Almost all of us are lazy creatures. We all want to visit our favorite website / forum, can’t escape clicking the button “get new mail” in the mail client, get distracted by meaningless things, and so on. There are those days when hours are dying for nothing, but the only thought hanging in your head is, “how to organize myself into effective work?” We want to spend every minute with a maximum benefit, but we do not want to jump through hoops for it.
Example: you have received the task: Can market equilibrium occur at a negative equilibrium price? The first thought will be: “I need to complete it today certainly, it’s easy, but first of all it’s better to do some other stuff. The task can wait some time”. A couple of hours later you understand that you didn’t do anything useful but time is gone. You start looking for related information and finally get the grasp ofthe necessary one. However, you are getting more and more nervous as you’re analysing data. Oh! And it’s far too late, you want to sleep… And what’s next day? Your teacher points at those numerous mistakes and you get so much dreaded “Poor”…
Now answer, please, some questions:
- Is there enough free space on your desk to work comfortably and without any interference?
- Is your computer conveniently located so you can work without straining and do not suffer from excessive fatigue?
- Do you often have to spend time searching for the required things?
- Do you have a spare place that could be used to work simultaneously with a computer and papers?
These questions might seem vaguely related to what we’ve started with. But trust us: your workplace does matter. And in fact proper Feng Shui at your workplace can save you a lot of time and energy.
There is no a standard recipe for proper organization of your workplace. What is convenient for you, is not that comfortable for the other, and vice versa. However, in order to organize the performance of the assignment you are advised to consider the following rules:
- If you spend the time in social networks, Skype, communicating with friends and acquaintances, it will be better to arrange it in free time and preferably not via the Internet but in real life.
Thus, eliminate all distractions, including TV and phone. You can turn on light background music. Not the kind you enjoy trudging , but rather without lyrics. By the way, there is special program with lots of different sounds – AireFreshener, a combined nature sounds player. - Effective work requires comfortable posture. If you want to get up, work standing up, if it is necessary, walk around the table, do push-ups, stretch. It is important to feel good while you work. If you need fresh air – ventilate the room.
- Start working on your assignment with a clear “to-do” list. Let’s consider the given example task. At first, you should find the information about market equilibrium because it’s the core of the question. What it is, what the main conditions of its appearance are,etc. Then think what kind of product could be both positive as well as negative to find out its existence of negative equilibrium price. The simplest answer is paper. It’s very useful but the waste paper is a discommodity product. It has negative utility and could be exchanged only at negative prices. All found information is needed to demonstrate the negative market equilibrium.
- Your brain is a box with a card file as well as a network of ideas. Instead of constantly repeating the same thing with a minimum benefit, take time to learn how to build relationships with the information you learn.
For instance, connect ideas by relating them to something you already know. In this way you are creating a bridge between what you intuitively know and what you are trying to learn.
Create images, which will show the relation between the concepts.
Use critical thinking, highlight it, allowing a better research of the category, before determining what it is like.
- 5. Don’t forget to take a break for a cup of tea or call a friend for 10-15 minutes approximately. Scientists have found that after about 40 minutes of repetitive work the attention focusing falls. If at this time to make a small break, in result you will do more than if you work continuously.
Remember: “Thanks to the true knowledge you’ll be a much bolder and more perfect in every work, rather than without it”, Albrecht Dürer.
