politely when you can't do more things without getting stressed.
Stay healthy by eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough.
Keep learning by reading, taking classes, or trying new things.
Check how you're doing with your goals and change plans if needed.
Tell a friend or mentor your goals so they can help you stay on track.
Keep your spaces tidy to help you focus better.
Learning discipline takes time, and it's okay if things don't go perfectly.
Think good thoughts about yourself instead of bad ones.
Imagine doing well to get motivated.
Mistakes are chances to learn, not reasons to give up.
Be happy about even small successes to stay positive.
Listen to advice from others to get better.
Be ready to change your plans but keep your main goals.
Try mindfulness to concentrate, be calm, and know yourself better.
Write about your progress and plans in a journal.
Turn off things like social media when you work or study.
Think about things you're thankful for to stay happy.
Do quick tasks right away instead of waiting.
Spend time with people who help you and make you want to be better.
Let others do tasks that you don't need to do, so you can focus.
Get better at handling problems without giving up.
Picture doing well to stay motivated.
Drink water to think clearly and stay healthy.
Have a special place to work or study to help you focus.
Wait for bigger rewards instead of quick ones.
Keep things simple, both around you and in your mind, so you can concentrate.
Listen to advice without feeling bad about yourself.
Use apps and tools to manage your tasks and time.
Reading helps you learn and think better.
Decide what's good enough for you and stick to it.
Believe you can get smarter and better with practice.
Do creative things to stay imaginative and interested.
Listen carefully to others to be better at talking and understanding.
9/4/21 | 96/103 Days of Productivity
This is going to be a busy month.
I keep getting ser and estar mixed up 😭
hello amigo!
actually this is easy. just like english, you can use the verb “to be” to refer to different meaning to address essential qualities/characteristics or conditions.
The apple is green. (Condition: Meaning the apple is not ripe.)
The apple is green. (Essential: Meaning the color of the apple is green.)
in spanish we have the same but with we differentiate the meaning with two verbs: ser and estar.
Ser is used to address an essential quality while Estar is used to address a condition.
La banana está verde: The banana is green. (condition). Meaning that the fruit is unripe.
La banana es verde: The banana is green. (essence). Meaning the fruit color is green.
So what you can gather from that example is that Ser is used to talk about what something is and Estar is used to talk about how something is. Something that maybe you’ll see on the internet or in books is that Ser is for permanent things/subjects and Estar is for temporary things/subjects but i want you to forget that or ignore it since there can be a lot of different situations where that doesn’t apply so it doesn’t truly apply to the verbs.
Mi amigo es malo en clases
(My friend is bad in classes). You see i use the verb “ser” but that doesn’t mean that the boy will be permanently bad in class, he can improve in the future so the “rule” doesn’t apply, and there are tons of other examples with that similarity.
what you can do is use these acronyms:
SER = DOCTOR (Description, Occupation, Characteristics, Time, Origin, Relationship)
ESTAR = PLACE (Position, Location, Action, Condition, Emotion)
but before i give you some examples of like you to know that these two verbs are irregular which means that they change depending on the person and time that they are used. So check the Dictionary from the Real Academia Española (RAE), verb “ser”; verb “estar”.
there are some exclusive situations where only applies to each verb separately.
Ser Exclusives:
Name: Mi nombre es Oskar (My name is Oskar) - Description
Origin/Nationality: Soy de El Salvador (I’m from El Salvador) - Origin
Profession/Activity: Yo soy estudiante (I am an student) - Occupation
Religion/Lack of belief: Ella es cristiana (She is christian) - Characteristic
Identity: Ella es la hija de mi hermana (She is my sister’s daughter) - Relationship
Time: Son las tres de la tarde (It is three in the afternoon) - Time
Descriptions: Su cabello es de color naranja (Her hair color is orange) - Description/Characteristic
Price: Son cuatro dolares y tres centavos (It is four dollars and three cents)
You can also know when to use “Ser” when the noun follows the verb; also to tell where something is from; or simply tell where an event is taking place
Estar Exclusives:
Location (not events): El celular está en la mesa (The cellphone is on the table) - Location/Position
“Be present/be ready”: ¿Cuándo estará la comida? (When will the food be [ready]?) - Condition
Estar + progressive tense: Mi hermano está cocinando la cena (My brother is cooking the dinner) - Action
Physical/Emotional state: Estoy triste (I am sad) - Emotion
To express agreement or disagreement: Estoy de acuerdo con el profesor (I agree with the teacher) - Condition
Estar is used to tell where something is located right now.
Also there are times where you can use both verbs but it all depends on the meaning, the mostly applies when the verb is follow by an adjective since the can help change the meaning from an essential quality to a condition.
La maestra está aburrida. (Emotion): The teacher is bored.
La maestra es aburrida. (Description): The teacher is boring.
Everything depends on the meaning behind your intentions. I hope this helps with your question, and see that is actually easy at the end. Have a great day!!