Submission Deadlines! Being a student if you are scared of this phrase every time you hear it; I suppose you are yet to crack the formula of time-management and effective workflow. Well then let’s see if we can break-it-down for you ‘all.
While attempting a scheduled submission we need to be thorough about our work, make correct choices, and deliver without making qualitative compromises. All of which starts the moment we receive the submission date up till the completion of it. Although time never seems to be enough for the best-expected outcome; some tweaks and tricks can ensure we don’t repeat the same silly-mistakes causing the damage.
Better highlight this point right away, as it is a major item students overlook without recognizing its importance.
While one may start scheduling the submission in earnest; it is important to know exactly what you are going to work on and what the requirements to be fulfilled are. If not, you may have a hard time planning out your work schedule.
- Understand the core subject of the submission.
- Focus on getting to know the critical/important points to be covered.
- Divide and breakdown the submission in phases.
- Estimate the time required to cover all the points or the phases you will be working on.
Never rush into any submission; irrespective of its scale. That’s the routine mistake most students tend to make. Consider your submission a marathon and not a sprint!
Don’t just live in the Present!
Always plan! Tomorrow there might be a few distractions that you are not aware of today. If we don’t keep a plan ready, if we don’t have a vision ahead and if we blindly believe in our abilities and gut to finish the task we might end up
Consider using a virtual calendar to schedule your weekly or even daily targets. Take a note from the following sequence.
- Create a basic draft of the submission.
- Screen the necessary activities to be done.
- Priorities are more important and cover them into your schedule accordingly.
- Make sure to do a routine check of your schedule; keeping a track of objectives completed and what’s left.
Mobile phone calendars can also be very useful here; anyways we use our phones more than anything in our daily activities. It can be easily updated as well.
Organize your work-space.
Whether you prefer working within the cozy vibe of your bedroom or into a more lively setting like the drawing-room, it is vital to have an ideal environment for a better work-efficiency. Now that the ideal environment is your customized space, it can be anything that suits you and your work procedure. Some may prefer listening to mild music while some may opt for a pin drop silence. What’s important is getting your focus right into your work, minimizing the distractions.
Make sure to grab all the necessary tools and supplies required, also that the light setting is appropriate and a comfortable chair or a sitting arrangement to get you going.
Choose one: Multi-task or focus.
My ‘success-mantra’ is that I believe in multi-tasking! There is a pattern in multi-tasking. Once you ace that pattern it can be a handy tool. On the other hand, focusing on specific targets and covering them one at a time possibly leaves you with better genuine productivity.
Once you arrange the targets according to their priorities; you can either find the similarities in those and keep switching the tasks for efficient work-flow or target and focus with complete concentration on a single task.
Just do not mix it up. Remember, “Jack of all trades. Master to none”.
Learning the discipline of a submission
Can’t stress how important it is to attain certain discipline while working with deadlines. The sole purpose of discipline is to control our work-flow. A disciplined life is the correct recipe of success, it helps you manage your time, keeps you focused, and makes you more active as well. All we have to do is develop the courage of following it.
- Excluding the casual approach.
The foremost thing students should inculcate is being serious about their submissions; your approach towards it will define how you build your work and resultantly your submission.
- Manage time accurately.
Developing a disciple is all about proper planning, and this means accurate time distribution of defined tasks. If you don’t wish to waste precious time doing unwanted things, manage your time precisely to make it count.
- Take the necessary breaks.
Being disciplined doesn’t mean you have to be a workaholic. Too much work and stress can spoil your productivity; don’t forget to reward yourself with these small breaks that will freshen you up.
- Understand the trigger points.
Discipline and scheduling everything can make your day tedious either sparking off your work-focus or setting it down. Be smart enough to recognize those; if it’s an upward peak, keep up the good work, if it’s a downfall; take those necessary breaks.
All being said there’s one thing still left; so by now you have known your submission and its requirement, planned the necessary schedule with estimated time calculation for it. Developed your customized workspace and employed the appropriate disciple; so, what’s left?
Remember, this world isn’t a fair place!
Always have a buffer-zone
You may be doing everything right on your end but still falling behind your schedule; that’s because no planning in this world is perfect, it can’t be! However, there is a solution for it as well and it’s simply keeping some extra time in your hand. To have some extra breathing space in case things don’t turn out the way you wanted it to be.
All right then, before I sign-off; one last motivational quote for you guys to remember, “Your motivation might fade away someday, your habit of doing it; will take you to your destination”.
P.S. All the above-mentioned points are an effective compilation from universally accepted time-management techniques and mostly from personal experience; which today makes the foundation of my work procedure.
