Using Music to Focus
Time management is a crucial skill that can help you become more productive and successful. While traditional methods like setting a timer or watching the clock can be effective, they can also be dull and uninspiring. That's where music comes in. Incorporating music into your daily routine can help you stay on track and make time management more enjoyable.
Over the last 12 summers, I have worked on the Leadership Team at a sleep-away camp in the Catskill mountains. There, we follow a daily schedule of activities and events, and it is important for our campers to be on-time. We continued to notice that our campers really struggled to be at our morning line-up by the 8:10am start time despite the infamous bugle sounding at 7:45am. “Should we wake the camp earlier?” “Do we need to put clocks in every bunk?” Instead, we determined that we could use music to help motivate our campers and staff to better manage their time. Now, in the mornings, we play “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates. Our campers know that when they hear the song start, they need to begin leaving their bunks. They also know that they need to be seated at line-up by the time the song ends. Like magic, our campers were suddenly on-time for line-up… and they were smiling while they sang along to the upbeat tune!
While setting a timer or watching the clock can be effective time management tools, music can be a fun and engaging way to manage your time.
In this blog post, we'll discuss how music can improve your time management skills and provide practical tips for incorporating music into your daily routine.
How music can improve time management skills
Music is a powerful tool that can help improve your time management skills in several ways. Here are some of the ways that music can help you manage your time more effectively:
Provides structure: Just like a daily schedule, a playlist can provide structure and help you manage your time more effectively. By creating a playlist for different parts of your day, you'll know how much time you have for each task and can stay on track.
Sets a pace: Music can also set the pace for your day. Upbeat songs can help you start your day off on the right foot, while slower songs can help you wind down and relax.
Creates a positive mood: Listening to music can improve your mood and help you stay motivated throughout the day. When you're in a positive mood, you're more likely to be productive and get things done.
Practical tips for incorporating music into your daily routine:
Now that we've discussed the benefits of incorporating music into your daily routine, let's look at some practical tips for getting started.
Create a playlist: Spend a few minutes developing a playlist for the different parts of your day. For example, your Morning Playlist might be a set of songs that last for 20 minutes. You'll start to "tell time" through these tunes, and you might even feel a little bit of the beat in your mood each morning.
Use music as a cue: Just like the sleep-away camp in the Catskill mountains, you can use music as a cue to help you manage your time more effectively. Determine that you will listen to X number of songs before you take a break in your homework in the afternoon, or that you will brush your teeth each evening to the tune of your favorite song. You'll start to associate these tasks with the tune and become much better at "telling time" without a timer or clock!
Switch up your music: While it's important to have structure, it's also important to switch up your music every once in a while. This can help keep things fresh and prevent boredom. Try creating a new playlist each week or adding new songs to your existing playlists.
Conclusion
Incorporating music into your daily routine can help you manage your time more effectively, improve your mood, and make time management more enjoyable.
By creating a playlist, using music as a cue, and switching up your music, you can harness the power of music to help you stay on track and achieve your goals. So, the next time you're struggling with time management, try incorporating music into your routine and see how it can help you stay on track!