The 2 Most Important Productivity Tricks I Learnt From Taking My A Levels.

When all else fails trick yourself into being productive.

When I took my GCSEs I was lucky to be one of those children, much to the annoyance of my friends, who ‘just got it’. All I had to do was go to my lessons, attend the occasional revision class and then I’d pass the exam. It was great at the time however the inevitable crash and burn didn’t take long.

I took A Levels at Exeter College and continued with my effortless learning technique, I didn’t fail my exams but I didn’t get the grades I was looking for either. I knew after a year of shopping, coffee shops and skipping classes that I needed a change. I chose to restart my A Levels at Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form in Crediton. This meant a 25 minute bus every morning and a 9–3 attendance schedule.

I thought i’d share with you my 2 favourite ways to stay motivated and be productive while working. So here goes..

Lesson 1 — Stick to a routine

I knew that the flexibility of Exeter College was never going to work for me. I like routine, it helps me mentally prepare for the work I need to do and when.

If you find yourself struggling to focus, then I suggest planning out your day. Try out different daily routines and when you find the one that works for you, stick to it.

My A Level routine will be a little different to your working routine but I’m sure there’s aspects that cross over. For example, I started every morning with a coffee to plan, and ended every afternoon with a cup of tea to unwind.

Lesson 2 — Condition yourself to triggers

I learnt this trick while studying Psychology and it’s the most effective productivity trick I use to date. During my A Levels I studied 4 different courses and I introduced triggers to each help me focus. For each subject I wrote my notes in a different colour and created a different spotify playlist.

I conditioned myself to focus on a subject so that when the musics ran through my headphones and the pen strokes started playing I would learn, revise and create productively. To this day, listening to 21 Pilots and writing in purple makes me want to do maths.

I think everyone should be their own experiment and set triggers to help focus on specific areas. There are many types of triggers you can use, I have heard a few that work really well are green tea, a special location or a scented candle.

If you are struggling to stay productive with your work then give some of my tricks a go and let me know how you get on. Equally, if you have some great tips that you’re busting to share then pop them down below and i’ll be sure to check them out.