Focus is a subtraction problem: a laser and a lightbulb use similar power, but only the laser cuts, because its energy goes to one point. The practical version for students is that being busy and being productive are different states, and the way to move between them is refusing things. Choosing what not to revise this week is the decision that makes the rest of the week work.
Modern day productivity gurus preach about chasing opportunities wherever they show up.
There’s an opening for a job. Go grab it.
It’s all about the hustle.
Work as many hours as you can.
Get your money up.
Sleep is for the weak.
But, is that right?
Lasers and lightbulbs
What is the difference between a laser and a lightbulb?
The power supply is roughly the same, however, the light a laser emits is concentrated to a single point.
And that’s why one can cut through solid steel, while the other can just about illuminate a room. Why do I bring this up?While you may have been sold into the fact that to succeed you gotta throw yourself at every opportunity out there. It really isn’t true.
To truly excel at something you have to work at that thing for more hours than anybody else. And you won’t be able to do that while your attention and energy is being split in a 100 different directions.
You need to be focused on that key thing - you want to be a laser not a lightbulb.
Obviously, spending 16 hours a day just doing 1 thing isn’t the strategy for success either. You do need to diversify, but at the same time be able to prioritise.
First things first
Many GCSE/A-Level students become very enthralled with the idea of working a job.
A student with a part-time job can get some extra spending money.And it does tend to raise your stock in school if you come across as a responsible, working adult. It also teaches you a lot of things, and if you really land yourself in a quality internship then it may even develop into a future career path.
BUT…Don’t forget, that the pay off down the line, if you get amazing grades, and you get admission into a top university is far greater than the £6 or £7/ hour you are earning right now.
Never mix up your priorities.
As Stephen R Covey puts it:
“First things first.”
Prioritise the things in your life that are truly important. If somebody looked at your daily routine - they should be able to figure out within a second what your goals and priorities are.
If you are an aspiring doctor, I should be able to see that on your timetable.
I should be able to see that you wake up in the morning and study for a few hours before class so that you can be the best student in the class.You come home and review your notes from the previous day.
You spend 30 mins everyday reading over medical literature to show that you actually have a passion for the field.
You may have a few hours here or there where you're working or exercising - healthy body = a healthy mind after all. But you aren't spending an excessive amount of time on activities which aren’t getting you closer to your objective.
What is busy vs productive?
Steve Jobs says “Focusing is about saying no.”
It’s saying no to your phone when you are trying to study.
It’s saying no to your friends sometimes when they want to hang out every single day.
It’s saying no to increasing your hours at work if it will negatively affect your grades.
Being busy just means you are doing things.
Being productive means you are doing the right things that are taking you closer towards your goal.
Make sure that you are laser focused on your objective. Time is precious - use it wisely.
What else is worth reading?
- 🧠Why learn?
- How Online Learning Can Enhance Work-Life Balance
- How the richest man in the world learns💰
- How to Choose the Best Online Learning Platform: A Comprehensive Guide
- How to Excel in Online Learning: A Comprehensive Guide
What are the honest limits of this advice?
The evidence behind study methods is measured as an average across many students, not a promise about one. The EEF toolkit reports months of additional progress on average, with real variation underneath. What works also depends on the subject and where the gaps are.
Whether tutoring works is a measured question, not an opinion:
“Evidence indicates that one to one tuition can be effective, providing approximately five additional months’ progress on average.” — EEF, One to one tuition
What research supports these methods?
The study techniques on this page are not our opinion. Each comes from published cognitive-science research, linked here so you can read the original:
- Karpicke & Roediger, Science (2008) — testing yourself beats re-reading, by a wide margin
- Cepeda et al., Psychological Bulletin (2006) — spacing sessions out beats cramming
- Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest (2013) — practice testing and spacing rated highest of ten techniques; highlighting among the lowest