My Habit Goals for 2010

Mehdi of Stronglifts has written a number of great articles that discuss the powerful technique of habit formation, prompting me to write up a list of the habits I plan to form this year. As the year progresses, I am going to cross habits that I have formed out on the list.

• Become an early-riser. Wake up at 6AM every morning.
• Create a Sunday ritual where I outline my goals for the week.
• Be more militant when it comes to studying, setting aside study plans and routines for the week.
• Create a morning ritual for my nutritional goals.
• Learn the saving habit.

Once one habit is down, I’m going to move onto the next. Mehdi recommends following a habit for 30 days, and then progressing onto the next one.

How To Manage Stress During Exams

When stress gets out of hand, it’s no fun. That is why we need to create solutions that we can stick by when the going gets tough. Usually it isn’t as hard as people think to lower stress-levels at the most stressful times, such as around exams.

Here are a couple of surefire ways to lower your stress-levels during the exam period:

Relaxation
A no-brainer, but it’s one 90% of students don’t get right. They feel the need to closet themselves in a dark room and study non-stop for hours and hours. You need to relax; listen to some music, have sex and have some fun. These are all ways that are guaranteed to lower your stress-levels. The effect of having a pet such as a dog or bird is also very therapeutic.

Diet
I have written about the importance of diet in a previous post because it is such an important variable in our lives that we really have to keep under control. When we are under stress, our vitamin levels will drop considerably and we are more susceptible to giving into vices such as coffee and even alcohol. By staying on top of your nutrition and following the 8 nutritional rules, you will be able to reduce stress.

Exercise
Exercise is another topic I have written about previously, also being high on the agenda when it comes to our lifestyle. This is widely known: get our and exercise. Even if you are in the middle of your pre-exam study week. Exercise at least 3 times a week. I recommend the Stronglifts strength training program for beginners.

Talk
Talk about your problems. What is stressing you out? Go and tell someone. If you ‘bottle’ it all up inside, you are a time bomb waiting to explode. You need to get it all out in order to reduce stress.

Planning
Planning is a very effective way of lowering stress-levels. Learn the art of budgeting your time so that you don’t waste it on pointless activities. Be militant with your hours! If you know where your time is going, you won’t be stressed about it not going to the right place.

Stationary I Carry

The stationary we use is an important thing for a student. Along with our minds and the text books we carry, the pens and pencils that we write with are our most vital tools.

I carry the following stationary with me at all times on campus:

• 2 black Pilot G-2 gel pens
• 1 blue Pilot G-2 gel pen
• 4 Staedtler Triplus Fineliner’s – red, orange, blue and black
• 1 Muji wooden mechanical pencil
• 1 Muji metal 15cm ruler
• 1 Muji eraser

I keep it all in a small translucent plastic Muji box case.

What kind of stationary do you guys carry around at school or on campus?

5 Ways To Indirectly Improve Your Student Life

If you are like the rest of the student population, you will never feel just right unless your whole life is just right. Of course, it’s possible to maintain a bad ass student routine, but if you can straighten up the other components of your life, you are gonna feel a lot better off.

1. Become an early-riser

This is a given if you want to increase your productivity. There are only so many hours in the day, and by becoming an early riser you will be able to add just an hour or more precious time into your day with little effort. I think Mehdi’s guide to becoming an early riser from Stronglifts is one of the best out there, so check it out.

2. Eat well

If you are going to be putting stress on your body and mind in one area of your life, your student life, then don’t shovel junk down your throat, because guess what: your body is going to be even more stressed. Focus on healthy nutrition in-line with your exercise goals. I currently follow John M. Berardi’s Precision Nutrition System. It works wonders.

3. Exercise

Exercise is a great way to not only get fit, but also increase focus in other areas of life, namely student life. Break a sweat once a day, and you will have razor sharp concentration in the class room. Give strength training and martial arts a try. I have been strength training and practicing Muay Thai for a while now, and it definitely makes a difference when it comes to my study routine.

4. Socialise

Who would have thought? Unless you are a natural recluse, who has absolutely no problem with solitude, get out and socialise. You should be out of the house with friends having fun 3 times a week.

5. Read this blog

Shameless self-promotion, I know. But, the truth is: this is a great source of information for anyone wanting to improve their student life and become a top of the class student.