Time Strategies

I chose to read two new articles about time management than the ones I read in Spring 2020. They are as follows:

Article #1: How Checklists Train Your Brain To Be More Productive And Goal-Oriented by Lauren Marchese

I am one to use checklists, but I was never a person who liked using paper planners and writing lots of things down. I use a simple checklist on the "Notes" app on my phone, but it still gives me a lot of satisfaction to check things off. At the same time, if I have a really long to-do list, it also makes me really stressed, so I think there is a limit to how long I would ideally have my checklists in order to stay productive without panic. The author, Lauren Marchese, makes a really interesting point by bringing up the concept of gamification and that checklists qualify because the act of checking things off can seem like a reward to our brains. 

Article #2: Eat the Frog First Thing in the Morning by Thomas Oppong

I decided to read this article because the title intrigued me, and then I found that I truly related to it. The items on my checklists that I dread the most, the "frogs," are ones that I like to put off as long as possible. I would rather check off several items that are relatively easy to finish than work for a long time on one frog, but completing a frog really does provide the most relief. I will try to eat the frogs in the morning this semester! I think my biggest time challenge this semester will be trying to balance my classes with the remainder of the medical school application cycle, but hopefully it will work out in the end.

(Image Info: Frog by Jan Gillbank, no changes; Source: Wikimedia; License: here)