FIRST WEEK OF SUMMER BREAK

I've completed my first week of summer break. WOO HOO! How am I doing, you ask? Hmm... I'm a mix of busy, exhausted, happy to have some "free time," very happy to have spent some time with friends... and anxious to go back to school!!! I know, right?! Go back to school already?! After only one week of summer break?! Am I crazy?! Yes. :) I really want to be a licensed shorthand reporter by next year, ideally, mid-2010. But if I'm shooting for that, then I'd really have to eat, sleep, breathe, STENO, STENO, STENO!!! That's what I'm shooting for -- June 2010 -- but I'll be happy as long as it's sometime in 2010! Early 2011 the LATEST!!! :P I'm trying to keep track of my studying time, so I browsed the Internet for free calendars/to-do templates. Here are some awesome ones that I've found, that I use, and that I'd like to share with you now:

• This is a weekly schedule from HP that includes ample space for you to write what you did during class and after school. Click here for the PDF version, which you can also save.
• This is a weekly habits template. I think this would be a great tool to log how often you practice a new steno habit, especially one that might trip you up from time to time. Like, for me, that would be Q&A dictation. So I'd probably use this to log in how often and how long I practice my Q&A takes. Click here for the PDF version, which you can also save.

The following wonderful advice on achieving goals is taken from here.

10 WAYS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS QUICKER

• Make all your dreams real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what you want.
• Maintain at least one clearly defined goal for every major interest and role in your life.
• Set your goals so they are directly aligned with your life’s mission, purpose and passion.
• Create goals high enough to ignite your spirit and inspire you to take action.
• Write down all your goals in specific, measurable detail.
• Absolutely, unconditionally commit to hitting each of your targets.
• Share your goals with others for mutual accomplishment.
• Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.
• Take 10 minutes every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realized.
• Take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.

The following are two blog articles I found to be very helpful. They are:

• TOP 10 PRODUCTIVITY HACKS
• TOP 20 MOTIVATION HACKS

TIMING YOUR PRACTICE SESSIONS

I'm happily implementing the 20/20/20 minutes increments rule that Trevor from CSR Nation shared in "How to Study When You Don't Have Time." To read that article (if you missed it), click here. This "formula" is a great way to get A LOT of practicing done under ONE HOUR. Here is the 20/20/20 "formula" in a nutshell:

• Writing at a faster speed: 20 minutes
• Writing at your goal speed: 20 minutes
• Learning new briefs: 20 minutes

I found a great free tool online that we court reporting students can use to countdown our 20 minutes sessions. The website is Online-Stopwatch.com. They have different kinds of stopwatches with different designs and different functions -- ALL FOR FREE! Click here for their varied list of stopwatches to download them today! I personally like their classic "Countdown Timer" myself, which is the 2nd item on their list of downloadable gadgets. I use this both on my desktop and laptop when I'm studying on my machine. But this online stopwatch is an awesome tool to not track just your studying sessions, but ANYTHING really! It's a great way to keep you in check if you want to time yourself -- 20 minutes on CSR Nation, 20 minutes on Steno Nerd, 20 minutes on NCRA, etc. Hope this helps! If you have any other time-saving tips for studying efficiently for your fellow court reporting students, please don't hesitate to share in the comments section below! We'd all love to hear from you! And as always, THANK YOU for reading Steno Nerd! ;)

TIME MANAGEMENT

Even though I make To Do Lists, I don't always follow them perfectly. Who does?! Life happens, and we're only human! Well, this post is a reminder to myself (and you too, if you need it) that I need to manage my time well because time is very, very important. Like they say, if you waste money, you only lose money, and you are able to recover it. But if you waste time, you lose a part of your life, and you can never recover the seconds/minutes/hours/days that pass by. So let's make sure we're using our time wisely! The following excerpt is taken from one of my favorite authors and pastors, Dr. Charles Stanley of In Touch Ministries, from his book Success God’s Way: Achieving True Contentment and Purpose, Chapter 11: “The Successful Use of Your Time.”

Key #7: Review Your Day At the close of a day, review the way in which you have spent your time. Evaluate your schedule. Compare what you did with what you intended to do. Ask yourself:

• Did I make good use of my time?
• Did I procrastinate?
• Was I able to maintain my concentration?
• Did I engage in activities that truly were priorities?
• Did I make progress (even a little) toward the accomplishment of my God-given goals?

As you see yourself doing things you desire to do in order to be successful in God’s eyes, give thanks and praise to God for his guidance, help, and encouragement. If you recognize that you have made mistakes or have fallen short of the ideal schedule you set for yourself, ask the Lord’s forgiveness for any sins you have committed in wasting time, and then ask for His help to do better the next day. Don’t give up on the pursuit of your goals! Make adjustments, learn from your mistakes, and begin the next day with fresh enthusiasm and courage. As you put these seven principles* into action on a daily, consistent basis, you are going to discover that you are not only growing in self-esteem, but also moving closer and closer to the fulfillment of God’s purpose for your life. You will be doing what the Lord has set before you to do, and you will be in the process of becoming the person the Lord desires for you to be. The wise use of time is the mark of discipline. And discipline is essential for success. *Seven Keys to Good Time Management

1. Assume Responsibility
2. Seek God’s Guidance
3. Plan Your Schedule
4. Stay Organized
5. Rely on God’s Wisdom
6. Eliminate the Unimportant
7. Review Your Day