It is that point of term where everyone is struggling to stay motivated and on top of their to-do lists and assignments.
The weather is getting crisp and the rainy days are so common, sometimes it’s a mission just to get out of bed and walk outside. These feelings are nothing new, it happens to everyone and everyone at some point or another struggles to get motivated.
When you think about staying motivated, often you’re already slacking a bit and need to get re-motivated once again. Before you can work towards getting your motivation back, you need to understand why you lost your motivation in the first place.
For me there are three main reasons I lose my motivation (and end up blogging or watching Grey’s Anatomy) — feeling overwhelmed, feeling incapable, or feeling exhausted (or of course a combination of the three). Figuring out why you’ve lost your motivation is the key to getting it back and kicking butt once again.
1. You’re feeling overwhelmed
We have all been there. Big projects are overwhelming (can you say dissertation). Sometimes you find yourself unable to even start the project or paper because you can’t move past the sheer volume of the amount of work due. In these situations I find it best to take your larger project and break it down into smaller, more manageable and less scary tasks. The key to this is creating attainable goals that will slowly but surely get you to the finish line and end goal. Just don’t forgot to schedule in a few breaks to refuel and keep moving forward.
2. You’re feeling incapable
We are human and there are only so many times you can fail (or not do well on) something before you give up. If you have lost your motivation because you’re feeling defeated, then make a change and try something new. If you keep getting poor grades on your essays then try some new writing techniques, reach out to your lecturer and ask what you could have done better and use their advice. Don’t set yourself up for failure by trying what you know doesn’t work over and over again. Shake it up!
3. You’re exhausted
This is me at the moment. Sometimes you over-schedule yourself, sometimes you don’t get enough sleep and sometimes you just have a lot of stuff to get done. You need to remember to always work smarter not harder. This means breaks. Numerous studies will (and have) told you that an all-nighter doesn’t work. Your brain needs a rest in order to retain what you need it to remember for your exams. Sometimes you just need a day off, or maybe just a nap can help motivate you to accomplish more and push forward. Staying motivated is a lot easier when you have enough sleep, exercise, and down time in your life.
And most importantly, reward yourself along the way! Insert Hotel Chocolat here. What are your secrets to getting motivated once you’ve lost it?
Read this post and other stories on Staci’s personal blog
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