How do you keep yourself motivated?

[WC-Passion]

It may seem like a simple question but I've always struggled with motivation.

Seems like I always have to set small goals and reminders for myself so I can consistently finish tasks, and even if I do, I sometimes find myself rushing through it or not going the extra mile afterwards to perfect it.

Revising for tests is always one of them. I'll revise somewhat for a small test, then not do any revision for while with no short-term goal in mind to motivate me and then I'll forget what I revised in the first place and move onto something else. It's a viscous cycle and I struggle to get out of it.

If anyone has any tips or any experiences of something that they tried and worked for them, I'd be interested in hearing it.

 

[gazza619]

Have some useful tips for you from real experiences:
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Get a mortgage
4. Add some bills on the credit cards

Result:
You will get plenty of motivation to take yourself out of the mess. Lol

 

[shaz619]

This is a good question, I've found myself in situations where I've wanted to throw in the towel and quit on my stool; those times when you just don't want to get up the next morning and you get all kinds of thoughts in really testing scenario's where you're under immense pressure. I had zero confidence or self belief but were mostly motivated by my personal issues and that kept me going, at the same time I was constantly plotting a plan b or c or d; create all these scenarios in my mind of what I could in anticipation of failure, while all those situations were extremely unpleasant to visualise, I think at the back of my mind it also kept the light bulb on. Looking back I was like a dog on edge not knowing where the next meal was going to come from.

But that's what worked for me I guess, it is weird because rather then visualise the best possible scenarios and having all that belief etc I was quite the opposite with the visualisations of all the things that could go wrong, constantly on edge and full of fear but I used that fear to motivate me and projected it towards the things which I wanted to achieve.

Whether positive or negative, visualisation can really help in my opinion; but everyone is different, you have to figure out what makes you click and keep on that path. By the sounds of it constantly setting yourself goals can really help you, keep sticky notes or a mini note pad of stuff which you need to get through and set yourself deadlines so you're able to complete the things which you need to, any thing that may help or remind you make full use of that.

On the mental / psychological side, always speak to people close to you or there could be such services at your educational institute they can really help in a major way; often there are so many facilities which are there but we don't use and they can be really helpful, and if you're having any problems on that front make sure not to bottle it all up inside.

 

[shaz619]

Have some useful tips for you from real experiences:
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Get a mortgage
4. Add some bills on the credit cards

Result:
You will get plenty of motivation to take yourself out of the mess. Lol

Family can make you do super human things don't it

 

[WC-Passion]

Have some useful tips for you from real experiences:
1. Get married
2. Have kids
3. Get a mortgage
4. Add some bills on the credit cards

Result:
You will get plenty of motivation to take yourself out of the mess. Lol

I'm still in mid-late teens, so I might have to give it about 8-10 years before I can use this one. Good to know it worked for you though.

This is a good question, I've found myself in situations where I've wanted to throw in the towel and quit on my stool; those times when you just don't want to get up the next morning and you get all kinds of thoughts in really testing scenario's where you're under immense pressure. I had zero confidence or self belief but were mostly motivated by my personal issues and that kept me going, at the same time I was constantly plotting a plan b or c or d; create all these scenarios in my mind of what I could in anticipation of failure, while all those situations were extremely unpleasant to visualise, I think at the back of my mind it also kept the light bulb on. Looking back I was like a dog on edge not knowing where the next meal was going to come from.

But that's what worked for me I guess, it is weird because rather then visualise the best possible scenarios and having all that belief etc I was quite the opposite with the visualisations of all the things that could go wrong, constantly on edge and full of fear but I used that fear to motivate me and projected it towards the things which I wanted to achieve.

Whether positive or negative, visualisation can really help in my opinion; but everyone is different, you have to figure out what makes you click and keep on that path. By the sounds of it constantly setting yourself goals can really help you, keep sticky notes or a mini note pad of stuff which you need to get through and set yourself deadlines so you're able to complete the things which you need to, any thing that may help or remind you make full use of that.

