Revision. The word that causes dread and anxiety amongst students worldwide, yet the action that can differentiate between the one who succeeds with the one who fails. Many of us have this underlying fear of failure, most of us always seem to complain about the things we have the capability to change. Yet unfortunately most of us do not do anything about it, we let it fester and grow into something that we are not able to control anymore. Many of you will find it hard to revise and often procrastinate to avoid doing this dreadful chore, in fact some are willing to do actual chores to escape the torture that is revision, myself included. But why is this and how can u escape from these lazy habits and change your life for the better before it is too late.
The 5 second rule
Mel Robbins explicitly states how the human mind is designed to keep us safe from all threats and to stop us from doing things that make us feel anxious, it is in our nature. Perhaps in order to change to become a better individual, to do the things we yearn to do, to be the person we want to become, we need to take risks and do things that are uncertain. Yet this establishes a problem because we are stuck in between a battle with our brain and our heart. So she found the 5 second rule. Essentially, whenever we are on the verge of procrastinating we should close our eyes and count down from 5, whilst imagining a rocket taking off. This phenomenon works because our mind takes approximately 5 seconds to become distracted although it does vary from person to person. Therefore this serves to counter this and keep us focussed.
How to tackle time wasting
We are all given a specific amount of time to fulfil all of our dreams and ambitions, whether you dream of becoming the next Prime Minister or the next Beyoncé. However because we are given so much time to accomplish what needs to be done, it make us lazy, it gives us this temporary sense of security and it feeds our lack of action. So how can we stop killing time before it kills us. One method is to make a to do list and stick to it as if your life depends on it because it does. The habits you establish today and tomorrow can determine whether you succeed in the future. Another method is to be on top of the organisation game, by creating a revision timetable which is extremely beneficial because not only does it discipline us, it is proven to result in better grades. Another good technique is to take regular breaks, but instead of jumping straight onto a device try going outside and take in a breath of fresh air while reminding yourself about what you want to accomplish. This change in surrounding is very important in maintaining interests for longer amounts of time.
Get motivated
At the end of the day, motivation is what is going to make us want to revise. Notice how I used the word ‘want’ as oppose to ‘need’. This is because when one becomes motivated we seem to view things differently and it makes us more focussed and determined to do stuff because we know that it will help us. One way of motivating yourself for revision is to picture results day. One of two things could happen, you could open that piece of paper that will determine everything and see that all of your hard work has payed off or you could pick it up and see all your goals diminishing before your eyes as disappointment drips down your cheeks because you know that you could have worked harder a few months ago. What if I told you that you could choose which situation you want to be in. I am sure that 99.9% of you will choose success. But to make this happen revision is a must, do yourself a favour and start now, your future self will thank you.
“work hard in silence. Let success make the noise.”
By Umeh Jamiath, the sydney russell school
