Managing yourself: Surround yourself with the proper tools you need for your job
Ever since I knew that I would be an academic (probably around when I was 10 and realized that bookworms would probably end up being academics, be it professors, researchers or both), I figured I needed to enable myself with tools that made my life easier. I may live a frugal life, but I will never scrimp on stuff to make my life easier. Yes, I know that having a DSLR would probably be nice for my blog, but as I am a full-time professor, I really don’t think I need one right now.
But what I realized since I was little that I did need was a book stand (as pictured below) that would enable me to have a panoramic view of the papers I was taking notes from, to hold books, or simply to organize my own notes, while typing. I write a lot on my laptop, but I am very much a fan of desktop computers. As I was writing a paper yesterday, I realized that had I not asked my carpenter to build the book holder, I would probably have a disaster of books and articles on my desk. This contraption facilitates my work like very few other things do.
So I recommend that you should always surround yourself with the proper tools you need for your job. Don’t scrimp on stuff that facilitates your work. If you write a lot, consider ergonomic keyboards, chairs, etc. This is actually a piece of advice that JT gave me a few years ago: don’t be cheap on the computer chairs you use. And I completely agree. Same with other contraptions that I use for my academic work.
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Learning how to motivate yourself to do homework can help with school success from the early grades through graduate school. Homework motivation can be harder than it sounds, but good work habits and some personal rewards can go a long way toward getting it done. Procrastination just results in stress, so getting work done in a timely manner is ideal.