By Hollie Muir , Senior Editor
Motivation is a word we may use frequently, during times like these, when things get tough and it is more important than ever to stay motivated. But what does it actually mean?
The general definition of motivation is a reason for acting or behaving in a particular way. Scientists define motivation as your general willingness to do something. It is the set of psychological forces that compel you to take action.
Now is the perfect time to motivate ourselves to do things that we may not have had time to do before, or just do try something new.
We know that relying on will power to achieve a goal is an achievement itself. So let's look at it from a different perspective. If we can change our mindset to thinking that motivation is a great thing, we can use it more often to help us achieve something. So, instead of thinking that to be motivated is to force yourself into doing something, think of motivation as inspiration, enthusiasm or a desire to achieve great things. You wouldn’t want to motivate yourself to do something that you hate or don’t want to do. So don’t. Motivate yourself to achieve a goal which in the short or long term will make you happy. This, in turn will make you want to motivate yourself to do more, therefore you will.
The most persistent need of motivation is that of continuing your learning and school work out of school, particularly if you are in Year 11 or Year 13. This is totally normal, and there is no need to punish yourself if you are struggling. We all need to continue expanding our knowledge for many reasons, and therefore, sometimes the amount of work is overpowering.
You may not want to get out of bed on time and complete a full day’s work of school. But, if you don’t, what will you achieve that day? Achievement is a thing done successfully with effort, skill or courage. But, the process of achieving something requires motivation. So how can we do this? There are many ways we can achieve achievement, here are a few of my favourites:
Focus on the future- Focusing on our future aspirations will make us realise we have to do the things we may not want to do, in the present time, in order to help us achieve our goals. If you have a career in mind, take a look at the requirements needed for those professions. This way, if you have a career or future aspiration in mind you will be able to motivate yourself easily.
Goals/Chunking- Having a long list of large tasks to complete in a day can be a bit overwhelming. So, break it down and don’t rush. Rushing will cause more stress to build up, especially if there is a topic you are struggling with. It is all about managing your time and space. “Constantly reflecting on how you’re learning, what you’re learning and why you’re learning it, can give you that purpose and motivation.”- Karen Foley, from the Open University.
Reward yourself- But, be careful of what you reward yourself with, especially if you are rewarding yourself often. Try keeping a list of things you can give yourself as a reward. This could be going on a walk/ exercising, checking your phone, or telling yourself something positive- about you or something you enjoy. Even simple quotes like “make today great”, can help.
Form a routine- Keeping to school alarms and times of lessons can really help. This lets you feel in control of the day and can motivate you to achieve your goals. If you wake up feeling ready, you will be. But, don’t think that you have to have the same routine as everyone else. Do what makes you feel comfortable.
Motivation makes things happen. If you can master motivation, you will be more able to deal with life’s setbacks, as well as inspire yourself to always find a way forward. This will lead to a growth mindset, where you know you can achieve anything you want to.
If you think positively all of the time, you will make the most out of situations. So, maybe we should start thinking of more “what if’s?” than thinking things are certain to happen. “What if I got out of bed earlier today?”, “what if I did some fitness today?”, “what if I learnt something new today?” or “what if I did something creative today?”
All of these things can help you feel more open minded about the day. So, here are a few things I would recommend you doing to take your mind off things and make you feel more motivated for the day ahead:
Fitness- try something new like yoga or do something you enjoy, such as walking, running, skipping, workouts or dancing.
Being creative- Painting, drawing, colouring in, photography, craft and writing.
Doing things that keep you busy- Cooking, baking, gardening, watching films, theatre performances or documentaries, writing letters to family or friends, reading a book or making a list of what you would like to do after all of this is over.
Here is a huge list of things you can do or visit for free! The list is endless and filled with unusual things you may not have tried before: https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/50-free-things-you-can-do-during-lockdown
So, overall, knowing you can motivate yourself to do whatever you want, you will. Take the days one step at a time, appreciate everything you have and stay happy and safe.
Here are two very useful links to more articles on motivation and how to motivate yourself and others:
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