#productivity tips

the end of a month is one of my FAVORITE times because i get to reflect on the month i just had, see all my progress and reconnect with the bigger picture. i wanted to share some of my glamorous end of the month rituals so that i can start in the most fabulous way possible...💬🎀

NEW MONTH RITUALS ;

❤︎ i buy myself a fresh bouquet of flowers

❤︎ i clean my handbag

hey lovelies! ✨

summer break is finally here and honestly? it's my favorite time to both relax and get things done. i know that sounds contradictory but trust me, finding that sweet balance between productivity and fun is totally possible! after years of either doing absolutely nothing or burning myself out, i've finally found my perfect summer rhythm.

first things first: the morning routine ✨

i've learned that my day flows so much better when i start it intentionally. i wake up around 8 or 9 (not too early because we deserve some extra sleep!), make my bed immediately (small win!), and spend 15 minutes journaling before checking my phone. this tiny habit has literally changed everything for me.

my summer morning essentials:

iced coffee with oat milk and a tiny bit of vanilla

a cute journal that makes me excited to write in it

10 minutes of stretching by my window

a super quick skincare routine (sunscreen is non-negotiable!)

creating a flexible structure 🤍

the secret to summer productivity is having just enough structure without feeling trapped. i divide my days into three parts:

morning: productive focus time (2-3 hours max) afternoon: flexible time for errands, friends, or projects evening: pure relaxation and fun

this way, i never feel like i'm missing out or falling behind. the key is being realistic about what you can actually accomplish in a day. i used to make these impossible to-do lists and then feel awful when i couldn't finish them.

my productivity non-negotiables:

i always make sure to do at least one productive thing each day, even if it's small. some of my favorites:

reading 20 pages of a book

organizing one small area of my room

working on a creative project for 30 minutes

learning something new for my blog

planning content or taking photos

balancing productivity with summer fun ✨

here's my little secret: schedule your fun just like you schedule your work! this sounds silly but it actually helps me look forward to both. some of my favorite summer activities that feel refreshing but don't derail my productivity:

morning walks with an audiobook

afternoon picnics where i can also read or brainstorm

coffee shop work dates with friends

sunset swims after a productive day

weekend day trips that recharge my creativity

my favorite productivity tools:

a paper planner (something about writing things down just works better for me)

the forest app to stay off my phone when focusing

aesthetic notion templates for organizing my projects

time blocking in my calendar with cute colors

lo-fi summer playlists that help me concentrate

remembering the why 🤍

summer isn't just about getting things done or having the perfect instagram moments. it's about growing, reflecting, and creating memories that will make you smile in december when it's freezing outside. productivity should support your joy, not replace it!

i've found that my happiest summer days are when i accomplish something meaningful in the morning and then have the freedom to be spontaneous in the afternoon and evening. balance isn't perfect every day, and that's okay too.

what are your favorite ways to stay productive during summer break? i'd love to hear your tips too!

xoxo, mindy 🤍

tl;dr: Don't give yourself the reward after you work, give yourself the reward while you work.

Why the old strategy doesn't work

First, it probably feels illogical to you. "Why would I wait to eat the chocolate when I can just eat it right now???"

Second reason is because it triggers demand avoidance, which is common in ADHD/Autism. Making yourself wait to have the reward boxes you in and turns into a demand, and this feels uncomfortable. And then you associate this discomfort with the task you're trying to do. Not good.

How this strategy works

It's important to note that this only works if you can multitask the reward with the main task. Eat ice cream while you write a paper. Listen to a podcast while you do the dishes. If you can't multitask with it, you may need a different strategy (like body doubling perhaps).

It also works better if the reward is special but not too special. If you like it too much you won't save it as a reward for these tasks. To help with this, find something with a limited quantity. For example, I light a particular scented candle whenever I clean the cat box, which happens to be pretty expensive, so I don't want to waste it.

So we've solved the demand avoidance problem, but there's another reason why this works, and it has to do with the role of dopamine. Dopamine is misunderstood as the "pleasure" chemical, but it's really the "reward" chemical, and it's not only released as a reward, but also in the anticipation of a reward, which is related to how much dopamine was released the last time you did that task.

So this strategy employs what I personally refer to as "dopamine training." When you give yourself something nice while doing a chore, your brain gets dopamine during the chore. It doesn't really know what part of the chore actually triggered the dopamine. If you want to make a habit out of this chore, focus on overloading the dopamine the first time. Eat a LOT of ice cream and don't worry about how many pages of your essay you wrote. You can try harder at that later.

