As a rule, the more successful a student is at sports, the worse their performance in school. In a busy schedule of training and competitions, it is difficult to combine the two. Sooner or later, the question arises: does one have to leave professional sports or forget about high grades?
This is a difficult choice that luckily can be avoided. In this article, we’ve put together tips to help you manage it all and achieve your goals without compromising your grades.
Why Combining Sports and School Is a Great Idea?
First, when sports is your only interest, finding friends outside the gym becomes a hard task. Because of this, your horizons don’t expand and you have fewer opportunities to meet someone really wonderful.
Secondly, we must admit that the world of sports is sometimes cruel. A sports career can collapse abruptly due to an injury. That is why it is important that you have the knowledge and skills to choose another way, if necessary.
Wake Up One Hour Earlier
Even if you are sure that you aren’t a morning bird, you can still become one. By setting your alarm an hour earlier than usual, you can get extra time to complete essential tasks. In his interviews, Mike Tyson has mentioned that getting up early helped him achieve such success in professional sports.
Several studies have proved that waking up early is related to productivity. And, according to science, our brain works better in the morning, so the cognitive functions at this time will be higher than in the evening or at lunchtime.
Make a Plan
There is an interesting paradox of time management. By spending extra time on planning, we end up finishing all tasks much faster than without it. Plans must always be written down.
As many believe, if the goal isn’t on paper, then it doesn’t exist at all. Have you ever heard a quote: “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination”? Well, we all should keep it in mind to stay more productive.
Plan early in the morning or, even better, at night before bed. The plan will give you an understanding of what needs to be done on a particular day. Set a specific deadline for completing each task.
Try the Eisenhower principle. You need to divide all things on a to-do list into 4 categories:
- Urgent and important – start your day with them;
- Urgent, but not important;
- Not urgent, but important – the paradox is that they can become urgent and important;
- Not urgent or important – sometimes things like this can be postponed.
Delegate
If there are things that someone else can do better than you, feel free to delegate them to this person and focus on what you can do best. Indeed, these days, it’s easy to find a talented professional who is experienced in all types of papers. For example, you can seek the help of professionals such as EssayPro.
All you need to do is mention the essay’s type, your degree, deadline and the paper’s volume. As a result, your homework will be handed in on time and your academic performance will certainly improve.
Turn To Calendar
A calendar is a fundamental step towards managing your time. If you use Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes, the calendar will be part of your mail. Alternatively, sync Google Calendar with your smartphone or tablet, so that you can update your tasks anywhere and anytime.
Set Priorities
Unfortunately, we don’t have Hermione Granger’s time-turner, so it’s impossible to be in more than one place at the same time. Better make a choice and ask yourself: what will I do now and what will I do later? Let the Pareto rule be your motto: “20% of effort gives 80% of the result”.
Stop Being Distracted
Procrastination and constant distraction are without a doubt the main enemies of productivity. So, what should one do before starting a study session? Turn off your social media and email notifications. Close browser tabs that are not related to the current assignment.
Surely, it will be difficult not to check your messages at first, but then you will get used to concentrating. As a result, you will study less time, but more productively. In fact, social media is not the only distraction we face. Observe yourself while studying and try to count how many times you are distracted per day on average. Important to know, it takes about 23 minutes to fully return to work.
How many times does a family member or friend interrupt you from finishing the task? How often are you distracted by street noise due to an open window? You may also be interrupted by music or a sudden feeling of hunger. So, it’s essential to foresee all possible obstacles and eliminate them in advance.
Learn To Say No
We make choices every day, and sometimes you have to give up something in the name of a greater goal. Cancel meetings or finish them earlier. Say that you can’t help your loved ones because of other tasks. Don’t waste time on empty chatter. Everyone has their own list of things to give up.
Create A Working Atmosphere
We are too lazy to keep the workplace in order, but in fact, this is a paramount task. After all, it is the workplace that sets us in the right mood. Maintaining order all the time takes time and effort, but clutter is distracting and it makes it hard to focus. Keep everything organized on your desk, workplace, and home, and there will be no trash or extra items that do not belong there.
Accept That No One Is Perfect
Another thing that is rather hard to internalize is that no one is perfect. Pipe dreams and pink-colored glasses will only spoil the final goal that you are striving to achieve. The wrong image will lead to extra work and a waste of time. As a result, you’ll be exhausted and displeased, and this leads to burnout.
Analyze Your Time
After completing each task, write down the amount of time spent next to it. This will help you in planning and self-discipline.
Use Every Spare Moment Wisely
In fact, a lot of our time is wasted. For example, you do nothing when you drive to the gym, stand in line at the store, sit in the waiting room, or work out on the exercise machine. Try reading or listening to podcasts. Even if you only have 10 minutes of free time, make the most of it.
To Wrap It Up
The modern world requires us to be flexible, energetic and prepared for all difficulties. In addition, striving for the best results, we are very demanding of ourselves. However, one must remember that the key point which allows us to achieve our goals is health. Without it, all success, both in sports and in studies, will fade into the background. So take care of yourself, get enough sleep and eat healthily. Let your life be balanced!
