Timekeeping 101
The quickest, easiest and mostly sustainable way to keep time while studying
For my initial two attempts in UPSC time keeping was by a mental calculation of how many hours I think I studied, including class hours for a coaching or writing a mock test. This used to be a ballpark figure which in my head varied from 8 - 13 hours. I never knew how much was I actually studying, productively.
Inspiration comes from random sources and I heard a podcast about noting your time of work done physically. This was a game changer.
The Process
Take a small diary / flash cards
Start a new page everyday
Write the time you start studying / work
Write the time you stop. Exact time. Everytime. Even if it is for a short tea / bio break (you’ll learn to account for this eventually in bulk, but do it rigorously for sometime)
Calculate the total time at the end of day
Repeat daily
Try to maintain number of hours studied/worked in upcoming days (make a Seinfeld Chain)
Benefits
The tangible physicality of the process gives the sense of achievement
Seeing number of hours either maintained each day or increasing each day is a source of deep intrinsic motivation. Better than most motivational videos online.
Gives the actual work/study hours
Efficiency can be tracked = {Time noted / Time sat for study} x 100
Cut down wastage and create time for leisure, play and fun
Flipping through pages after a month or so is an instant pride and ego boost
Caveats
Do not lose your flipbook/ notepad. It hurts.
Don’t use the note maker on your phone or an App. There’s magical power in touch, feel and tangibility.
Don’t fret if you lose out on maintaining the record for a day. You could be busy, writing a mock test, forgetful or just lazy. Let it be, do it the next day onwards
Focus is on chunks of study, deep study. Don’t make noting the time the focus of your study/work
May not work for everyone. We’re working on utilitarianism principle
Be honest. Do not inflate time to look good on paper. This is not Instagram, you’re not an Instagram Influenza, we are not aiming for likes
Samples
Last leg before Mains 2020
Flippin for pride