It’s easy to think you’re being efficient

Through the many things I have started in the last few months, I have learned how much doing stuff is important. I even came to think that doing anything is better than nothing.

One example of this is my study of coding. While at the beginning I felt like I had a proper goal, I think I lost it somewhere along the way and just let myself follow the lessons without thinking more about it.
For this reason, I ended up studying it mechanically.

It is often said that making your routine a habit you follow without even think about will contribute to efficiency and avoiding procrastination. But I think that when it comes to studying this is the problem in itself!

If you forget about the long-term goal and just let yourself follow your habits, the results reached will be lowered a great deal.

Indeed, I believe the core of efficiency is visualization.

Having a clear picture of what you wish for allows to look for small details that will provide further cementing of the knowledge and improve the quality of what you are trying to do.

For instance, if we stay in the example of coding. If you already have an idea of the style of the website you would like to create, then despite the hardships, you will find the details that concern you and those will stick better. This will clearly save you time in learning and improving your skills.

For this reason, while a routine in itself is useful in saving time, it is important not to forget the goal you have attached to it.

Why are your learning to code? Why are you writing? Why are you doing push-ups? Remember the reason behind it.

But if you think about it too much, then can you keep making it a routine?

I do agree with the idea of an automatic routine, but to actually make it useful, insert in it a visualization exercise in which you will spend time remembering, cementing and evolving your goal. Without such an exercise, at least part of your routine will end up being a waste of that precious time you gave yourself.

If you want to go even further, why not visualize your routine? If at the beginning of your routine, you visualize your goals and the incoming tasks you plan on doing, it could multiply your efficiency many times fold.

If you want to go even further, why not visualize your routine? If at the beginning of your routine, you visualize your goals and the incoming tasks you plan on doing, it could multiply your efficiency many times fold.

Originally published at yuhakko.wordpress.com on November 25, 2018.