On the mental / psychological side, always speak to people close to you or there could be such services at your educational institute they can really help in a major way; often there are so many facilities which are there but we don't use and they can be really helpful, and if you're having any problems on that front make sure not to bottle it all up inside.

I have a lot of respect for you as I know to some extent what you've been through. Personally I'm quite lucky to not have faced as many hardships as you have, so I probably can't motivate myself with the fear of failure as much as you can. A lot of my successful friends say that this is one of their biggest motivators so I can see that although it might be stressful, it seems to work quite well.

I always plan out my week and leave reminders for dates of deadlines and what I have to do, and sometimes I make revision timetables but I find disciplining myself difficult and I can struggle to stick to those timetables. Procrastination and other things in my life can take over and I stop focusing on what I need to focus on and it's probably my biggest weakness as a person. There's a lot of situations where before I know it, it's 10pm that night and I've not trained/practised/revised as much as I'd have liked to.

I've tried talking to other people but in the past I felt like motivation is an issue you have to solve yourself. It's why in the past talking to others about it felt useless as it just sounded like an excuse for underachieving or being inconsistent with my productivity.

 

[shaz619]

I'm still in mid-late teens, so I might have to give it about 8-10 years before I can use this one. Good to know it worked for you though.



I have a lot of respect for you as I know to some extent what you've been through. Personally I'm quite lucky to not have faced as many hardships as you have, so I probably can't motivate myself with the fear of failure as much as you can. A lot of my successful friends say that this is one of their biggest motivators so I can see that although it might be stressful, it seems to work quite well.

I always plan out my week and leave reminders for dates of deadlines and what I have to do, and sometimes I make revision timetables but I find disciplining myself difficult and I can struggle to stick to those timetables. Procrastination and other things in my life can take over and I stop focusing on what I need to focus on and it's probably my biggest weakness as a person. There's a lot of situations where before I know it, it's 10pm that night and I've not trained/practised/revised as much as I'd have liked to.

I've tried talking to other people but in the past I felt like motivation is an issue you have to solve yourself. It's why in the past talking to others about it felt useless as it just sounded like an excuse for underachieving or being inconsistent with my productivity.

It is true that talking about it sometimes can seem unproductive and it is definitely something which you have to solve by yourself like most things but beyond having that motivation from those negative places, I'd say another thing that kept me going was this big goal of getting into my uni of choice and then leaving with a respectable qualification, this was another big driving force and I didn't get over the line in the time frame people usually do, that was like a bit of a passion to in a way and dream from when I was a bit younger to. So another good thing maybe would be asking yourself what you truly would like to do from your heart and not what anyone else says, we've all been there where so and so wants us to do a certain something, but is there something which you want to do or a place which you need to get to, that one thing that can keep you going? having that at the back of your mind can help in a major way.

With the planning your week, why not set yourself say realistic goals for example daily? that way when you complete majority of those tasks then you're not left with that empty feeling? I've tried creating a timetable in the past but it just didn't work for me, I kept it simple by prioritising the important tasks and deadlines which were coming up, then set realistic goals which I knew I can get through, now I wouldn't say I got everything done all the time, but that way I got a fair bit done. I think you're on the right track, but always keep it simple and then approach everything methodically. But keep trying different things, if weekly plans don't work try daily task list etc then whatever works best hopefully you will know what approach is best.

 

[shaz619]

It's all about that consistency and getting into a bit of a routine, trial and error can help, then once the right approach is found do it for maybe a few weeks to start off with then take it from there

 

[shaz619]

If there is anything else you find motivating try to apply it to your own scenario as well, I watch a great deal of Boxing and so many other inspiring movies, TV Shows etc and they do sort of subconsciously affect me lmao I wouldn't say I have any genuine role model but it can be crazy how so many external things can shape the way you work and stuff. But I can relate to you as well, I need to find that edge again; I've been coasting a little as of late and do the minimum after some set backs but the first step is always acknowledging it all before figuring out the solution am sure you will get there

 

[Suleiman]

Hah was about to make a thread just like this few days ago but didn’t know what to call it. This problem plagues a lot people.

 

[Abdul]

Think about the end goal, what you do today will improve all your tomorrows.

