Over the course of the past three months, many of my peers have helpfully provided suggestions in their blog entries that are intended to help you (the reader) both cope and thrive in the present. With the calendar year winding down, however, I’m looking into the future for initiatives we can all undertake in term two – and beyond – to be the best version of ourselves at all times. I have accordingly cherry-picked some of my favourite insight and advice to share – I hope they afford you the same clarity and direction I found in them!
1. Stop Multi-tasking in 2016. You might believe that you’re being more productive, but the reality is that more is not necessarily positive. According to a professor at UC Irvine, it can take nearly 24 minutes to fully return mentally to a task after you’re interrupted. As such, it is better to solely commit to one task at a time, and to focus on doing it well. This perspective inspires my use of the Pomodoro Study technique, where you commit to a task wholeheartedly for 25 minutes before taking a five-minute break and repeating.
2. Learn how to say “No” in 2016. With New Year resolutions being a hot topic in the first few weeks of the year, it’s easy find yourself in a situation where friends may wish to get you to commit to something alongside them. Watching 100 movies, going on thirty hikes, travelling to five countries, going to the gym at 7AM daily… all impressive and admirable objectives, but perhaps not feasible together on top of your day-to-day. Instead of adding on, consider where you can stop, cut-back or say no in order to more appropriately commit to other initiatives.
3. Establish a routine in 2016. The reality behind your last-minute crams – for exams and otherwise – is a failure to commit to a consistent routine. Routines are essential for efficiency; if you don’t have one, you’re wasting time trying to sort yourself out. Commit to a particular time of the day for a particular task – 6PM for course readings, for example. When you settle into a groove, you’ll develop a well-deserved sense of stability that goes a long way.
4. Read on current events daily in 2016. I vividly remember speaking to a 400-level class earlier this year about the horrendous instability plaguing Syria, and subsequently being floored by how uninformed and oblivious the entire class was. Without going off on a tangent, being a student at UBC means a few things – you’ve displayed some intellectual chops by getting in, and you’re tremendously privileged to have the opportunity to learn and think critically in a safe environment. Don’t let this opportunity to learn sit within the confines of the classroom; spend five minutes a day at least reading headlines so you know what’s going on in the world. You owe it to yourself to be a well-informed person.
5. Have more fun in 2016. This one may seem facetious, but hear me out. Fun means different things to different people; perhaps a night out at a club, or starting a mariachi band. Whatever it may be, allow yourself to experience it. The satisfaction you take away if done responsibly – that is, not at the expense of other important areas in your life – is immeasurable. I’ve personally felt much happier this year setting aside time to visit restaurants that’s been on my to-nom-nom-nom list, grabbing ice cream with friends, going on bike rides, watching sunsets on roof tops and going on hikes. Whatever it is that makes you happy, I implore you to do it.
Cheers to 2016 – you got this. Gurvir
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