Being motivated is a sometimes elusive, but sought after attribute by many. Lack of motivation can lead to procrastination, half-hearted work, and just general disinterest in our daily duties of life.
I think the most fundamental thing about staying motivated is remembering why you’re doing what you’re doing. For students like myself, the end result isn’t even an exam. It’s not CSEC, CAPE, or even getting into university. It’s our futures.
Where do we see ourselves? We have to have some sort of vision and a plan as to how to get there. Let’s say you’re aspiring to be a doctor. What does it take? Which subjects do you have to do? Once you know that, understand that if you want your dream to become a reality, you have to do well in those subjects. So even if you despise numbers and higher mathematics, if pure mathematics is a prerequisite, then you have to do it. We have to be able to see that we have to do tasks that we might not like now, so that in the future we can do what we would actually like to. Therefore, every time you get stuck on a differential equation, remember how it will feel when you treat your first patient and press on.
Sometimes though, we can have our goals in mind, but we still can’t muster the motivation to complete the tasks to get us there. They may feel too daunting, stressful, or you may just dislike them too much. It happens. One of the things you can do in such a case is try breaking up the project into little bits, and rewarding yourself after completing each bit. Alternatively, you can try tackling it a little every day until it’s due. I’d advise the second case, especially if you foresee that the actual process of doing the task will be stressful. It’s better to spread those out over long-term periods to avoid overwhelming yourself.
Finally, have someone (preferably a motivated person) help you out. Talk to them, tell them of your aspirations, and ask them to check up on your progress. Explain to them why you want to accomplish your goals so if for some reason you forget, they can always remind you.