 

[Madplayer]

Hah was about to make a thread just like this few days ago but didn’t know what to call it. This problem plagues a lot people.

Woah. Same here. Wanted to start it a few days ago but didnt know what to call it.

 

[WC-Passion]

Woah. Same here. Wanted to start it a few days ago but didnt know what to call it.

Hah was about to make a thread just like this few days ago but didn’t know what to call it. This problem plagues a lot people.

Huh, I guess I'm not the only one then. I thought it might have been strange at first to ask this sort of question out of the blue.

It is true that talking about it sometimes can seem unproductive and it is definitely something which you have to solve by yourself like most things but beyond having that motivation from those negative places, I'd say another thing that kept me going was this big goal of getting into my uni of choice and then leaving with a respectable qualification, this was another big driving force and I didn't get over the line in the time frame people usually do, that was like a bit of a passion to in a way and dream from when I was a bit younger to. So another good thing maybe would be asking yourself what you truly would like to do from your heart and not what anyone else says, we've all been there where so and so wants us to do a certain something, but is there something which you want to do or a place which you need to get to, that one thing that can keep you going? having that at the back of your mind can help in a major way.

With the planning your week, why not set yourself say realistic goals for example daily? that way when you complete majority of those tasks then you're not left with that empty feeling? I've tried creating a timetable in the past but it just didn't work for me, I kept it simple by prioritising the important tasks and deadlines which were coming up, then set realistic goals which I knew I can get through, now I wouldn't say I got everything done all the time, but that way I got a fair bit done. I think you're on the right track, but always keep it simple and then approach everything methodically. But keep trying different things, if weekly plans don't work try daily task list etc then whatever works best hopefully you will know what approach is best.

Yeah I do want to go to Birmingham University and do get a degree there, and I've got all the subjects I need to do to get there locked in. What I truly want to do is always been a weird one, what I currently do is the most realistic and closest thing to a satisfactory end I can think of. Maybe something will change but I don't think that's the issue.

I can always set myself deadlines to meet for any training I have to do for work, or homework that I have to do for Sixth Form but I don't tend to be able to motivate myself to do those things that don't have a deadline but just make things easier for the future, like revision and going to the gym, or practising my other skills and hobbies. I'm going to try more lists and plans, maybe if I make it more detailed and make every hour less flexible I'll be able to stop myself from procrastinating and saying to myself "10 more minutes of relaxing won't be too harmful".

Think about the end goal, what you do today will improve all your tomorrows.

That's the thing, I do. All the revision and homework, training and practise I do is towards the end goal but when the end goal isn't close it makes me subconsciously want to do something else that makes the present easier. My motivation can sometimes be overshadowed by procrastination or short term fixes in the current if it's a long-term project that I'm working for.

 

[ElRaja]

It may seem like a simple question but I've always struggled with motivation.

Seems like I always have to set small goals and reminders for myself so I can consistently finish tasks, and even if I do, I sometimes find myself rushing through it or not going the extra mile afterwards to perfect it.

Revising for tests is always one of them. I'll revise somewhat for a small test, then not do any revision for while with no short-term goal in mind to motivate me and then I'll forget what I revised in the first place and move onto something else. It's a viscous cycle and I struggle to get out of it.

If anyone has any tips or any experiences of something that they tried and worked for them, I'd be interested in hearing it.

im much older than you and wonder about the same thing mate. i found that when i'm doing something i enjoy, the drive to succeed trumps the vagaries of motivation, however i've always been a bit of a specialist, not much of a generalist and i find focusing on too many things draining.

im guessing your in uni, i know roughly what you are going through, i guess, in the middle of second year it hit me, i had no idea why i was studying what i was studying, and it completely sapped me of that drive, and the enthusiasm i had. my career is totally different to my academic background fwiw.

as far as revision goes, the best way is to just get away from family, away from distractions, and just study and eat, and study and eat, and watch mindless youtube or tele to unwind for a few hours at night and sleep plenty. give yourself time to build into this routine but make sure the intensity only increases, doesnt wane, and finally the penultimate night before the exam cram all your last minute ratta, the stuff u cant learn, and the day and night before the exam dont even look at the revision content. just chill and relax.

this is coming from someone who hardly every revised, was super inconsistent in exams in academics, but passed all of, what are considered to be pretty tough professional exams, in my first go and usually quite well.

