Motivation - and some thoughts on how to find it
Motivation can seem like a scarce commodity for many students at times and this can be especially true in the lead up to examinations. Without it though, your chances of getting the grades you want are likely to suffer. So what is this thing called motivation that for so many people is so hard to find?
Well, we can think of motivation as an inducement, or, as an incentive, something that leads us to act in a certain way to achieve a goal, to get what we want. So, it is associated with a perceived need or want, having a certain energy level and with purposeful (i.e. goal-directed) action. If you feel cold, you should be motivated to put on some warm clothes (or turn on the heater). If you're hungry, you should be motivated to eat. So far, so good. Similarly, if you've got exams coming up, or an essay due, you should be motivated to study. O.K. I hear what you're saying, "but it just doesn't work like that for me with study. I know the work is there.. I know I have to do it.. but I just can't do it… I can't get started".
O.K. this is the part where a bit of serious critical thinking needs to rear its ugly head! If you've stuck with me so far, I know you're serious about this and will indulge me while I begin to challenge one or two of those basic beliefs that may seem to hold you in such a vice-like grip at times. Alright, I'll try to be gentle here . WHERE is the evidence for believing you can't do it, you just can't get started? So it may be a struggle, but you can make a start. Making a start is often the hardest part. To do so, you will need to do something about the way you are thinking (otherwise, your negative thoughts about yourself may make you become prone to feeling depressed) and you will need to get yourself organised.
Consider this scenario: the end of semester and mid-year exams are looming, like some ominous black cloud, just a few weeks ahead. You've recently had a uni break but things didn't quite go according to plan and you haven't started that big assignment yet.. and "oh, no! (shock, horror!).. it can't really be due in three days time, can it? Oh, yeah.. there's another one due in .. what! ONE week?! Not to mention, my tutorial presentation for next week. Why is my life always so chaotic? Why does this happen to me? I can't handle all this." (Exit motivation, enter helplessness/ hopelessness/despair).
No use now lamenting loss of time for work during the break. Rather, tell yourself "the work is there and it is inevitable that I will do it!" What's needed now is energy and purposeful action, otherwise you will procrastinate and things will just seem to get worse. You will certainly want to avoid that! What you have to do now is to attack that chaotic snowball of fear, anxiety and negative self-talk. You have to turn your lethargy into action. So, you have to break down your tasks into manageable bits...this is critical. THEN you can begin to prioritise those bits, in terms of the most pressing things ahead of you. THEN you can make a start on them, one by one, completing each task before moving on to the next.
Making a start can help you to feel some momentum developing in your work. It will help you to feel more confident about yourself. "But", you say, "how can I do that major assignment in just THREE days?" Well, you probably can't do it very well in that time, BUT you can go to your lecturer, tell him/her you're a bit behind with your work, let him/her know that you take your work seriously and see if you can be given an extension. That way, at least you may have a little more room to breathe. Above all though, you need to approach things logically and strategically and commit yourself absolutely to getting the work done.
A few more things to consider to stoke up your motivation:
- You have the ability to undertake tertiary study. You are an intelligent person. If not, you wouldn't have been accepted into University.
- You may well have achieved some reasonable grades in your studies to date. If so, you can repeat that success. Think of what you've done right in the past.
- Think of 'S M A R T' goals in the way you plan your work, "Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely" and use these on a daily basis, a weekly basis and until the end of semester in dealing with your work.
- If you don't understand part of your academic work, talk with your tutor or lecturer about it.
- Give yourself credit for the progress you make each day, each week, whether studying for exams or writing an essay.
- Remember, progress consists of consecutive steps (including small ones) in a given direction. Plan your direction, your steps and develop a momentum in your work.
- Give yourself affirmations ("I have the intelligence and the ability to do this work!") and positive self-talk ("It is inevitable that I will do this work!").
- Try to reject those insidious negative thoughts and negative self- assessments, when they come into your head.
- Plan some reward(s) for your hard work at the end of semester, perhaps a holiday, perhaps a big night out with friends or buy yourself something nice, if finances permit. You will have deserved it!
- Think of the 'pay-offs' in getting your degree, basking in your feelings of success(!), better opportunities for the future. Visualise yourself on Graduation Day with family/friends.
- You are working towards that day, you are working towards that future.
- Make a start, now!
Add some motivational statements and ideas of your own to this list.
Need to talk with someone about motivational strategies?
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Further Reading
Feeling Good Burns, David
The Plus Factor Stanton, Harry
Procrastination: Why You Do It. What to Do About It. Burka, J and Yuen, L
The Success Factor Stanton, Harry
The Truth About Success and Motivation: Plain Advice on How to Be One of Life's Real Winners Montgomery, Bob (CD-ROM)