Motivational Tips

Do you ever feel hopeless or unmotivated? I definitely do, especially when I don’t feel like doing my homework, cleaning my room, or just giving up when the math problem gets too hard. If you need help staying focused or motivated while working, this is the article for you. Here are some quotes and tips to inspire you to keep going even during tough situations! 

Feeling unmotivated to do your homework?

• Start a 30-45 minute timer, and when it ends, take a break from studying. During this break, do something that doesn’t relate to being on a device. Maybe start a puzzle, draw a picture, play with your pet, or stretch for the next 10-15 minutes. When your 10-15 minutes are up, you can get back into another 30-45 minutes of studying.

• Do you only have 20 minutes of free time and don’t feel like starting your work? Do it. Every second of studying will make it easier to finish your task in the end.

• Make a list of the number of tasks you need done on a sheet of paper. If it helps, you can use some colored markers to make this list. Then, instead of getting all your work out at once, go one by one and finish each assignment fully before moving on. This is a real time saver and helps me manage my time efficiently in a more organized way.

Feeling defeated and weak, as if you can’t do anything?

• “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden. In other words, there is always a way to succeed or find a solution; you just need to find it.

• Make a list of work you need to get done. Explain what you need to do in detail by making a box to check off for each step. For example, I make a box to mark off for the main task, which is to make a slideshow for health class. Then I add more boxes for each part: create a slideshow with a theme, fill out each slide with 5 sentences, and add pictures to complete the slides. This can help you feel like you are accomplishing more and getting your work done faster because you are checking off a lot of boxes.

• "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." -Tim Notke. You know those people who seem to “get it” on their first try? Don’t get discouraged. Often, the person who consistently works hard succeeds and grows throughout the process.

Feeling alone and too upset to do your chores or clean your room?

• Turn up the jams! Put on some headphones, plug in your speaker, or just play music through your iPhone. Choose one song to start and a small chore to do while the song plays. When the song ends, look to see how much you accomplished in just 2-3 minutes. You’ll realize that just a few minutes of cleaning your room or washing the dishes makes a difference. At the end, if you feel you can go for another 2-3 minutes, go ahead, and when your song ends, see how much you’ve accomplished then.

• Having a purpose for completing a task is very important. When I have a friend coming over to my house, cleaning my room becomes so much more important to me. So make a purpose for what you are doing by asking yourself, “Why am I doing this?” or, “How will I feel when this is done?”

• Break your room up into sections. For example:  Section 1-Bed (That would be making your bed or clearing off clutter), Section 2-Dresser (Clear off your dresser and wipe it down, getting all the dust off, then put everything back on in an organized fashion), Section 3-Floor (Clear everything off your floor and onto your bed so you can vacuum, then put it all back but in an organized way.) You could also add your closet or windows to this list as well. It's a good way to break up one big task into smaller ones! 

It might feel like a lot at first, but I believe these tips help relieve your stress. I use these tactics every day for homework and staying tidy. I don’t know what I would do without them. I hope these tips and motivational quotes have helped! Just remember to keep going and that you’re not alone! Don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend or role model.