How to Be Efficient

How to be efficient. Efficiency is about consistency. We call Shovel a study system, which is a consistent way of doing things the same way every day to get a predictable result. The keyword is consistent because without consistency, you're just winging it, and winging it means chaos. Unfortunately, that's what we see all the time: students doing things in all kinds of different ways for no apparent reason at all. But I get it—I used to do the same. It's not really our fault because nobody ever told us how to do things the right way.

Jim and I created the Shovel study system to help you bring some order into your college life. First, by putting you in complete control of your time and tasks using the Shovel app, and second, by showing you how to study to get the best results. Those are the big things: time and study habits. Now, I want to take one more step and cover some of the smaller things—tips that may add incremental efficiency each day. When they're all used cohesively with what you already know, they'll add up to a lot of extra time and a whole lot less stress, as long as you do them consistently.

That's the overriding theme of this video: establish consistency in everything you do. Consistency is what gets you a predictable result. It's what helps you be efficient in everything you do surrounding your studies. So, let's cover what some of those things are.

Establish a routine. Consistency is about establishing a routine around everything you do. That starts with when you wake up, your morning routine, your classes, and your activities. It's about having a routine of creating a schedule, organizing all of your tasks, and managing everything in one place. A routine also includes where, when, and how you do things. All of this establishes self-discipline and the habit of doing things consistently the same way every time. It ensures you know where you need to be and get tasks done when you said you would.

None of what I've said here is unusual. Everyone is a creature of habit. We follow certain daily routines without even thinking about them, but in college, it's especially important to be aware of these routines. Not only is your time limited and your workload large, but the consequences of missing things or falling behind are bad. Remember, a high GPA can unlock a high-earning future, while a bad one can ruin it.

I already covered where to study, so let's look at when to study. A big area you need to make part of your consistent routine is when you're going to study—and here, I don't mean time-blocking each task. I mean, more generally, big time blocks. Once you set up your time in Shovel, some big blocks are going to stand out. These are usually your weekday evenings, which are typically study time for everybody. Treat these big blocks just like class time. Do at least three solid hours of focused study.

Small time blocks are also important. As a hockey player who was short on time, I saw the power of this as soon as Jim explained it to me. Your success and your stress in college will be determined by how efficiently you use small blocks of time during the day. When you finish your time setup in Shovel, look at all of the small blocks of time between everything you have to do. You may have an hour here and 20 minutes there. Add them up and see what they total—it can be a huge amount. Some blocks may be too small to be useful, but see if you can move things around to create bigger blocks. Even if you can't, try to make use of every minute you can. Remember, the goal is to maximize all your available study time. That doesn't mean you'll use it all, but the more you have, the better. Especially when you're self-testing for exams, every extra hour can make a huge difference.

Now, let's look at the things you can do to increase efficiency in how you use your study time. First, take small bites. A lot of students avoid getting started on large tasks until they have more time, but there's nothing that says you have to complete an entire task in one sitting. Just do whatever you can. The more you get done now, the less you'll need to do later. The same thing goes for self-testing: you don't need to review an entire reading—just a few pages is enough to help commit things to memory. Even doing one small math problem is better than none at all. Keep getting ahead, completing tasks as you can, and try to stay at least one assignment ahead in every class. This extra cushion will significantly lower your stress.

That brings me to the cushion graph. Make sure everything is as high in the green as possible. There's no better feeling than being completely done and knowing you can do whatever you want to do. But that being said, don't waste your study time. One of the biggest benefits of having a study plan, good study habits, and a consistent routine is that you'll find yourself done with study blocks to spare. The temptation might be to do nothing at all, and sometimes that's fine, but try to use the extra time for periodic self-testing or to get further ahead. You created "me-time" for a reason. You know when you'll be having fun, so don't waste your study time.

Another important tip is: hard first, easy last. Everyone has that one brutal class each semester where they put off tasks as long as possible. When you start planning your tasks inside Shovel, try to tackle your hardest subjects as early as you can, when your mind is fresh. Doing a hard assignment at 10:00 AM is much easier than at 10:00 PM. This way, even if you run into problems, you'll have time to visit the professor. Knocking off the hardest tasks first gives you a sense of accomplishment and confidence. It makes whatever comes afterward feel easy by comparison.

Procrastination is a serious issue for many students. No matter how well you plan and study, there's always going to be an assignment you'll want to avoid. All the books we've read discuss procrastination, each with different ways of handling it. One author says procrastination is not a time management problem but an emotion management problem. There's always some unpleasant emotion associated with the task. To handle this, you can reward yourself with a break, a treat, or anything that makes you happy. Another method is temptation removal—eliminate anything that can distract you from studying. For example, studying in the library to avoid socializing or printing out materials to avoid digital distractions.

A third strategy is peer pressure or accountability, often through study groups. I'm usually not a fan of study groups because mine often turned into social hours with hockey friends. But this kind of group—where each person explicitly states their study goal and then works silently for a set time—can work well. Peer pressure to show up and get things done can be very motivating. In short, your motivation to impress others can help you stay disciplined. Try studying in the library and sitting in the front of class.

Remember, procrastination is primarily an emotional management issue, not a time management one. If you have a solid study plan, good habits, and a consistent routine, the fear that causes procrastination will be minimized. Jim also shares a quick tip: compare the pain of doing a task now with the consequences of not doing it. Which is worse—the discomfort of completing the task now or the regret of missing something enjoyable later? Then, as the Nike slogan says, just do it. It's never as bad as you think. Another helpful motivation is imagining the consequences of poor performance, like ending up back in your parents' basement because nobody wants to hire you.

We also advocate taking periodic breaks during study sessions. A popular method is the Pomodoro Technique, which involves 25-minute study periods followed by 5-minute breaks, with longer breaks after a couple of hours. However, we don't favor timed breaks because an alarm can disrupt your flow. Instead, take breaks based on accomplishments. If you're in a good rhythm, keep going. Take breaks when you've earned them, based on completed tasks, not just time passing.

Finally, cultivate a sense of urgency, not panic, about getting things done. A good study plan gives you constant awareness of your tasks. Regularly update your plan weekly—ideally Sunday nights—to reflect reality. This ensures accuracy. Lastly, commit to your plan. Adjustments are normal, but breaking commitments regularly defeats the purpose. When you've scheduled "me-time," enjoy it fully without worry.