Magoosh Video Lessons: Note-taking Very Time Consuming...Thoughts?

Dear odnoc,

I'm happy to respond. This is Mike McGarry, author of that study plan and voice of many of the Magoosh GMAT lessons.

My friend, you have chosen a path of diligence and thoroughness, and these qualities will serve you well on your GMAT preparation, in business school, and in your career.

At the same time, it's perfectly true---there's a trade-off between diligence and efficiency.

I don't know what GMAT score you want to achieve, what kind of progress you are trying to make from your starting point, and how important it is to achieve this result. Call all these concerns Priority #1

I also don't know your life and the many time demands--work, family, friends, etc. Let's collectively call the demands of everything outside GMAT preparation Priority #2.

You have to make the hard choices. What is the relative important of Priority #1 and Priority #2? If you decide Priority #1 is deserves more importance, then you would lean away from efficiency and toward diligence--this would demand some sacrifices in the Priority #2 world. If you decide Priority #2 is more important, then you would lean away from diligence toward efficiency, and this would involves sacrifices with respect to Priority #1. There are no easy solutions. Success is always about what you are willing to prioritize and what you are willing to sacrifice. The people who avoid hard choices are implicitly choosing mediocrity. People who try to pursue success with convenience don't achieve success. Excellence demands deep commitment.

Are there some time-sinks---for example, entertainment such as TV or video games--that you can sacrifice without sacrificing more meaningful investments of time on the Priority #2 side? It sounds as if, to give Priority #1 all the diligence it deserves, you need to give it more time, and this will require some kind of sacrifice somewhere else in your life. Obviously work and sleep and other such activities are non-negotiable allotments of time: for everything else you do in your recreational time, you have to ask yourself--what is the importance of this activity vs. the importance of GMAT success? How would I be spending this block of time to support my overall success in life?

I absolutely cannot tell you what is right for you. All I can do is indicate the choices you need to make. Facing hard decisions with intentionality and responsibility is exactly what good managers have to do every day. If you can get good at this now, you are practicing for success in your eventual career.

Please let me know if you have any responses or any further questions. I wish you the very best of good fortune!
Mike