Spring Semester 2019 - Blog #10: Staying Motivated

There are times when we all need a dose of motivation to keep going and accomplish what we want, whether we are a college student, an aspiring author, new to exercise, trying to change eating habits, or anyone with a goal in life.  Problems can include bouncing back from a setback or struggling to pass up immediate pleasure to work toward a long-term goal.   If you always (or frequently!) struggle to keep going or give in to short-term temptations, you will not make steady progress toward your goal.

Here are some solutions:

v  Post motivational quotes where you can see them often. Two of my favorites:

o   “We are what we frequently do.  Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”  Aristotle

o   “Of course it’s hard. It is supposed to be hard.  If it was easy, everyone would do it.  Hard is what makes it great.”  Paraphrased from A League of Their Own.

v  Physically write down your goals and post them where you will see them daily – bathroom mirror, edge of computer screen, door to your room or garage etc.

v  Take a picture of your goal and make it your screen saver.  (Thanks to Bobby Bones for this idea!)

v  Make to-do lists of tasks needed to accomplish your goal – both short-term and long-term (two separate lists!).   It is very motivational to cross off a completed task!

v  Allow time for fun – just be selective about what you decide to do!

v  Read biographies about successful people and the obstacles that they overcame to accomplish their goals.

v  Think about a time when you did accomplish a goal and remember how hard you worked, how you kept going, and how great it felt to succeed.  A good example of this might be a team sport played in high school or saving money to buy something special.

We can accomplish amazing things, but it required dedication and motivation to keep working!  Stay focused and don’t give up!

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First Semester Success: 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hard copy from amazon.com and a hard copy from wordassociation.com.   Click  on the upper right link.

Spring Semester #9 – Setting False Deadlines

Setting false or early deadlines is an excellent strategy both for survival and motivation.  Here’s why:


Survival

·      If you plan to print your paper right before you leave for class you can be sure one or more of the following will happen at least once in your academic career – you will run out of paper, out of ink, the printer will not work, etc.

·       If you wait until the last minute to actually write the paper you can add getting sick, family emergency, car trouble, misunderstanding the directions, lack of information, or the most fun social event of the semester happening as you sit down to write.

Working ahead can also help with motivation

·       A sense of accomplishment is a great motivator!

·       Less stress because you will avoid all of the above problems.

·       The finished product will be better because you have time to revise.

·       We do better work when our brains have time to “mull over” what we are working on, and we often think of better plans for the paper or project.

It is a simple thing – just plan on getting the work done one or two days before the due date.  Write that earlier date in your planner as well as the due date. 


The next blog will deal with motivation.  There is often a slump during the semester, but time is so short and the semester moves so quickly that there is not time to have an extended period of no work.   The blog will give you some ideas about how to keep motivated even when you do not feel like doing the work.
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First Semester Success: 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available as an eBook and hard copy from amazon.com and a hard copy from wordassociation.com.