Time management is a learned skill just like anything else. As you begin your firefighter promotional exam prep you may struggle with managing your time when it comes to studying because it is a big time commitment. There are many study methods that can be used; today let’s explore the flowtime method.
Flowtime Study Technique Explained
The flowtime study technique is defined so simply as, “picking a task, working on it until you get tired, and then taking a break.” Simple as that. With the flowtime technique you let your body be the guide to when and for how long you study. No timers, no gimmicks, just going with your body's natural flow. You determine the stopping point of your study session or a point where you will take a break simply as when you begin to lose focus and your mind begins to wander. You listen to your body's natural rhythm and meet its needs instead of forcing yourself to study for x amount of time and break for y amount of time.
How To Start Flowtime Technique
Have a distraction free workspace. You need to be in a place where the distractions are limited. This is because with this technique you want to allow yourself to become fully immersed in the material. More distractions equals more breaks and less time spent studying. Since some distractions can be avoided it is best to be proactive.
Keep track of your time. As you begin to use the flowtime technique to study, it is important that you track your time to get an idea of how long you study for so you can schedule your study sessions appropriately. Keeping track of your time will also give you a better understanding of your body and brain as well. Even better, keep track of what caused you to take a break, whether someone walked in the room, you simply started thinking about other things and so on. This can help you stay proactive to help prevent further distractions in the future.
Pick ONLY one thing to work on. It is important that you do not try to do more than one study task at a time so you can give the thing you are working on your full attention. You want to be able to give your work your full undivided attention for this study method to work effectively.
Begin to study. That’s it, once you’ve picked what you will work on, just get into it.
Stop working when a distraction occurs. After you have begun studying, allow yourself to stop studying when you notice you have stopped focusing. This could be because you notice your back is sore and your body feels tired, your eyes are tired, your mind wanders to something unrelated to your studies, you get interrupted by someone or something, or you notice yourself getting frustrated with the material you are working on. These are all indicators you need a break.
Take a break. Now it is time to take a break that fits with the amount of time you have spent studying which is also why you keep track of the time you spent studying. For example, if you studied for 30 minutes or less, your study break should be between five and ten minutes max. However, if you really go into your work and you study for two hours, you should allow yourself a much longer break from 30 minutes to an hour.
Repeat until you are done studying. Once your break is over you will either get back into the material or call it a day. You decide what is best for your body and your schedule. Maybe you didn’t study for as long as you had hoped but your back is sore and so you can’t stay focused, that is okay. Maybe you went over time because you really enjoyed the material and were able to really get into it. The point of the flowtime technique is to just listen to your body and its needs as you study.
Benefits of Flowtime Technique
Give it Your Hundred Percent
A major benefit of the flowtime technique is you are able to give your full attention to your studies. You are fully focused on the material until you are not. Then you take a break to allow yourself to get back in the study zone. You aren’t half studying, half thinking about your plans for dinner. You allow yourself to pause and handle those dinner plans so when you get back to studying your mind doesn’t wander to that again. You are not going back and forth between multiple things, you are taking one thing at a time.
Personalized to You
This study method is one hundred percent personalized to you and your needs. You are prioritizing your individual needs which is so important because there is no one size fits all study method that works for everyone. You are not forcing yourself to study for more time when you are unable to focus because your time is not up yet. You simply give yourself a break because your body says it needs one.
More Focused Studying Means More Retention
It may seem like the flowtime study method will result in a lot more breaks but ultimately it will give you a more focused and productive study session. This is because you are not forcing yourself to study through the distractions and mind wandering. This allows you to be fully present and focused when you study. You will retain more this way and be able to study for longer periods of time. You may end up taking more breaks using this method, but that might just be what your body needs to have a productive study session.
Get to Know Yourself
One neat thing about the flowtime study method is that it will allow you to get to know yourself and how you study. You will get to know what chunks of time you study best in. what distracts you the most or causes you to take a break the most. This will ultimately help you better plan your study sessions. Also, these will all help you down the line as you continue to study and may even help you in other aspects of life such as being promoted to a rank that requires more desk work.
The Takeaway
The flowtime study method gives you complete control of your study session. It allows you to listen to your body fully and prevents you from forcing yourself to keep going when your body says stop so you don’t push yourself over your limit. Pushing yourself through fatigue and distraction results in a very scattered study session with limited retention. A flowtime study session allows for a focused and productive study session.