Four elements impact your effectiveness. I could break it down into 10, which would make the title a little more attractive. But let's stick with four.

Organized

Make a freeking daily schedule... Don't complicate it. Wake up in the morning, keep the phone away, grab a piece of paper, and plan your day. Time is a finite resource, and if you start your day with your phone... Well, you know how it goes: you evaporate the dopamine early, and nothing gets done.

The alternative to paper is Google Calendar or a similar option. And no, you don't need some complex calendar. Stick with the simple choice.

Planning can be difficult. So initially, I recommend you add a little more time than you think you need for a task. We tend to overestimate our capabilities. I still sometimes assume I can finish a task in an hour, and end up taking five.

Inspired and Focused

Why did I put these two together? Inspiration is a moment. It comes and goes. Focus is something that can be triggered by inspiration. You become inspired in various ways: literature/reading, podcasts, conversations, meditation, training, and other observations. To focus means to completely dedicate yourself to a specific task, without external distractions.

I recommend reading the book "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. There is a simple formula in the book: Quality work we produce = (time spent) × (intensity of focus). Therefore, we can invest more time in our work or improve focus (this, however, has its limits).

Sacrificial

Saturday, two weeks before one of the hardest exams, everyone's at the club, including the girl you have liked for a long time. You're in the library, preparing a new essay. You decided to sacrifice your present pleasure for a better future. Being sacrificial is also closely connected to planning how you use your time and sticking to the schedule. This way, we can track progress. Once again, being sacrificial is nothing more than understanding what's actually best for your future self.

Up-to-date

Social media isn't the place to find the latest information. It was never meant for that. Social media is a thief of time. Every time you scroll, you pay. Obviously not with physical money, but with your time and attention as a means of payment. Stop pulling the slot machine.

We don't need daily updates to function in society. Two to five newsletters a week can provide all the information you need. Numerous apps offer articles and news that aren't cluttered with distractions. We have to accept that we can't play the attention game against social media like. Algorithms are too good, and we're humans - victims of our desires. It's not shameful to accept that - it's shameful to fall for the same trick.