This is the first article under the 3 part series of Taking Control Of Your Life. To view the other articles under this is series head here!
Ever had that weird feeling when you’re sitting (or peeing) and suddenly it’s like you’re losing everything? (I mean, ok, you’re losing your pee, lol). Everything just becomes too much, and you either prepare to cry, (bonus points if you curl up in a fetal position, ‘cause on the toilet seat that’s practically gymnastics) or grab a bag of popcorn, your midnight bathroom snack, not caring that you’re going bonkers (I respect that, you da hood). Except for the buttered popcorn, nothing about it is fun, yet it’s happened to every single one of us.
To cut short this intro, here’s how NOT to lose your shit. It’s time to take complete ownership of your life (someone cue the dramatic music, I don’t have a stereo. #BROKE-AF).
Someone amazing once said “your brain is your most valuable tool.” That’s true. Once you learn how to control your mind, you will start to see that we, being the dumb idiots that we are, over-complicate the simplest of things. You’re not losing your shit (but finish that popcorn anyway). Your mind just convinced you that you are. My wise friend once said that it’s either you directing your mind or it’s the other way around. Show your mind who’s boss and conquer it. Here’s how:
Don’t make excuses. Not only does it piss off Miss Honey and your dog (your dog has better things to eat, my dude), but it robs you of the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. As I always say, life is not a report card. It’s never perfect, and it’s the little flaws that push you to aim higher. In the end, life is just growth as a human being (or as a basic hoe, like me). Here’s an example of taking full responsibility for your actions:
Action: You didn’t submit your essay on time.
Normal response: “I didn’t know about the essay.”
“My dog ate up my entire computer.”
“I was saving the world from zombies.”
Conqueror talk: “I didn’t get in my essay, for that no excuse is valid. I have learned from this and you can expect better next time.”
Miss Honey will be pleased.
I’m a firm believer that emotions hinder productivity. Now, don’t get me wrong, emotions are great. There are many things to shed tears on. Tris from Divergent died. Trump became President. You just got friend-zoned. It’s great to have emotions in cases like these. But when it comes down to getting work done, it’s better to have a firm control over them.
Imagine finishing that crappy essay 3 mins before your deadline when Sophia from book club comes up all like “Did you hear what Archie just said to me? He’s such a jerk.” That’s torture. Honestly, it’s a miracle we get team assignments done because there is always that one friend who’s either crying over her ex or dying over how cute puppies are.
When working, choose productivity over pride. The reason being, it not only affects your quality of work by distracting you but also makes you the 90 year old grannie shouting from behind in the supermarket line. People legit fly away in the other direction when they see you.
But of course, in other cases, go ahead and release the waterworks. I’m still crying over Mufasa’s death anyway.
(I’m about to get deep, wearing that diving suit, alright). Conquering is hard. There’ll be days when you’ll feel like doing anything but that boring report Miss Honey assigned. Like, who cares whether the Nile or the Amazon is longer?
However, the mindset of a conqueror is so strong that the little demon called procrastination doesn’t stand a chance. You’ll see us partying the whole weekend because we already slayed ‘em rivers and hunted down those fishies Friday. Wanna join in? Here are some aspects of the conqueror mindset:
Procrastination isn’t allowed. We understand that procrastination not only wastes precious time but basically means partying on a guilty mind. We would rather be that person drinking all them shots than be Abby sitting in the corner, worrying about her calc HW.
Discipline. Every conqueror knows that things need to be done at the right time (and in the right way, of course). Playing slither.io is great, but if you’re hooked for 7 hours and your poor report on rivers has turned into a dust bunny, then mate, you are not conquering. Get up and get the job done already.
Time management. It’s 11:58 pm. Your report (lol, get a grip mate) has finally been wiped of all that dust, and you’re settling to start on it. You open the first page of the assignment and have a mini heart attack. It says: Bring in by 12 am, xx Feb ‘18). To become a conqueror, hence, you must learn to travel back in time. JK. To become a conqueror, it’s important to value time because it’s priceless. A year from now, those hours you spent eating all that snake kill in slither.io won’t mean shit, but if you grind, if you choose to work hard, then every single moment will be memorable and pay off.
So, how do you do it? Ok, grab your notebook, grab your cauldron, and jot down. Let’s see what we got here… ‘Add a horn of bicorn’ and just a little bit of -what’s that- salamander blood?” *Potion explodes* Um, sorry for that mess. *Waves wand to clean*
Point is, there’s no secret spell to becoming disciplined and focused. Put down that wand, please. I’ll explain.
If you truly want to take control of your life, you must know your why. Why do you want to? Maybe you’re sick of procrastinating and letting yourself down? Maybe you’re tired of being a couch potato and want to get that ass to the gym? Maybe Abby wants to drink them tequila shots too? Because unless you really want it, you won’t get it. It’s important to know your why and let it lead you into battle as your motivation.
In short, you have to be a superhero (I choose to be Superwoman!) and learn to conquer your life before you save Kim from the fire. Your life is truly valuable, and here’s a secret: If you want to get results you have never gotten before, you’re going to have to do things you’ve never done before. Everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day, the same opportunities, and the same chances to follow their dreams. They just make different choices. If you choose to re-watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. for the 58th time while balancing chips in one hand and popcorn in the other, our world will lose one of its heroes.