 

[Hyperion66]

This is a good question, I've found myself in situations where I've wanted to throw in the towel and quit on my stool; those times when you just don't want to get up the next morning and you get all kinds of thoughts in really testing scenario's where you're under immense pressure. I had zero confidence or self belief but were mostly motivated by my personal issues and that kept me going, at the same time I was constantly plotting a plan b or c or d; create all these scenarios in my mind of what I could in anticipation of failure, while all those situations were extremely unpleasant to visualise, I think at the back of my mind it also kept the light bulb on. Looking back I was like a dog on edge not knowing where the next meal was going to come from.

But that's what worked for me I guess, it is weird because rather then visualise the best possible scenarios and having all that belief etc I was quite the opposite with the visualisations of all the things that could go wrong, constantly on edge and full of fear but I used that fear to motivate me and projected it towards the things which I wanted to achieve.

Whether positive or negative, visualisation can really help in my opinion; but everyone is different, you have to figure out what makes you click and keep on that path. By the sounds of it constantly setting yourself goals can really help you, keep sticky notes or a mini note pad of stuff which you need to get through and set yourself deadlines so you're able to complete the things which you need to, any thing that may help or remind you make full use of that.

On the mental / psychological side, always speak to people close to you or there could be such services at your educational institute they can really help in a major way; often there are so many facilities which are there but we don't use and they can be really helpful, and if you're having any problems on that front make sure not to bottle it all up inside.

Very well written, I can relate to it personally.

 

[JaDed]

Do things against your will ,self sacrificing stuff like giving up junk food etc, forgoing your fav TV shows ,football match and use that will power to motivate yourself to achieve what you want.

 

[WC-Passion]

im much older than you and wonder about the same thing mate. i found that when i'm doing something i enjoy, the drive to succeed trumps the vagaries of motivation, however i've always been a bit of a specialist, not much of a generalist and i find focusing on too many things draining.

im guessing your in uni, i know roughly what you are going through, i guess, in the middle of second year it hit me, i had no idea why i was studying what i was studying, and it completely sapped me of that drive, and the enthusiasm i had. my career is totally different to my academic background fwiw.

as far as revision goes, the best way is to just get away from family, away from distractions, and just study and eat, and study and eat, and watch mindless youtube or tele to unwind for a few hours at night and sleep plenty. give yourself time to build into this routine but make sure the intensity only increases, doesnt wane, and finally the penultimate night before the exam cram all your last minute ratta, the stuff u cant learn, and the day and night before the exam dont even look at the revision content. just chill and relax.

this is coming from someone who hardly every revised, was super inconsistent in exams in academics, but passed all of, what are considered to be pretty tough professional exams, in my first go and usually quite well.

I try to get away from every distractions (including family) but it just doesn't work when it feels like distractions are everywhere. Sometimes I just go into my room, close my door and listen to a podcast or music and try and concentrate that way. It usually works with pretty well with homework but for revision it's not the greatest as you focus on what you're hearing and not the content.

Building routines have always been difficult. It's just been wake up, go to school/work/relax, come back home and then go from there and do homework, revise and watch some sport or play some video-games. I try making timetables or strict structures but I just end up sticking to it for a few days before I start trying other things.

I can cram pretty well, but if most of what I'm doing is cramming I'm not going to fulfil the potential I apparently have.

 

[WC-Passion]

Do things against your will ,self sacrificing stuff like giving up junk food etc, forgoing your fav TV shows ,football match and use that will power to motivate yourself to achieve what you want.

This is easily the hardest part. Without a lot of these things I kind of get into a rut where I'm just upset and it stops me from working. I need to find a good balance and a way to stop me from leaving the less enjoyable parts of my academic responsibilities behind for my passions sometimes.

 

[CricFan2012]

I've lost motivation as well since the last month, just tinkering on the outskirts of self-destruction.

