Some viewers have sent me messages asking
how I grind so hard so often. I’m going to share a secret with you. I am, in fact, human. And I too have several moments where doing
work or studying is the last thing that I want to do. Over the years, I’ve learned how to work
around it and still manage to get a lot of things done. And in this video, I’ll show you how to
do the same. If you watch the entire video and follow the
instructions, I guarantee that you too will see results. What’s going on guys, Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com. For those of you who are new here, I graduated
with my M.D. in 2017 and matched into a competitive competitive surgical subspecialty. You can learn more on my vlog channel. Link in the description below. I am a firm believer that systems produce results. Relying on motivation, inspiration,
being energized, or any other fleeting emotion will not sustain you and not deliver the results that
you desire. I apply this philosophy to all aspects of
my life - from regularly exercising, to eating healthfully, to studying and getting work
done. It’s the system that delivers the results. Period. Now, let’s go over how you too can create
a system that allows you to overcome feeling tired, feeling bored, or just plain feeling
like you don’t want to study. The first step is assessing your current state. You know that your study habits and strategies
are not working, and you want to fix things. But the tricky thing about advice is that
one size does not fit all. You must first objectively examine your own
habits and systems to figure out in what ways you can optimize most effectively. We want to focus on the largest pain points
that allow us to put in the least amount of effort and get the maximum results. In order to do this, I suggest you keep a
journal or open up a note on your phone and jot down what you are doing and how you’re
feeling over the course of a day. Who are you studying with? When did you eat? When did you try to study, and when did you
begin feeling like you were just over it? Doing this for a couple days will give you
a better view of your current systems and pain points. You may find yourself growing more mindful
of how you feel and the things occurring around you, as I did. To maintain this, I now practice meditation regularly and journal
every night, which I find quite helpful. Step 2. Use the Power of Language
Sounds a bit woo woo, right? Hear me out. The power of language is the most important
part of this entire process. This is the foundation of the entire system. Our world is understood through language. And by making small adjustments, we can very effectively
reduce the friction involved in getting work done. Still not with me? Here are some ways to implement it: When I tell myself “I don’t feel like studying” I say out loud “so what?” No, literally, I actually say “so what”
out loud, which snaps me out of this limiting mindset. I’m in control, my feelings are fleeting.
So why would I follow them? The next time you don’t feel like studying,
say it out loud, and then say, “so what?” Next, use the word “and” instead of “but” when facing your problems. Subtle, right? See it in action. When you say “I have to study for my midterm,
BUT I’m tired and I don’t feel like studying,” you’re limiting your potential
options of action. You’re essentially telling yourself, “well,
I need to study, but I can’t because I just don’t feel like it!” However, when you say “I have to study for
my midterm, AND I don’t feel like studying,” you have two separate phrases, and the second
one doesn’t negate the first. You’re now telling yourself two independent
phrases that don’t conflict with one another. I know this totally sounds way out there. As someone who is very scientifically minded,
type A, and logical, this initially felt like some touchy feely nonsense, but I assure you that
this works. Try it out, and see for yourself how effective
it really is. Step 3. Lower the Activation Energy.
Dig back to your biology and chemistry classes. Do you remember how enzymes work? They facilitate a reaction by acting as a
catalyst, meaning they lower the activation energy. The reaction we’re trying to catalyze is
getting you to study. The main problem we have isn’t an issue
of actually doing the work. It’s just starting. Starting is the hardest part. So how do we make it easier? Take your large task and break it into something small. Once you think you’ve made it small, make
it even smaller than that. After the first time, you’re likely not
thinking small enough. For example, if you need to read 2 chapters
in your biology textbook in preparation for your upcoming quiz, telling yourself to read
just 1 chapter, or even 1 section is still too big. Instead, tell yourself to read one paragraph. No obligations. Just one paragraph, and then you can assess
if you want to keep working or not. And more often than not, you’ll find it much
easier to keep going. Do the same with your time commitment. It’s great that you blocked out the next
three hours to do work, but guess what, studying for three hours is incredibly daunting. You do not want to do that. You want to watch Med School Insiders YouTube
videos instead. Here’s how you get past that – you’re
not studying for three hours anymore. Instead, you’re studying for only 25 minutes,
which is a lot easier than 3 hours. After those 25 minutes are done, you’re getting
a break, guaranteed. Seems simple enough. This is the Pomodoro technique in action,
and it is one of my favorite study hacks. I go over more details on how to best use
it in my Pomodoro video. Choose Easy Tasks to Build Momentum.
Early on in the day, I generally like to knock out the difficult tasks first, since it makes
the rest of the day a breeze. But I don’t always get the luxury of doing
that. There are instances where starting is so difficult,
that there’s no way I would be able to tackle the most daunting task first. In those instances, I start with something
easy. That can be something as simple as doing my
laundry or washing dishes. Once I’ve built the momentum of getting
something small done, having a small victory, it becomes much easier to step it up to something
a little bigger. Lower your Expectations.
This one applies to creative works, such as writing an essay. First, using the steps above, we’ve already
told ourselves we’re not writing an essay, just one sentence. And we’re not writing for 1 hour, just for
3 minutes. If you find you still can’t get started,
lower your expectations. Intentionally tell yourself that you’re
going to write something bad. Not that you’re going to write something
and if it’s bad, then that’s fine. No, you’re literally going out with the task of writing something bad, intentionally. Sound crazy? Try it next time you’re stuck, and thank
me later. And finally, step 4. Add some spice.
If after steps 1 through 3, you're still feeling a bit dry, it’s time to add a bit of flavor
to the process. I find the methods included here to be particularly
useful if you’ve been studying for some time and find yourself running out of steam. This can be done in several different ways. Here are my favorites that have proven most
effective: First, if you find yourself getting bored of looking at your physics textbook, change
it up by either doing practice problems or studying for your English class instead. You can either vary the subject, such as going
from physics to English, or vary the method of studying, such as reading to doing practice
problems. One of my favorite ways to switch things up is
by doing one or two Pomodoro cycles of Anki flashcards and then returning to my original
work. It almost always makes me feel more refreshed. Incentivize Yourself with Rewards.
Find something you’re looking forward to, and tell yourself you’ll be able to do it
immediately after you finish your task. Let’s say a new episode of Top Gear comes
out, or maybe you’re excited to go out with your friends on a Friday night. Tell yourself you’ll be able to do exactly
that as soon as you’re done with your work. Watch yourself become much more efficient. Lastly, move.
Moving has two benefits. First, physically moving your body around
with walking or some light exercise is a highly effective way to reset and get into a better
mindset, ready for work. Second, moving to a new location can provide
enough of a novel stimulus to get you out of the rut and build momentum. By following this four-step system, you’ll be well equipped to get your studying and
work done, regardless of how you feel. Remember, emotions are fleeting, so don't give them too much weight. To really get the most out of this video and
optimize your system, I recommend you watch two additional videos. First, 7 Steps to Cure Procrastination. And second, Super Human Efficiency and Productivity. If you need additional help in honing your
study strategies and performing optimally in your classes, visit MedSchoolInsiders.com. We recently rolled out our tutoring services,
where you’ll be mentored and taught one-on-one with one of our top doctor advisors. Thank you all so much for watching. Let me know in the comments how this system
is working for you, and if you have any additions to share with the rest of us. If you liked the video, make sure you press
that like button. Hit subscribe and make sure you have the notification
bell enabled so that you don’t miss any new uploads. And I will see you guys in that next one.
