š Stop Working Upstream
Sunday Scoop #33 - This week, I update you guys on my rehab process and how I designed my environment to remove friction and ensuring I stay productive throughout the day.
Hey friends,
Iāve been facing a bit of trouble being and staying productive.
Ever since I started ārehabā last week, Iām consciously working towards devoting more of my waking hours into my studies.
With the ever insistent threat of Coronavirus hanging over our heads, the Resource Centre (library) in my college isnāt allowed to operate fully just yet. This means that weāre confined to our villas/chalets to attend our online classes/carry out our revisions.
The only problem with that is the sweltering heat of KY afternoons. You can genuinely feel your skin prickle as your brain slowly enters a state of groggy fog. Thatās probably the worst news possible for my rehab.
This isnāt The Afternoon Slump, where I can seek recluse from the heat in the welcoming embrace of the RCās powerful air conditioners. Thereās no escape from the heat except the spot right below my chaletās air-conditioner. (P.S. - The Chaletās Air Conditioner is nowhere near as powerful as those in the RC and while it can cool down the common area a bit, it brings little effect to the rooms.)
That was when it hit me. Thatās it! The spot right below the air conditioner, I should be working there!
š£āāļø Working Downstream
Right away, my chaletmate Howard and I started moving things in the common area around. All our kettles, water dispenser, ironing board, shoe rack and other utility furniture were moved to the edges, creating a large empty space in the middle of the common area, right below the air conditioner!
We then moved our respective study tables out into the common area. We also brought out our table lamps, extension cord, chargers, etc.
Now, we have a common study area where we do our work together for the better part of the day, We found that working together is particularly helpful for keeping each other accountable and focused for longer periods of time.
Where we used to get distracted by the rings of the notification bell, or the temptation of our comfortable beds, we now work together and motivate each other to bulldoze through our daily tasks.
The key thing here isnāt the new workspace setup. Itās the environment design.
You want to set up your environment for productivity. You may be at home right now and donāt find the need to redesign your study space.
However, think about your biggest obstacles when studying.
Do you find yourself distracted by your phone?
Leave it in another room.Do you get hungry halfway through a study session, just to get up for food and end up wasting half the day scrolling Instagram?
Get a bowl of fruits/cereal ready before you start your study session.Do you get groggy after a 20 minute study session?
Brew a cup of coffee or Japanese Green Tea (my current favorite) and set it on your study desk.
Whatever the case may be, there is definitely ways that you can make your environment work better for you.
Stop working against the your environment. Stop working against friction. Stop working upstream.
With that said, I hope that my new study space redesign that Iām sharing with you today adds value in some way, shape and form to your life.
Links
š½ Video - Matt DāAvella is one of the original productivity Youtubers, focusing on minimalism. I was listening to this video as I was working through a few Mathematics Problem Sets. One of the more wholesome productivity vlogs.
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