How to Create a Personalized Self-Study Plan

Understanding Why You Struggle with Self-Study

• Many people have the intention to self-study but often end up procrastinating, feeling guilty, and disappointed.
• A major reason is the lack of a personalized schedule that fits one's unique lifestyle and energy levels.

Why Your Self-Study Schedule Might Not Work

• People have varying types of days, combining different schedules, making it impractical to stick to a single study schedule.
• Energy levels and motivation fluctuate throughout the day and can affect one's ability to stick to predetermined study times.

Types of Days and Scheduling Self-Study

1. Work/School Days:

   • Common misconception: having time means having energy.
   • Research by Dr. K Anders Ericsson shows that top performers practice in short intervals when energy is high, typically in the morning.
   • Solution: Schedule study sessions when energy is high, possibly in the morning, or find a consistent time slot that aligns with high energy levels.

2. Open Schedule Days:

   • The problem of Parkinson's law: Work expands to fill the time available.
   • Solution: Set specific deadlines for study periods or pair study with other commitments to create urgency.

3. Unpredictable/Busy Days:

   • Use the dopamine motivation hack to get motivated and maintain a habit of self-studying even if it’s just for a short time.

Using the Dopamine Theory

• Dopamine as Motivation:

  • Dopamine is more about anticipation and motivation than just a feel-good neurotransmitter.
  • Understanding its fluctuations can help you trick your brain into productivity.

• Dopamine Hack:

  • In moments of low motivation, deliberately doing something unpleasant can cause a rebound in dopamine levels, boosting motivation.
  • Example activities: Cold showers or push-ups.

Conclusion

• Recognize the variability in your days and adjust your study schedule accordingly.
• Focus on energy management instead of time management.
• Implement dopamine hacks to escape procrastination cycles.

Recommended Resource

• Brilliant.org:
  • A STEM learning platform featuring interactive courses.
  • Offers courses in math, stats, coding, and new topics like large language models.

Call to Action

• Try out the dopamine motivation hack.
• Engage with Brilliant for effective, hands-on learning.
• Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

By customizing a self-study plan to align with your daily rhythms and using motivational techniques, you can achieve consistent and effective learning outcomes.