Three Things by Madeleine

Three Things by Madeleine - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

When things get really busy, and it seems like there isn’t enough time in the day, there are three techniques I use to get things done. These are: eliminating distractions, working under a system of rewards, and having a plan.

First, I make sure I have a reason to stay at my desk. This reason has to be something substantial that will keep me from wandering the house and procrastinating. I find that keeping snack food close at hand is effective, because then the “I’m hungry” excuse is nullified. Also telling my family I have a lot of work to do keeps them from calling me away.

Second, I make sure there is concrete motivation to be working while I sit at my desk. I designate a reward for when I’ve finished, or at certain intervals for longer projects. For instance, when I know I will have a late night of homework, I tell myself I can have a treat after. Alternately if I’ve been working long and hard at something, I promise myself that I will stop at the next milestone to read one chapter of a book before continuing.

I work with an organized system. I line tasks up by due date, then I divide the my list into sections. Taking the section due the soonest, I read each assignment and prioritize it in order of how long they will take. I do the simplest ones first. This is because it is more motivating for me to be able to say, “I’ve finished this many projects,” rather than say, “I have this many more to do.”

Using a combination of excuse elimination, rewards, and a prearranged structure, I get everything done.