At the beginning of freshman year, I told myself, “this year is going to be different.” I planned to step up my game. I was going to work hard to get the best grades I could possibly get so I could set myself up for an awesome future.

And then the real world shook me back into reality.

It’s hard to study.

Studying can be super boring. And given all the choices of stuff to do in life, it doesn’t happen to be on the top of any of my to-do lists.

It’s more like a necessary thing to do than a want-to-do thing.

Right?

Why Are You Studying Like Your Want-To-Do’s

I want to text my friends.

It’s automatic for me. Given all the choices of things to do in the world. That would be relatively high on the list below winning an Olympic gold medal, marrying a heart-throb that’s too good for me, and curing cancer.

Texting friends is practical and enjoyable.

So I do it whenever I have the time.

That fits in one category of life that I’d call, want-to-do’s.

Then there is the other category of need-to-do’s.

Brushing my teeth fits in that category.

I don’t brush my teeth because it’s fun. I brush my teeth because it would be totally gross if I didn’t.

To make sure I do it, I just do it at a few times of day like before I go out and before I go to bed.

Take note: I don’t do it whenever I have time. I do it at set times because I need to make sure it gets done.

Making Studying Is A Need-To-Do So You’ll Actually Study

I think most of my early struggles with studying for school were related to miscategorizing studying as a want-to-do.

I would come home from school and I’d “want to” study but as you probably know… wanting to do something doesn’t just get it done because there are other want-to-do’s.

I’ve recently begun treating studying like brushing my teeth.

After dinner, I study. I set specific goals. When I meet those goals, I stop studying.

And this has led studying to become a habit for me just like brushing my teeth.

Sure… it’s not my favorite thing in the world but I’m doing the right things more often because of this new way of thinking about studying. I don’t delay studying because I have a time.

How do you make sure that you study when you need to?

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