Ticking boxes

Sometimes, shit gets real and you really have to work towards a specific goal. The way there is not pleasant though. For purely illustrative purposes1, let’s say you have to prepare for a math exam at uni. The one (and frankly only) thing that always makes sure I reach that goal is the simplest productivity tool available. A sheet of paper. And here’s how it works: Write your goal at the top of the sheet. Count how many days you have left before you have to reach your goal (or set an arbitrary number if you’re not bound to a specific date2). Draw a square for each of these days, 7 days per row. Put it somewhere where you see it every day. It’s the desk in my case. That last step is the most important one. It’s also the reason I don’t use a classic habit tracker app for this technique. Two advantages: The goal is always visible, you won’t forget it. You can’t track too many goals simultaneously. Which helps prioritize your time day to day and combats overwhelm. Now you simply do the…