Motivation

Often students are being held back by an obstacle, fear of failure, or a memory of a time they failed. It is important to recognize, identify, and understand the causes behind underachievement. Once you have an idea of the source of the problem, you can develop a strategy to remove any psychological or environmental obstacles to your academic success. Tapping into your passions and interests is a great way to get yourself motivated. When our interests are validated, we eagerly spend time and money to learn whatever new skills may be necessary.

Possible Causes for Lack of Motivation:

  • Low self-esteem

  • Perceived or real lack of support at home

  • Perceived or real low expectations in the classroom

  • Perceived or real pressure and tension

  • External locus of control

Understanding locus of control and its link to motivation

Tips to increase motivation:

  1. Have a positive mindset

    • Positivity can be energizing and motivate you! Meanwhile pessimism can be draining to your motivation and energy.


  1. Try to understand your studying style better


  1. Visualize yourself starting


  1. Communicate to others any difficulties you are having and ask for help.

    • You can also inform them of your goal or plan and ask them to hold you accountable and check up on your progress.


  1. Take a time limit approach

    • Rather than attempting to complete all of your tasks, instead do as much as you can for a block of time.


  1. Eliminate distractions

    • Turn off your phone, find a place that works for you, tell those around you that you are off limits for a while, etc. Distractions are the antithesis to focus.


  1. Break tasks down into smaller steps

    • Write down all the steps to complete a task, and focus only on the step you are completing.


  1. Prioritize and cut down your to-do list

    • To-do lists can become overwhelming when there are many items to take care of. Go through your to-do list and prioritize. It may be best to focus on only some pressing items today and save the rest for another day.


  1. Set attainable goals that motivate you

    • If you have a goal that is too big or too far away, it may be discouraging. Instead set goals that excite you and are within reach and lead to your larger overall goal.


  1. Mix things up

    • While routine is helpful, a rut will ruin motivation. Mix things up when routine is becoming a rut. Examples are change up your exercise routine, rather than the gym go for a run in the park; study on your back porch rather than office; change up the music you listen to while completing a task; etc.


  1. Monitor your progress and celebrate it

    • Progress is motivating! It can also be helpful to reflect on your growth and credit yourself on your hard work.


  1. Be kind to yourself

    • Do not start the negative internal speech when you make a mistake or procrastinate. Negative speak will only make yourself feel worse and make you feel less motivated. Instead speak kindly and encourage yourself.


  1. Be constructive

    • Take procrastination or mistakes as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself, "why did I make that mistake? How can I avoid it in the future?"


  1. Seek out motivation

    • The saying "you are what you eat" applies to motivation. You are what you consume and we consume media daily. Add motivational media to your daily routine and it can help motivate you. Motivational podcasts, music, tv, videos, and social media can help energize and motivate you. The same applies to the people who surround you. Seek out people who are motivated, enthusiastic, and positive, then allow their energy to influence you.


How can parents help with motivation?

What to Do:

  • Celebrate your child’s successes, no matter how small.

  • Let your child know that failure is often part of the learning process.

  • Show respect for your child’s individuality, unique abilities, and learning style.

  • Set small, attainable goals at first.

  • Give positive feedback for performance.

  • Link school lessons to your child’s life.

  • Find creative and spontaneous ways to stimulate learning opportunities

  • Have siblings cooperate in supporting each other in studying and doing homework.

  • Find out and link your child’s interests to academics. If your child is interested in music, give them books about musicians. Allow him to investigate and discover his interests.

  • With guidance, give your child control and choices, like determining their school project topics.

  • Make a clear list of unacceptable behaviors and resulting consequences. For instance, a failing grade in a class might result in the loss of a favorite privilege until the grade is raised. Resist the temptation to ground your child indefinitely or to take away all prized possessions.

  • Use rewards carefully. External rewards are likely to result in limited progress that vanish when the reward disappears. Your child will do activities because of the feelings of enjoyment and accomplishment they evoke.


What Not To Do

  • Put your child down, threaten, and try to shame them into achievement.

  • Set rigid, arbitrary rules and high, lofty goals that are overwhelming and create an authoritarian atmosphere to force your child to comply.

  • Act unresponsive and uncaring when they perform well and are back on track.

  • Allow gifted child to remain in classes that do not stimulate them academically.

  • Set siblings against each other in competition to be better than one another.

  • Push your child to be interested in what you think he/she should be interested in.

  • Insist they do well at specific subjects to “get anywhere” or compete with others.

  • Avoid power struggles. Choose your battles wisely.