how do you stay consistently productive? I have this problem where I'm very productive one week and then completely lose the sense of it the next
Honestly I have this particular problem as well!!!
The first thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is get a planner. Preferably one with a monthly, and weekly view (daily spreads can be very helpful but will add to the weight).
For the monthly spread, I do this:
Go through the syllabus if you have one, and fill in every deadline/exam/other important dates. I use a red pen for all academic stuff.
Then fill in all appointments (such as doctor appointments, club meetings, family gatherings, and other obligations) in. I use a blue pen for this purpose.
Then, fill in the “fun” events (such as concerts, ball games, and the start of a new season of your favorite TV show). I use green for this.
Unconfirmed obligations or events will be written with pencil.
Additional information/other stuff will be written with black ink.
Having a multipen (I like the Dr. Grip and Jetstream, both 4+1 multipens with red, blue, green, black, and pencil) helps immensely with planning. I also separate each day’s grid into AM/PM, but this is optional.
The first thing is to transfer everything from your monthly spread to your weekly. Also, I refer to the syllabus of each course and fill in the topics of every lecture.
Make a to-do list somewhere on the page of everything you need to do this week. Don’t stress about distributing these tasks to each day just yet. List anything and everything from doing laundry to writing your term paper.
This should be an important part of your Sunday ritual!
A few words on the monthly and weekly spreads:
Immediately write down every new event/appointment in your monthly spread as soon as the date is confirmed. I cannot stress enough the importance of this habit. The entire point of keeping a planner is to track shit you need to do.
Every morning or night, check your list and cross off the things you have done. Add or remove tasks as needed. I use the bullet journal format as I find it to be intuitive. The action of putting that x on a completed task is very rewarding, but you can also create little incentives to boost your productivity.
If you have a daily spread, you can use it to reflect on your productivity each day. It doesn’t have to be like grading yourself for your performance. Instead, you might want to write down what you learned that day, and summarize concepts that you are not familiar with in your own words. Set aside a chunk of time to do this at the end of the day before bed.
Feel free to ask me about planners because lord knows YA BOI GOT A TON TO SAY ABOUT THESE LITTLE SHITS.
The second part is about routines, and this deserves its own post. I will make one on routines (morning/commute/evening/Sundays) if I have time!