Motivational strategies

Strategies to set yourself up for success

Set clear goals for yourself. Include daily, weekly, semi-annual and long-term goals. Write them in an easily visible place. Use SMART goals to highlight and create plans: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound. For example: instead of saying, "I want to get good grades", say something like, "I want to get at least 85% in my BIO exam on March 5". Better yet, set specific goals (eg, increased study time, peer tutoring) that will help you track your progress toward that long-term goal. For example, instead of saying, "I want to do well in my online class," say something like, "I want to spend 30 minutes tomorrow taking notes in my Spanish book before I start my online homework. ."

Help you focus. Eliminate or limit things that distract you and cause you to procrastinate. Remove distracting apps from your phone, turn off the TV, study outside your home, put your phone/laptop away during class or study time, create a study space in your bedroom or 'your house, block Netflix, get rid of junk food, etc. If you know that something is difficult for you, make it difficult for you to accept the temptation.

Your rhythm. Break study, work, and reading time into small chunks (30-60 minutes) with breaks in between. Breaks are important for your concentration, health and motivation and should be included during every study session. If you have to study or work for a long time, go back and forth between one job or process and another.

To prioritize. Study early in the morning and do the most difficult or unpleasant tasks first. Research shows that working hard early in the morning can help you feel calmer and more productive throughout the day. It saves you from wasting time all day and having that horrible feeling of knowing you are going to do something wrong.

Location, location, location. Think about where you work best and where you would love to start and stay at work. For many people, their home or bed is uncomfortable, as it comes with many distractions. Some students concentrate well in public places such as the library or coffee shop, while others prefer to be quiet and secluded, such as a quiet, secluded room on campus. Some students benefit from restricting the living space they use only for study and work.

Personal care plan

Get enough sleep. Requires at least 7 hours per night. Sleep is important for motivation. If you don't get enough rest and you're running around in the dust, it's hard for you to be productive, focused and motivated. Develop good morals and health. Organize healthy habits like diet, sleep, exercise, and study time into your daily routine, and stick to them. Motivating yourself to get things done is easy when you include it in your routine.

Eat and drink healthy. Drink enough water - your body needs water to function and improve its energy. Eat regularly, don't skip meals and try to eat healthy food. You need energy to get work done, and it's easier to get started and focus on work if you're well-nourished.

Metacognitive strategies

Think about what makes you happy, what makes you happy, and what motivates you. Try to balance what you do with the things that make you happy and satisfied. If you spend all your time doing or pursuing things that you don't like or are not interested in, you may not have enough motivation. Choosing activities and activities that you enjoy is one of the best ways to motivate yourself. Reward yourself for completing hard work and find strategies that will help you stay accountable.

Accept that you are not perfect. Many students are not motivated because they are afraid that they will not do as well as they would like. Fight your fear of failure by telling yourself that your self-esteem is not based on your ability to conceive. Add images of success to include personal and social success and growth.

Write a letter to your future self reminding you of your goals. Read this post when you feel unmotivated.

Meditate. When you have a task to complete, think before, during and after. Think about how you feel about the task, what you need to do to complete it, and how you feel when you're done. Talk to yourself out loud about your dreams and goals and give yourself encouraging and positive words. Praise yourself and tell yourself that you can do it. List the things that prevent you from doing what you need to do, and find ways to solve those problems. Be specific. Think long term. Stay focused on your long-term goals and think about them when you're not motivated. Remind yourself how this task or step brings you closer to your big goal. Print a picture of where you want to be in the future and put it on your wall or mirror.