“I am running behind schedule.“
“I have a backlog of class X1 chapters.”
“My current chapter is connected to my backlogs– What should I do?”
“Unable to go with a steady pace of the class and also have many backlogs.”
You must have these concerns in mind if you are a school going student or someone preparing for competitive exams. And if you face difficulty in completing the targets then you should know that you are not alone.
A Backlog is a workload that develops when you are unable to finish your topics on time. There can be multiple reasons behind the increasing backlog. This could be due to problems in your preparation strategy, delaying your schedule, procrastination, your health, or some other reason. With time, this backlog keeps on increasing and starts creating a burden on the students which develops the Fear of missing out(FOMO).
Now don’t panic when you have a backlog because you are not the only student who has it. Almost all students, including Toppers, have backlogs but what’s important is how to address the problem of backlogs. The very fact that you have identified it as a problem shows your seriousness and intent to solve it. I often say if you are struggling/ facing challenges, facing problems assume your preparation is going in the right direction. Usually, an easy path leads you nowhere.
PRESENT IS MORE IMPORTANT: Focus on topics that are being taught in present. If you leave the present topics and start studying for previously taught chapters, you are not resolving the backlog issue but further aggravating it. Your backlog list will keep on increasing. You will not be able to cover your backlogs with this strategy.
Remember the first step to cover backlogs is to ensure that no new backlogs are created. Whenever you are studying any topic and you get a doubt, make sure that you clear the doubt then and there itself. This will ensure that there is no creation of backlog in the first place and revise the topic otherwise you’ll forget it and a new backlog will be created.
Divide and Conquer – Devote 2–3 hours each day to complete your backlog. The rest of the time should be exclusively reserved for present homework. Make a list of backlogs and decide the sequence.
Keep following things in mind when you start covering your backlogs.
Last but not least the reason for backlog can be solving too many questions/ watching too many Youtube videos/ studying the chapter from multiple sources. So SAY NO to random stuff and ensure no deviation from the plan.
In a nutshell, the focus should be on resolving the problem of backlog and not grieving on the fact that you have backlogs. Remember if you focus on your goals, you will hardly get bothered by your problems but if your focus is more on problems, you will lose sight of your Goal.