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<\/p>\n
The solution: make a schedule, not a to-do list.<\/h5>\n
Scheduling forces you to be realistic. How much studying can you actually do? Blocking off work, meetings, appointments, and even leisure time is the best way to see how much time you have to devote to studying a language.<\/p>\n
Schedule also forces you to be accountable. How busy are you, really? It\u2019s hard to blow off studying when you\u2019ve specifically scheduled time for it.<\/p>\n
Scheduling forces you to focus. Multi-tasking and distractions kill productivity. Scheduling all of the things you want to do in a day allows you to spread them out and dedicate yourself fully to each.<\/p>\n
Manage your free time, not just your study time.<\/h5>\n
Pro scheduling tip: don\u2019t just block off a few hours each week for language studies. Schedule everything<\/em>: gym classes, naps, that big date on Friday, etc. A time management study<\/a> from the Journal of Happiness Studies found that scheduling your \u201cfree time\u201d can improve quality of life.<\/p>\n Managing your free time can improve the quality of time spent, but also reveals a lot about the quantity of time you have so you can plan accordingly. Are you studying in short intervals (our recommendation) or for several hours at once? Don\u2019t Netflix a Spanish movie if you only have 20 minutes in your schedule. Don\u2019t burn through flashcards if you have 2 hours to work with.<\/p>\n If your schedule is fairly rigid, fit in some immersion time whenever you can. But if you\u2019ve got some flexibility, when should you schedule study time?<\/p>\n According to author Srinivas Rao, \u201cthe first hour of the day is one of the most critical. It sets the tone for what the rest of your day will be like. If you spend the first hour of your day distracted by pings, buzzes, notifications and dopamine, the rest of your day will be pretty much the same. On the other hand, if you spend the first hour of the day working on what you deemed your essential priorities that momentum will carry over.\u201d<\/p>\n Scheduling in study time\u2014reading a target language newspaper, completing a lesson in Transparent Language Online<\/a>\u2014early in your day ensures you\u2019ll get to it. More importantly, it sets the tone for a productive day, so you\u2019ll get to all the other things on your schedule as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cTo-dos are pipe dreams. Scheduling is a game plan.\u201d \u2013 Larry Kim A to-do list is an effective way to keep track of the things you need to, well, do. It\u2019s a lesson in organization, but not in productivity. How many times have you pushed that thing\u2014go to the recycling center, fix the leaky faucet…<\/p>\nFront-load your schedule with language.<\/h5>\n
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