How To Build And Keep Motivation While Studying
You made a big decision to learn something new, in the first few days, you are excited, full of energy and you can deal with everything so efficiently. Then with time passing, your enthusiasm starts to wear off. You sit down with your laptop and stare at those words on your screen and before you know it, you start to fall into asleep. Before long you are in rut – studying has became an unavoidable pressure but you know you can’t give up, your already half way through.
Maintaining motivation truly is hard work, particularly when it comes to study. We’ve put together 7 Tips to keep you inspired and help you study with success:
1. Set goals
Before you start studying, set long-term goals and break them down to short-term tasks and milestones. Make sure your goals and tasks are realistic, challenging but also achievable. A good approach is to follow the SMART philosophy making sure your goals are:
- S– Specific (or Significant)
- M– Measurable (or Meaningful)
- A– Attainable (or Action-Oriented)
- R– Relevant (or Rewarding)
- T– Time-bound (or Trackable)
Don’t set goals or commitments bigger than what you can handle, otherwise it is easy to become overwhelmed and cause you to prematurely give up.
In order to stay motivated, you should create a realistic task list and allocate reasonable time frames to complete them in. This way, you will enjoy a sense of accomplishment and inspiration every time you fulfil your tasks.
Write your goals and timelines somewhere you can see them everyday so you will continually be reminded about what you want to achieve and by when.
2. The time for action is now!
Once you have decided what to achieve and by when – just do it. Don’t spend 3 hours sitting and thinking about whether or not you can do it. Just keep saying to yourself LET’S GET STARTED and think of how good it feels when you achieve those goals. Try allocating yourself 25 minutes study at a time. There’s a big chance at that 25 minute mark you will find yourself in the middle of something so why not extend your study for another 10 or 15 minutes. Before you know it is you will be tackling an hour a day in no time.
3. Take the small moments
If you are a busy person, with a full time job or you are a full time parent, then your time management skills will now need a polish. With Validum Institute’s easy to use and interactive learner portal you can study your course from any mobile device at any time. Take advantage of those small 5-10 minutes as opportunities to study – for example when you are brushing your teeth, having your lunch break, or when your kids are playing by themselves, grab your phone, tablet or laptop and grab a little study time. You will be surprised at how good you are at balancing your career, family, social life and education.
4. Reward yourself and relax
Don’t forget to reward yourself every time when you complete a milestone or task. It might be a little sweet treat, a small gift or simply a walk down street to get some exercise and fresh air. Take some time for yourself every week. Even if it’s just half an hour, go and do something relaxing that you enjoy. A clear and happy mind can do wonders to help you focus with study.
5. Be social and talk to people
When studying at home it can be easy to feel isolated. Why not look for a study partner or sign up to study with a friend. Getting together with someone to study can be fun – you can share your feelings with them, listen to their point of view, and encourage each other to reach your goals.
6. Create a calming study environment
Create a comfortable space to study or go someplace you feel calm. This could be a library, a coffee shop, your balcony, your home study, or the student lounge at Validum Institute – anywhere you can free your mind and stay away from noise and distraction.
Tidy your desk, put things easily within reach, prepare a cup of tea and some snacks to keep you energised and focused. Wear comfortable clothes and even tie back your long hair so it doesn’t distract your eyes. You’ll be surprised how these little things make a difference.
7. Keep a motivational journal
This might sound odd, but we all know how great it feels the moment when we reach a big goal. Why not take a moment to write down your feeling on a personal motivation notebook. It will become your biggest motivation next time you start something you’re procrastinating with. Before you know it, you will have your own collection of personal success stories showcasing how amazing you are and what you can achieve.
Talk to Validum Institute today on (07) 3193 5270 and learn how we can help you achieve your study success. It’s our commitment to making your study process enjoyable and full of fun.
