Page 248 - Foundations of Learning, 4th Edition (Revised)

Distractibility

It is easy to become distracted when a task is not interesting. Not all tasks will automatically
engage you; you must find ways to MAKE tasks interesting—be inventive, create mnemonics,
even visualize Pythagoras trying to sell his theorem on an infomercial, if that’s what it takes. In
short, do whatever you have to do to help focus your attention on the task or subject at hand.

• When it comes to studying, try to limit exposure to possible distractions.

• If a situation or problem consistently distracts you, consider shifting focus to that problem
long enough to solve it. It is better to allow a single, productive distraction (getting rid of the
distraction once and for all) than to allow ongoing or multiple distractions that do nothing more
than repeatedly break your concentration.

• Many working professionals have found that turning OFF cell phones, e-mail, and instant
messaging when trying to get work done allows them to focus better and be more efficient.

• Trying to remember various obligations and tasks is a common distractor. You may be reading
and find yourself thinking things like, “I’ve got to remember to take my calculator tomorrow”
or “I hope I don’t forget to meet my study group at the library instead of the study center.” This
is where keeping a daily “to-do” list is a lifesaver. When you create your list for the day in the
morning (or the night before), you add all the items you know you will need to accomplish that
day. Once the items are on the list, you only need to remember to keep the list with you (one
thing) rather than all the items on the list. If additional tasks occur to you, add them to your list
immediately so you can get back to focusing on the task at hand.

Over-organization

Another obstacle to efficient time management is over-organization. This may not sound like a bad
thing; after all, how could someone be too organized? But it is a danger, especially for people who
enjoy creating and working with systems. If the first item on your daily “to-do” list is, “Create
daily to-do list,” the chances are good that you’ve fallen into the over-organization trap. This is only
partly in jest; treating time management as a problem in and of itself can lead to spending inordinate
amounts of time and effort in planning, scheduling, analyzing, and tweaking your calendar and task
and priority lists, leaving little time for the actual tasks themselves. Over-organization is not efficient
or effective time management. The goal is to spend enough time creating and then managing your
time so that you maximize the impact of that time.

Procrastination

We’re all guilty of procrastination (putting off a task until later), at some point. Given the choice,
we all prefer to spend our time engaged in enjoyable activities rather than those that are difficult or
uncomfortable. Wise time managers understand this and rather than letting procrastination become
habitual, they consistently work to overcome and avoid it.

Procrastination is more than just a personality quirk; it can be very destructive. The longer we
procrastinate, the longer the list of things we need to do becomes. As that list grows, it is increasingly
tempting to procrastinate. The good news is that there are ways to stop this cycle, even once you’re
in it. And doing that is important because this kind of cycle is exceedingly self-destructive and
can lead to poor self esteem and even acute feelings of failure and self-hatred. Three of the most
common causes of procrastination are discussed in this section, along with suggestions for dealing
with them.

242 Foundations of Learning