Why Students Fail to Achieve Their Goals Despite High Productivity and Hustling (and the Simple Solution)

Reading time: 3 min

90% of students trade a disproportionate amount of time & energy for minimal returns.

They take consistent action & implement the latest productivity tips/apps.

But fail to achieve their goals satisfactorily.

Here's is why, and the dead-simple solution.

Many students believe that improving efficiency and task-goal alignment is the best way to productively achieve their goals.

But there is an important factor missing in this:

The effectiveness of their actions, based on scientific studies.

When a student enters college and finds themselves suddenly and completely buried in an avalanche of commitments and deadlines, they turn to popular productivity methodologies. Most focus on raising task efficiency and goal setting. They rarely focus on scrutinising each task and evaluating whether science backs the effectiveness of each action.

This has systematically raised a generation of 'productive' hustlers, trading a disproportionate amount of time and energy investment for little returns.

• I see plenty of fellow college peers spending tons of time copying notes and reading lecture slides (inefficient study methods)—and getting mediocre grades.

• Setting an aerobic exercise goal and a vague crash diet plan for fat loss (inefficient and unsustainable)—and then complaining they can't lose fat for years.

• Sleeping far less than they should be, to "reclaim time" for work—and then be unfocused, inefficient, and losing out on the mountain of evidence-backed benefits of sleep.

10x Time, Effort & Efficiency is Nothing if Effectiveness is 0.

Taking action without first checking the science is praying for results.

I tested positive for all of the above at some point in my life. Spending a disproportionate amount of time and effort for minimal results. And then have no time to accomplish other things I wanted to do in life.

In my 1st year of college, I started obsessing over the evidence behind every action I took.

I scoured studies to find evidence-based, effective ways to study, transform my body, overcome mental health challenges, and form better relationships.

And it has been so freeing.

Newly spared time and energy, better health, and relief knowing what I am doing is statistically significantly (95%) likely to generate results.

Here's the first step living an evidence-based lifestyle.

Review what scientific studies say about the actions you're taking to achieve your goals.

Get an idea of how effective your actions are. If not scientifically optimal, change them.

Implement this and you will be certain that:

• Your actions are backed by evidence instead of pure belief

• You maximise the effectiveness of every action you take

• You reach your goals much more rapidly

We have entered the information age. Science and evidence is at our fingertips.

Our knowledge is no longer limited by nearby physical libraries and word of mouth.

We have access to the cumulative knowledge of scientists worldwide at our fingertips via the internet.

There is no need to base our actions and decisions off what we believe is best.

Instead, the data points of thousands of others and scientific research can show what works, and what doesn't.