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Every once in a while, I feel a bit aimless, and as we transition into June, I’m beginning to think this is one of these times. Without the structure of daily classes, things start slowing down a little bit and what I’d call ‘productive’ right now is hardly what I would have called productive in the middle of November.
So, in order to get back on track, I’ve tried to figure out what I can accomplish to make things a bit more worthwhile while I’m on break. At first, the question I asked myself was, “What should I be doing right now? What do I need to get done?” The resulting to-do list was embarassingly sparse, full of useless action items such as “reply to e-mails.” It didn’t take me too long to realize I was asking myself the wrong question.
What I decided to ask myself instead was: What will make me happier? Taking a step back and asking a question with a broader reach has helped me narrow down some goals for myself that are bound to be more rewarding. As I thought about what would improve upon this great month or so I’ve already had here at home, three things immediately jumped to mind.
- Seeing more friends. I’ve never been great about going out and doing stuff with friends. Sure, some of this is due to the fact that my high school pals were a bit more decentralized than most, and that a good number of my buddies in college aren’t enormous extraverts, but most of the fault is mine. In order to feel as if this summer’s been as rewarding as possible, I need to go see some familiar faces.
- Getting things done. I can’t stand feeling as if I’m wasting time. In order to eliminate this feeling, I’ve got to make sure that at least 80% of my day is spent doing things I should be doing, not things I’m doing just for the heck of it.
- Learning new skills. Just because the academic year isn’t over doesn’t mean the learning needs to stop, and I could really benefit from picking up a few new things. More tuba and piano practice is on the list, for instance, as is getting a better handle on how to grill.
Now that I have these three bullets, I can really narrow down my to-do items in a way that will be most rewarding for me and those that count on me. I think this is a good first step in making things happen, and I’m eager to get started!
Think of the current period in your year, whether it’s summer break, a new assignment at work, or the last few weeks of high school. What can you do to make things the best they can be? I know productivity and efficiency are huge topics on the internet, you’ve got to have some tips or anecdotes to share.
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