Paving Academic Success: Harnessing the Compound Effect for Lifelong Habits
Imagine This
Imagine you are lounging on your couch right before a familiar knock knocks on the door of your mind—Procrastination. You’ve encountered this unwelcome visitor before. You succumb to the allure of social media, scrolling endlessly with the promise of just “one more minute.” But those minutes somehow transpire into an hour, leaving you mired in guilt. Why couldn’t you prioritize studying for tomorrow’s test or completing yesterday’s homework instead of losing yourself in endless distractions?
At day’s end, procrastination reigns supreme as the culprit of our unproductive days. We’re lured by quick dopamine hits and consumed by mindless scrolling and texting, neglecting urgent tasks. We delay, promising to “do it later,” only to find ourselves scrambling to complete them in a frantic all-nighter, sacrificing sleep and squandering valuable time that could have been used more wisely.
The Compound Effect At Play
Simultaneously, as we expend our time and energy on trivial tasks, the Compound Effect quietly lurks in the background. This phenomenon, popularized by Darren Hardy in his book The Compound Effect (a must-read!), describes how seemingly small actions, if repeated consistently over time, can lead to significant results. Hardy elucidates this with the arbitrary penny scenario: would you rather receive a million dollars instantly or take a penny that doubles in value every day for 30 days? While the instant million seems appealing, the power of compounding reveals that the penny, doubling daily, would accumulate to over $5 million by the end of the month.
The Compound Effect can work either to our advantage or detriment, strongly dependent on the seemingly minutiae tasks we perform daily. Just as consistent small efforts can lead to substantial rewards, consistent minor distractions and procrastination can compound into significant setbacks. Where there are downs, there must be an up: the Compound Effect can undoubtedly be utilized to cultivate beneficial habits.
Using the Compound Effect to Your Advantage
Ask yourself: Why?
Simply saying what we “will” do is insufficient. Instead, according to Darren Hardy, we must cultivate a strong “why” behind our actions. Hardy emphasizes the importance of “why” power over mere “will” power, using the analogy of crossing a wooden plank. If the plank is on the ground, you would most likely walk across it. However, suspend that plank between two skyscrapers, and the task becomes daunting. Without a compelling reason, few would dare to attempt it. But, when a loved one in need is introduced on the other side, suddenly, the fear diminishes in the face of the driving force to help them—the “why.” Thus, having a clear purpose or motivation behind our actions is crucial, as it fuels our determination and propels us forward.
Now, view this phenomenon from an academic lens:
Jot down a list of academic goals.
Follow them with reasons WHY you want to achieve each one.
Outline the benefits you’ll gain from reaching these goals (This instills a sense of determination to tackle each goal).
One Step at a Time
Let’s say you have a lengthy research paper due in three days, and the thought of starting it fills you with apprehension, tempting you to procrastinate further. Remember: take it one step at a time.
Perhaps you could start by mapping out the next three days in your calendar:
Break Down the Task at Hand: Rather than fixating on completing the paper as a whole, view the task as checkpoints you must reach.
DIVIDE: Divide the research into smaller, achievable segments. For instance, you can allocate one whole day to scavenge for sources, the next day to work on half the paper, and reserve the final day for finalizing the paper.
Be Aware of the Consequences of Procrastination: Reiterate to yourself that procrastination only diverts you from your goals. Saying, "I'll do it tomorrow," will only impede your ability to truly relax and concentrate.
Good Comes to Those Who Wait: Having patience is key. Embracing a new mindset and cultivating new habits requires time before yielding noticeable results. Tiny actions that may seem trivial are constantly compounding before they bring about a colossal impact. Merely investing effort into cultivating the habit of finishing assignments could yield vast improvements in your grades within a year.
Everyone Is Different: Don't let discouragement set in if your habits seem futile or others are progressing faster than you. Remember, our lives are compounding at their unique rates. However, our actions are continuously building upon each other. For instance, let's say you aim to drink more water even though you've never been fond of it. Simply committing to adding a 250 mL glass more than your usual intake a day can lead to significant progress over time. In just a year, that small change would amount to 91,250 more mL (approximately 24 gallons) compared to if you had not started the habit.
Personal Anecdote
Being in AP Spanish as a non-native speaker can feel overwhelming, especially when surrounded by fluent Spanish speakers in the class. It is easy to feel behind and out of place. However, I've chosen to confront this consecrated inferiority by reviewing each class's notes and dedicating just 20 extra minutes daily to research topics or verb conjugations that I do not quite grasp. Rather than waiting the night before a big exam to cram and rework all my notes, investing this brief daily time ensures that I'm constantly keeping pace and understanding the material day by day. This proactive approach not only alleviates the pressure and stress on my shoulders but also enables me to identify and address any areas of weakness well before exams.
Just as dedicating 10 minutes to listening to a Spanish podcast each day can gradually enhance my auditory comprehension skills, simply embarking on the first step to ponder potential habits you could curate is already an amazing start.
Edited by: Esther Chung