Existential dread. What is the point of life? I don't even want to do anything, I am happy with the small things in life, what am I doing in University? Matters made worse through introversion.

I will be following this thread.

 

[Suleiman]

Do things against your will ,self sacrificing stuff like giving up junk food etc, forgoing your fav TV shows ,football match and use that will power to motivate yourself to achieve what you want.

This is probably the simplest, most valuable, but most difficult to implement piece of advice in all of this.

Sometimes your mind and emotions are on your side, sometimes they aren’t, you still have to do what is to be done being okay with however you feel be it negative or positive emotions.

But yeah I think willpower is like physical strength, it takes time to build, but it strengthens the more you train it

 

[sjahmed23]

Being in a healthy competition, in school me and my friends used to compete over grades now we are competing with each other over salary and positions. It may not be for everyone but I get my motivation from being competitive and the fear of falling behind.

 

[ElRaja]

I try to get away from every distractions (including family) but it just doesn't work when it feels like distractions are everywhere. Sometimes I just go into my room, close my door and listen to a podcast or music and try and concentrate that way. It usually works with pretty well with homework but for revision it's not the greatest as you focus on what you're hearing and not the content.

Building routines have always been difficult. It's just been wake up, go to school/work/relax, come back home and then go from there and do homework, revise and watch some sport or play some video-games. I try making timetables or strict structures but I just end up sticking to it for a few days before I start trying other things.

music/podcasts are a big no, no, unless its like study music, or that kinda stuff. i used to actually go to others peoples houses to reviese when they weren't home. revising for me at home is impossible, no way i can do it. simply overhearing other people talk breaks my concentration.

I can cram pretty well, but if most of what I'm doing is cramming I'm not going to fulfil the potential I apparently have.

only cram on stuff that is illogical, or in desperation, learning properly is the best way. fwiw my cramming technique involved writing down what i wanted to wrote learn, then picking out all the mistakes in it with a red pen. then writing it out again, hopefully this time with fewer mistakes and fewer red marks. invariably after the 9th or 10th go it was consistently correct, and when it came to the exam the actual act of writing it out it was made it the recall work for me, the physical action rather than recollecting it in my head.

 

[Syed1]

Being in a healthy competition, in school me and my friends used to compete over grades now we are competing with each other over salary and positions. It may not be for everyone but I get my motivation from being competitive and the fear of falling behind.

It can get a little unhealthy

 

[Syed1]

Have a goal in mind and then work towards it. Chase a dream, it will keep you motivated to no end.



I used to be very unmotivated and not doing anything spectacular in my career, then one fine day I woke up and enrolled in a Masters program focusing on robotics which then transformed into hardware design for autonomous cars with a professor who is a pioneer in this field.... now I'm just months away from graduation and already been approached by employers. Alhumdulilah. Once I have achieved this Inshallah I'll find something else to chase.



Chasing a dream is the greatest motivation. Also like IK said, "you only lose when you give up"

 

[sjahmed23]

Have a goal in mind and then work towards it. Chase a dream, it will keep you motivated to no end.



I used to be very unmotivated and not doing anything spectacular in my career, then one fine day I woke up and enrolled in a Masters program focusing on robotics which then transformed into hardware design for autonomous cars with a professor who is a pioneer in this field.... now I'm just months away from graduation and already been approached by employers. Alhumdulilah. Once I have achieved this Inshallah I'll find something else to chase.



Chasing a dream is the greatest motivation. Also like IK said, "you only lose when you give up"

Interesting, just out of curiosity what tech are you involved with? I'd imagine integration of camera and radar modules maybe even lidar? What sort've chip are you running. Do you also manage coding side of things or just hardware?

 

[Syed1]

Interesting, just out of curiosity what tech are you involved with? I'd imagine integration of camera and radar modules maybe even lidar? What sort've chip are you running. Do you also manage coding side of things or just hardware?

