Posts tagged motivation

Hi there Kangki, I am sorry that it has taken me this long to write back.

When I am feeling a little run down, I take some time off to do other things. For example, I will read a little, pursue a hobby, or even listen to some music. Generally, all of the things I do during these breaks are skewed towards my creative and inspirational interests like photography, architecture, design etc., anything that well help me clear my mind for a bit and give it a rest. I generally study 20 minutes at a time and take a break for about 10 minutes to quickly read something or listen to some music. 

Going hand in hand with this is, I take pause before starting work again and really refocus myself as to what I am doing and why I am doing it. It takes a few seconds but can put things into context. It comes in handy when I am so deep into my studies that I have lost sight of the start and the finish.

I hope that sort of answers your question. You can also search for ‘motivation’ in the sidebar for more posts on the topic. Also, thank you for your compliment. :)

The first step I usually try to do is eliminate whatever distractions I can. This may mean studying in a completely different environment away from things I like to do. For example, I will turn off my computer when I study or on occasion study at school in one of the tutorial rooms. That puts me in academic mode. This is the first thing.

The second thing I usually do is give myself some kind of schedule to work with where there is “dedicated” time to take a break and do other things. I usually study 20 minutes or so and then take a 10 minute break.

I think lastly is just resolve. The key to the above two working is still my own resistance to distraction and motivation to keep studying. That is something that one must overcome.

I hope this gives you some ideas that might allow yourself to overcome this obstacle. Good luck to you and take care.

I think that it is very important to be self motivated in any career period. When you start looking at scientific work as being the forefront of discoveries, you need to be motivated, be curious, and be engaged. That is what will make you enjoy your job and excel in your career.

There are definitely some moments where I have felt unmotivated to continue studying. However, I think that understanding that I could not give up trying is one aspect of how I stay involved. The other aspect is taking some time away from class to let my mind rest, something that I have sort of explored here. Find some time for yourself and do something else besides studying, something that you enjoy or you are interested in. Let your brain shift gears for a moment. That is what works best for me.

Hi there, thanks for the compliment. As hard as it is, you need to learn to take a break and readjust to a balanced lifestyle as much as possible. Dedicating yourself entirely to studying is not going to be as beneficial when you are overworking your brain. Do something different as I have kind of described in this previous response. If you can find balance, you will find the energy; if you find the energy, you will find some inspiration; if you find the inspiration, you will find motivation. Good luck to you.

Hi thanks for your patience redlyps,

I personally find that the challenge of college or university is not so much the material but rather time management. The learning curve for some science courses can be a bit steep and is somewhat dependent on having a good professor, but balancing your time is the more difficult part.

For me, managing the workload is related to how well I can focus and schedule my time. As I have mentioned in a past answer, I study best in 20 minute intervals, so I try to maximize my studying that way. Prioritizing work is important as well. I remember in secondary school, I would immediately finish all of the work I received within the first night or two and then just sit on it until it was due. Not very realistic in college. You will find that you will need to start spreading out your work. Do a little bit of this today, do a little bit of that tomorrow. Otherwise, you will get burned out very quickly.

In terms of motivation, just stick with it even when things seem hard. Determination can go a long way. If you really want something, keep trying until it becomes unrealistic to continue. However, focusing too hard on something can be draining. I balance myself with things that interest me and just let my brain take a breather before working my way forward again. Hope that helps. Good luck to you.

Thanks for writing imbusy,

When I feel like I’m running out of steam, I will typically listen to a lot of fresh music, read and look at a number of inspirational works or do some image-editing. I pretty much try to be upbeat and in a creative and inspired mood.

Hanging out with friends, watching a movie, opportunities where you can get away from the books for a brief little while help too. The tricky part is knowing when it’s time to get back to work. ;)