But if you do decide to put on that superhero cape, I’m with you. Kim, hang on. We’re coming for you.
general tips for getting your shit together
loving yourself and letting go of negativity
understanding the meaning of your life
Well, it’s a wrap! I post new articles every week (the schedule’s up on my blog’s front page) so you can follow me if you are interested in killing the game & conquering life bc I’ll do my best to help you in the tough yet amazing journey called life.
If you want to go thru my blog, I would rec picking your choice of post from my masterpost list! Or, if you want to read something insightful on your cozy Sunday afternoon while chilling under blankets, I would recommend reading one of my interviews. + You can also request a blog post! For that, leave your question in my ask box!
I hope you are well, stay strong and conquer life, you conqueror.
- nandini (´。• ᵕ •。`) ♡
Hi guys! So this will officially be my first ever study masterpost. My grades have been going up this year, and I thought of sharing all of my tips and secrets to a 4.0 gpa. It’s definetly not easy, but if you work hard it will eventually happen.
Organization - Keep a separate binder/folder for each of your classes - Pencil Case- pens, pencils, highlighters, ruler, sticky notes, erasers - Macbook/iphone: make sure your devices are organized as well, and everything is easy for you to access - Start a bullet journal/planner to keep your life together. - Have notebooks for your lecture and reading notes - Make sure your handwriting is legible and nice. Practice makes perfect - Plan your outfits and organize your school bag the night before - Start homework/assignments 3 weeks early, don’t leave anything on the day of or the day before its due - Study for 5-7hrs everyday. But good grades aren’t everything. Have a blanced lifestyle, sleep for 8hrs, and go out with your friends.
Lectures - arrive 10/15m early - Go to every class - sit at the front or second row - I use onenotes to take notes, and will transfer them to notebook format. Do whatever format you like - Review your notes right after, or the next day
Readings - finish your readings before each lecture - i take notes from textbook using studyign method - try to understand, and if you can’t get it watch videos on youtube
Exams - Study 2/3 weeks before. - Create a list of topics you need to study - Review readings and lecture notes - Do make additional notes for the main topics Essays - Choose your topic - Create a rough outline and brainstorm ideas - Research, but make sure your arguments are stronger. Research is mainly used for evidence to support your own arguments. - Make sure your rough draft is concise enough - Use the refme app or easybib to keep track of your sources - Edit your essay- 2 times Other - Join the studyblr community. I have actually enjoyed studying, after creating a study blog. People are so nice. Highly recommend! - Don’t get discouraged by negative people. Don’t ever let anyone tell you “your not good enough”. - “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do”- Carl Jung - Don’t tell all of your plans and ambitions in detail to anyone, just show - Focus on your hobbies as well, like playing an instrument, youtube, makeup, reading, writing, and art - Study what you love. Have a great day! - Tara
“We lose ourselves in books. We find ourselves there too.”
being in love with the process and not the results is one of the healthiest things in the world
Are the habits you have today on par with the dreams you have for tomorrow?
Something my coach texted me today. She had no idea how much I needed to hear this (via chasingapr)
yesterday I went to the most beautiful library
I’ve survived a lot of things, and I’ll probably survive this.
J.D. Salinger (via thedapperproject)
I repost this every time it comes up on my dash. Because I need this reminder several times a day.
(via meunfiltered)
Nothing will ruin your 20’s more than thinking you should have your life together already.
So let’s say you’re in the same boat I am (this is a running theme, have you noticed?) and you’ve just got, like, SO MUCH STUFF that HAS to get done YESTERDAY or you will DIE (or fail/get fired/mope). Everything needs to be done yesterday, you’re sick, and for whatever reason you are focusing on the least important stuff first. What to do!
Take a deep breath, because this is a boot camp in prioritization.
Make a 3 by 4 grid. Make it pretty big. The line above your top row goes like this: Due YESTERDAY - due TOMORROW - due LATER. Along the side, write: Takes 5 min - Takes 30 min - Takes hours - Takes DAYS.
Divide ALL your tasks into one of these squares, based on how much work you still have to do. A thank you note for a present you received two weeks ago? That takes 5 minutes and was due YESTERDAY. Put it in that square. A five page paper that’s due tomorrow? That takes an hour/hours, place it appropriately. Tomorrow’s speech you just need to rehearse? Half an hour, due TOMORROW. Do the same for ALL of your tasks
Your priority goes like this:
5 minutes due YESTERDAY
5 minutes due TOMORROW
Half-hour due YESTERDAY
Half-hour due TOMORROW
Hours due YESTERDAY
Hours due TOMORROW
5 minutes due LATER
Half-hour due LATER
Hours due LATER
DAYS due YESTERDAY
DAYS due TOMORROW
DAYS due LATER
At this point you just go down the list in each section. If something feels especially urgent, for whatever reason - a certain professor is hounding you, you’re especially worried about that speech, whatever - you can bump that up to the top of the entire list. However, going through the list like this is what I find most efficient.
Some people do like to save the 5 minute tasks for kind of a break between longer-running tasks. If that’s what you want to try, go for it! You’re the one studying here.
So that’s how to prioritize. Now, how to actually do shit? That’s where the 20/10 method comes in. It’s simple: do stuff like a stuff-doing FIEND for 20 minutes, then take a ten minute break and do whatever you want. Repeat ad infinitum. It’s how I’ve gotten through my to do list, concussed and everything.
You’ve got this. Get a drink and start - we can do our stuff together!
If you can’t stop thinking about it, don’t stop working for it
Michael Jordan (via studyblr)
I decided to doodle on the cover of my bio ii notebook so I could distinguish it among the others.