Staying Motivated

Getting motivated is one thing; staying motivated is another. Which one is harder for you?
In order to stay motivated you should give yourself checkpoints on the way to reaching your goals. These checkpoints might include:

-Monitoring your motivation for learning just as you monitor your comprehension when you read. Each time you sit down to study, ask yourself about the level of motivation for what you are doing. You have an internal “body clock,” which means that you will find that certain times of the day are more conducive to learning than others. Try to plan your study sessions around those times.

-Studying the subjects you find the most difficult, or are least motivated to learn, first. Then move to the subjects that are easier, or those that you enjoy more. In that way you will be more likely to stay motivated to study the subjects you find the most interesting.

-Planning some breaks in your study time-don’t try to study for more than one hour without a short break because you will find it difficult to maintain your motivation.

But what if you find yourself losing motivation? It’s important to have strategies to follow in this scenario as well. It might help if you:

-Take a break and come back to what you were doing at a later time.
-Switch topics every hour or so.
-Work with a study group. Misery loves company and others can often demotivated you.
-Plan to study in the library or another quiet place if you find that your social life is interfering with studying because your friends are calling you or dropping by. Find somewhere to study where you will be free from distractions and temptation.