It’s almost the end of the semester which means the work is piling up, finals are at our heels, and social life has taken a back seat. We are at the point in the year where the workload is high and the motivation is low. So how do we deal with the stress and get everything completed on time? I say ask yourself, “What’s next?” every single day. What is my next due date? Focus on that and nothing more until it is complete.
We’ve all heard the age-old advice to take life one day at a time. But what I propose is that we take each moment at a time, each task even. When your to-do list is longer than your grocery list and the work is piling up, sometimes all you can focus on is what is due immediately. It doesn’t matter (kind of) if you have a paper due in a week when you have a project due the next day. What good will it do to write your paper when you end up pulling an all-nighter to complete the project, too?
Focus on the next task or even your detailed plan for the next hour. Sometimes all you can do is tell yourself you need to devote an hour to studying. Your mind and body and soul can only handle so many things. We were not made to multi-task.
On top of it all, you have to look out for yourself. Sometimes the next task that needs to be completed is having coffee with your best friend or watching an episode of “The Office” or taking a shower. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you possibly expect to take care of all your work? It may seem frivolous to waste an hour at a coffee shop, but trust me, you will thank yourself later. You need a break.
Your life does not hinge upon your GPA. You will get everything completed. It will all be OK. Life is beautiful and you will make it through today.