➝ CREATING UNAUTHENTIC & UNINTENTIONAL GOALS

the biggest mistakes you can make when creating goals is making goals that aren’t true to you and making goals for the sake of making goals.

it can be so exciting when you decide to get your life together. I mean, of course it is! there are so many possibilities! but when you start planning, don’t just write down the goals you see circulating on social media. what works for someone else may not be what works for you. don’t make your goals and habits based on what’s trending or popular in the self improvement community.

think about what you actually need for a minute. what is actually necessary? your goals and habits aren’t here to be glamorous, they’re here to help regardless of how simple or small they are. the point of thinking up new habits is to improve your life, so be intentional with your goals. what will practicing this habit or achieving this goal give you?

when you’re first starting out, your goals don’t have to be anything too crazy or intense. for example, let’s say you want to become a pink pilates girl and get into fitness. you shouldn’t jump right into it and say your goal is to work out for 2 hours 5 times a week. let’s consider some factors first. have you been living a completely sedentary kind of lifestyle? then try looking for exercises that’ll wake up dormant muscles. your goal should then be to repeat those exercises for how ever many times a week. then you’ll work your way up from there. (it’s important we don’t harm the body, so be mindful with your fitness goals.) what about your schedule? how much time can you actually give to working out? can your body even endure working out for that long?

anyways, hopefully you see what I mean. when creating goals, it’s not about having the “aesthetic” habits and goals that you may see on tiktok or tumblr. it’s about doing what is actually good for you and what’ll help you the most with where you are now in your journey. so please put some thought into your goals and where they’ll take you. creating unauthentic and unintentional habits will also mean you’ll be less likely to keep practicing them after a few times. at the end of the day, that doesn’t help you achieve anything and you’re left with a broken promise you’ve made to yourself. which leads me to my next point…

➝ NOT KEEPING YOUR WORD WHEN IT COMES TO YOU

let me start off by saying this— if you don’t even listen to yourself, why should anyone else? (harsh, ik)

a HUGE reason as to why people have no self confidence is because they don’t listen to themselves or keep the promises they’ve made to themselves. if you have no self trust, how could you have any self confidence?

now, building discipline can definitely be a challenge so if you want to start somewhere easy, nip your false promises in the bud and stop yourself from making them. that’s what I did when I was first trying to stop this habit. when my addiction to tiktok was at its peak I would always tell myself the usual “ten more minutes and then I’ll stop scrolling.” when I wanted to stop making false promises, I knew I had no control or discipline so the only thing I could do is be real with myself. I’d cut myself off when I heard myself say “five more minutes” because I knew it wasn’t going to happen. if I wasn’t going to quit my bad habit, then the least I could do is be honest with myself.

the things that you are constantly telling yourself, whether they’re mindless or intentional, matter.

so, stop telling yourself seemingly harmless lies. unnecessary false promises that you know are false will only fill you with tension.

➝ SEEING FAILURE AS AN INVITATION TO GIVE UP

this applies to so many things.

you wanted to be consistent with your reading goals but haven’t read a chapter in a week? dont give up. don’t tell yourself that being consistent is too hard for you, that since you missed a week this habit isn’t for you. make your goal a bit easier or give yourself another chance.

you wanted to spend more time doing art but it’s not turning out how you expected? dont give up. dont give yourself the title of a “bad artist” and never pick up a pencil again. move forward, give yourself another chance.

you wanted to quit your Instagram addiction but after a couple days you went back to scrolling for hours on ig reels? Don’t give up. dont tell yourself that this addiction isn’t gonna go away, don’t go back to the bad habit because you slipped up. give yourself another chance.

Complete guide to succeeding in college~

Step one: find your why.

sit down with your journal or notes app, and spill your soul onto the paper. Why are you going to college? What do you want for your future? Why? Who do you want to be? Why? Keep asking, keep digging deeper.

research the steps to your dream job, its okay if you’re not exactly sure, but give yourself something to work towards.

schedule your classes and extracurricular activities to align with your dream future.

For example: i want to become a surgeon. So I’ve made a complete college plan that includes the courses required for my major and for medical school, as well as when i am going to volunteer, shadow, work, scribe, and take the mcat.

Step two: find your vibes.

From your color scheme to your mindset, customize your avatar. Scroll through Pinterest and tumblr for as long as it takes to make a mood board that fully embodies who you want to be.

Consider how you want your room to look, your makeup, your clothes and accessories, but also how you speak and the type of people you want to invite into your life.

Step three: Be the girl who over-organizes and over-prepares

Find the syllabus for each class and put in all your assignments, due dates, breaks/holidays, and professor contact information.

I personally use:

Google Calendar: exam dates, class schedule, personal schedules and events

Notion: big assignment tracker, professor info, entire plan for college, vision board

YPT: recording study time, analyzing your study habits, calendar that syncs with google, to do lists

My notion board:

Decide how and where you are going to take notes and do your practice questions. Computer, paper, or iPad? Which apps? What structure?

Personally, as a premed student, i use an iPad and the app Kilonotes, as i get to hand write with a stylus (helps you remember the information better than typing) but the notes are stored digitally- all in one place.

I wish everyone the best luck for this new school year/ semester ! Hope we all find our people, finds ourselves, and have fun !