Hi Scholars,
I can’t believe how quickly the summer went by! It was like one day I was having my Memorial Day summer kick-off party, and the next day my community swimming pool was closing down for the season. Ugh. But I guess time flies when you’re having fun.
So I’ve been thinking a lot about time lately. A few of my students have been struggling with roadblocks that have negatively affected their productivity–and caused them to waste a lot time. We all experience this occasionally, but sometimes we become paralyzed by these roadblocks. And the next thing we know, several weeks or months have passed and we’ve gotten nothing done. *big sigh* It can be difficult to determine what we’re doing to stand in our own way.
There’s good news, though lol. Recognizing the problem is the first step in moving past it. Below is a list a of the most frequent time wasters that I’ve encountered with my students over the years…and in myself too haha. If you’re doing any of these, take some time to think about why you’re doing them and what steps you can take to stop.
- Not setting priorities/getting involved in too much: This prevents you from focusing your effort on the tasks that are the most important.
- Perfectionism: Wanting something to be perfect before you finish or submit it is futile. Newsflash, it will never be “perfect” and you’ll never complete it when you chase perfection. Done is always better than perfect.
- Waiting for inspiration/Procrastination: Don’t wait, just start working. Taking action typically fuels your inspiration anyway.
- Comparing yourself to others: This is totally unproductive and prevents you from focusing on being YOUR best self. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Stay in your lane and progress forward.
- Imposter Syndrome/Fear of failure: You are smart and driven enough to reach your academic goals. Don’t hold yourself back through self-doubt.
Comment here or shoot me an email if you’ve conquered any of the time wasters on this list!
In Scholarship and Solidarity,
-Dr. D.