Yes, power and data for the long range LiDar, and short range LiDar, GPS unit, cameras and radars. Then a sub-project I'm working on atm is to design a PCB to check current going to all these components and output it on a display inside the car. Previously I designed a PCB to synchronize the components (meaning the camera, Lidar etc have their data streams on the same time lines). I have used Texas Instrument chips since those are the ones I'm most comfortable with. Also no hardware design is complete without coding, so yeah I do my own, usually in C language - because thats the only one I know lol, luckily it is the most widely used language in these hardware applications.

I'm very glad to know there are other people on PP who are in this field.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

im much older than you and wonder about the same thing mate. i found that when i'm doing something i enjoy, the drive to succeed trumps the vagaries of motivation, however i've always been a bit of a specialist, not much of a generalist and i find focusing on too many things draining.

im guessing your in uni, i know roughly what you are going through, i guess, in the middle of second year it hit me, i had no idea why i was studying what i was studying, and it completely sapped me of that drive, and the enthusiasm i had. my career is totally different to my academic background fwiw.

as far as revision goes, the best way is to just get away from family, away from distractions, and just study and eat, and study and eat, and watch mindless youtube or tele to unwind for a few hours at night and sleep plenty. give yourself time to build into this routine but make sure the intensity only increases, doesnt wane, and finally the penultimate night before the exam cram all your last minute ratta, the stuff u cant learn, and the day and night before the exam dont even look at the revision content. just chill and relax.

this is coming from someone who hardly every revised, was super inconsistent in exams in academics, but passed all of, what are considered to be pretty tough professional exams, in my first go and usually quite well.

This is me now. I'm gonna start my 3rd year and for some reason I have zero motivation/excitement for it. I've already failed 2 subjects which I'm going to have to repeat hence delaying my graduation . Plus, financial and emotional issues (no, I don't have a gf) are really pulling me down. I used to be the best student in my grade at high school; now I'm just scraping thru uni with a ****** GPA. What went wrong? I've no idea. I was super passionate abt my degree, abt aerospace eng. and abt my grades; now I'm always thinking let's just get on with it.
[MENTION=138836]WC-Passion[/MENTION] thanks for the thread bro. I feel this topic is affecting a lot of teens and undergrad students nowadays.

 

[PetroDollars]

always had the same problem till i learned how the brain functions.

what you need to do is do deep work to get into states of flow, the distractions you have should be turned into rewards and your brain will automatcily motivate you to do the work, read power of habit by charles duhigg.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Contrary to what a few have posted. I find that focussing on the 'NOW' instead of the future is more helpful. Focus on the little things you have to do today and do them as well as you can. If you constantly think of your long term goals, you might be overwhelmed by the magnitude of what you want to achieve and end up procrastinating what you ought to do today. Brother [MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION] has given some damn good advice as well - willfully and mindfully abstain from whatever you find pleasurable - junk food, alcohol, sex , etc etc. Fortifies your will. Hope it helps

 

[WC-Passion]

music/podcasts are a big no, no, unless its like study music, or that kinda stuff. i used to actually go to others peoples houses to reviese when they weren't home. revising for me at home is impossible, no way i can do it. simply overhearing other people talk breaks my concentration.



only cram on stuff that is illogical, or in desperation, learning properly is the best way. fwiw my cramming technique involved writing down what i wanted to wrote learn, then picking out all the mistakes in it with a red pen. then writing it out again, hopefully this time with fewer mistakes and fewer red marks. invariably after the 9th or 10th go it was consistently correct, and when it came to the exam the actual act of writing it out it was made it the recall work for me, the physical action rather than recollecting it in my head.

Hmm, I disagree. I study better when I have something that gets me thinking and podcasts and music are great for that. Generic study music is pointless imo. I always revise at home, might seem weird but being extroverted makes it very difficult to revise in public places such as the study rooms in my sixth form/college.

Yeah I've learnt that the act of recalling from your brain reconnecting the neurones that help your memory. So doing things like mind-maps and writing notes without opening the book, then highlighting your mistakes and revising what you did wrong and then doing the mind-maps again is a great way to make things stick in your head.

It's nice to see I managed to indirectly help people here by opening this thread. I made it on a whim due to my frustration of my lack of motivation to actually do something even though I really want to study and improve.