Know why you’re doing what you’re doing
If your life goal is to help the inner-city elderly population find affordable shelter and food, then know your core value of helping others is being moved forward with this study time. You’re one step closer!
Set goals
Few things can motivate like a good ol’ deadline. Here in study world, we call them goals. See Time Management (add link) post for some tips on making a goal to-do list. Creating small goals that are doable is more motivating than large, non-specific goals. Setting small goals is like eating the elephant one bite at a time.
Connect your task to your values
Name your values and claim them. If you’re studying to climb the corporate ladder, then focus on your values of self-improvement and achievement. There’s really no better investment than to invest in yourself anyway!
Create a vision board
Sounds corny, but hear me out. We are visual creatures. Having visual reminders of our goals, our purposes, and our futures gives our brains something to sink its teeth in to. If you can see it, you can accomplish it.
Create the perfect study area
This may just be all the motivation you need to crack open a textbook. I LOVE my glass top IKEA desk and it always makes me so very, very happy to roll myself up to it and hang out. I keep it neat and tidy, well-dusted and fingerprint free. And being surrounded my own stuff doesn’t hurt either.
Don’t waste time
There is nothing I hate worse than wasting time. Nobody has an unlimited amount of time on this earth, so why peter it away foolishly? When it’s study time, study. When it’s relaxing time, relax. Your life is a ticking clock.
Reward yourself
External rewards are great. Rewarding yourself is wonderful motivation. Whether it’s 10 minutes of gaming time or dinner out on Friday night, come up with some way to pat yourself on the back for all the hard work of studying.
An external reward I used was coloring in my Mosby’s A&P Coloring Book with my colorful Pilot pens! No judgement, please!
Internal rewards are great too. I.e, a job well done. Sometimes there are things we just have to do, whether we like it or not. Like making the bed in the morning. WHAT? You don’t make your bed in the morning?? That’s another post for another time. The internal reward for making your bed well EVERY morning is that it provides a sense of pride and accomplishment. It makes moving on to the next task easier and that feeling of productivity swells as the day goes on.
Don’t let studying take over your life
Nothing kills motivation faster than over doing it. You are human and if you make yourself study without vacations, without family nights or date night, without bubble baths or novels you’re going to hate the entire journey. And, like it not, this journey of studying is part of your life right now. Try to enjoy the journey.
Master the pep-talk
Stop what you’re doing right now. Go into the bathroom, close the door, and look at yourself in the mirror. Really look yourself in the eyes.
Now . . . repeat after me:
“I will pass my finals. I will pass my classes. I will not be defeated. I will finish strong!”
Cheers!
Thanks for stopping by. Leave me a message in the comments . . . I’d love to know your pep-talk!
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