How to Catch Up.

There was a week-long period this month when I just did. not. stop. I had a long list of things that absolutely had to be finished before spring break. Most of it was reading which, I'll admit, is the most tedious task in the world. No matter how much I love reading about the Middle East, fifty pages later, I'm pretty much dead.

But I did it.
My entire list was completed. Two days earlier than I planned, actually.
Here's how I caught up on my list:

• Write it all down. I can't even count how many times I've advocated for physical to-do lists on this blog, but I'll say it again just in case you forgot. The easiest way to get started on a busy schedule is to write it down on paper. Visualize it. 

• Stay focused. It's really easy for me to be distracted, especially when I have amazing friends I'd love to spend time with. But I knew that the list was going to linger in the back of my mind regardless of what I was doing, so it was vital that the homework get finished first. To stay focused, I made sure that I studied alone. 

• Tackle the big things first. For me, the "big" things on my list were two relatively short essays. Just five pages each, no biggie. The problem? They're time-consuming! I made sure that I tackled these big projects first, before I lost brain power and energy. 

• Reward yourself. My "rewards" came at the end of the day -- an episode or two of Make It or Break It, a movie, or a few hours in the student center with friends. 

Overall, the most important part is to keep the end in sight. I knew that if I could power through the week of studying and hardcore effort, that spring break would be completely stress free, and I would be able to enjoy my mom's visit. 

Keep not settling,

image credit.