Adding up all the hours I can only conclude that I wasted a lot of time, really unnecessarily. And it is so simple: make sure you have a fixed spot for your keys (and telephone and other things you might need leaving the house) and you never have to search again. Therefor my keys and wallet are always – all right, almost always – in the glass bowl on top of the fridge. No more tiresome hunting and cursing on the way out. Small change, big result.
What change can you make while reading your articles?
You can ask yourself the next question before you start reading:
Why am I reading this?
This simple question will change a lot for you. The answer to that question will influence your strategy of reading. Do you read to grasp something, to find a definition, to comprehend the methodology, to obtain back ground information, or that you can use the text for your own theory or methodology? Or maybe you have a complete different goal.
Depending on the reasons you are reading, you can adapt your strategy. That means you might want to skip whole parts of texts or maybe only scan a specific paragraph or really dive deep into the subject. Or even decide you are not going to read at all but start to write your own opinion on something. Perhaps you need some more clarity because you realise that your reading is more or less procrastination.
Do you want to receive more tips, tricks and tools? Receive 244 #phd tips and get the newsletter as a bonus! Click here.
Get your free PhD tips
