How I Changed for Good and Became Productive
Change is good. But most people are afraid to embrace change
because it forces them out of their comfort zone. Without change, there is no
adventure in life. Life is boring without change. Change is a necessary element
of growth. If we don’t change, we don’t grow.
I am an above average student. I always remained in top 3
students in my class in school and currently in college. I used to study hard
continuously for 4-5 hours without breaks. This was an effective way to get good
marks but it used to burn me out. Moreover it resulted in learning for the sake
of passing the exam and not learning actually. I had the potential to come
first in class but my study methods were
not effective.
My parents used to suggest me to take breaks. I used to
ignore their advice. I thought it was not my fault that I could not come first
in class; just that the top 2 students were better than me. Even when I used to
learn other things, I tried to learn in a go without breaks. This strategy was
effective during school but it did not help me clear engineering entrance
exams. Although I practiced for them, I failed miserably in all the entrance
exams like IIT-JEE, AIEEE and IPU-CET in 2012.
That was the time when I tried to find the flaw in my
preparation strategy. I researched internet, asked friends and cousins the
reason. The biggest reason I found was that I didn’t take enough breaks between
my study routine. I thought studying without breaks meant more productivity but
I was wrong. Skipping breaks led to stress and exhaustion. Moreover I was
afraid that taking breaks could make me procrastinate my study.
After failing in engineering entrance exams, I started to
prepare for entrance exam of Polytechnics in Delhi for Diploma in Computer
Engineering. Learning from previous experiences, I started incorporating breaks
in-between my study schedule. Taking breaks improved my concentration levels
and I was able to grasp more than I used to previously. Breaks also improved my
focus and attention towards studies. Moreover I secured 544th rank
in the entrance exam for Diploma in Computer Engineering.
When I started taking breaks, they were irregular. Now-a-days
I use the Pomodoro Technique to take breaks. I use an app on my android phone
to keep track of time which alerts me to take breaks on regular intervals. The
technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals traditionally 25
minutes in length, separated by short breaks of 5 minutes. This technique has
helped me to excel in every endeavour I undertake; whether it be learning code,
blogging or reading books.
I found that incorporating breaks during studies was one of
the best change that I made in my life. Speaking of change, do check Housing.com and the below video to check how Housing.com has initiated change for the best.
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