Written By; Adunola Ogedengbe
Motivation, defined by Oxford dictionary, is the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way. Now, that is the definition from Oxford, but motivation varies from person to person. My motivation can be the polar opposite of yours as people are driven by different ideas of success. Motivation is more than the desire or willingness of a student but rather the mindset one has. Now that we have described what motivation is, let’s delve deeper into what it may look like. To some, motivation may look like staying up until the night hours and overworking yourself to be the best version of yourself. To others, motivation may look like waking up in the morning and starting the day off with a positive mindset. The basis of motivation starts with yourself. Pushing through life’s storms and avoidng burnout comes with a concrete foundation of how healthy your mindset is. Ask yourself:
What is the end result of motivating myself now?
What can I do to push myself towards my long and short term goals?
How can I improve in this area of my life?
For whom am I doing this for?
Once you are able to thoughtfully and honestly answer these questions, you have positioned yourself for a season of growth which all starts with a shift in perspective.
Just because you had a rough start to second semester or maybe you struggled in a certain class all throughout the first semester does not entail that you cannot have a turnaround. If you truly believe that you will succeed and push yourself to the furthest extent possible, then it will happen. Do not become discouraged by the future as a result of the past. Do not allow the past to hold back your potential for the future. Instead, use mistakes of the past as fuel to propel the success of your future. It is easy to feel burnt out or discouraged during school. It’s also easy to compare yourself to another person or another student. Remember that everyone’s story is different and the circumstances we find ourselves in are unique to each person’s growth.
Many people’s motivation can be rooted in what they want to achieve in life. There’s two kinds of motivation: Intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is when students are motivated internally to progress towards a goal. On the other hand, extrinsic motivation comes from when a person is motivated by outside goals. Personally, for example, I am motivated by the idea of making my parents proud and achieving certain goals in life. Considering that my parents are immigrants from Nigeria, education is a priority to my family and I that we place high emphasis upon. I am the result of hard working individuals that risked everything–family, jobs, reputation, and more– just to assure that their future children would succeed in a country that offered limitless opportunities. I am well aware that my parents did not risk it all for me and my siblings just to slack off in school which is what keeps me motivated. The thought of giving back to people that gave up so much for me to be in this position today excites me. My parents’ dream for me has morphed into the dream and goals I now have for myself. Although it is easy to cripple under the weight of these expectations, I view school as a stepping stone to greater future endeavors which is why I try my best to form good habits now. I remember to always keep in mind that the work that I am putting in now will pay off in the future. This would be considered extrinsic motivation because the external factor acting upon my level of motivation would be my parents.
Ultimately, motivation can be measured by four factors: choice, level of achievement, persistence, and effort. The question now is, how can you re-energize yourself after losing motivation? Here is an acronym for the word ENERGIZE:
E-expect hardship
N-never say never
E-eliminate all distractions
R-reward yourself
G-give yourself a break
I-implement a schedule
Z-zone in on what you're doing good and what you could do better
E-embrace failure
E is to expect hardship. School isn’t easy and balancing academics amongst your social life, familial life, and extracurriculars can be difficult without a doubt. There will always be hardship and adversity but it depends on how you look at the situation. Will you overcome and rise above the storm? The choice is yours. N is to never say never. As stated in the aforementioned paragraphs, motivation is entirely based upon your mindset. It’s as simple as this: If you believe you can do it, you can. It is never too late to change your attitude towards your respective situation. E is to eliminate all distractions. Distractions can include your phone, certain people, and more. If something or someone is causing you to stray from your goal, then it’s best to create distance in an effort to progress towards your goal. For some, eliminating distractions may look like setting a time limit on how long you can be on your device for. For others, it may look like choosing to stay home on the weekend and studying as opposed to going out. Remember that it’s all about choice and every choice has a consequence, whether positive or negative. R is to reward yourself. Celebrate success and take time to appreciate how far you have come even when it is just taking the most miniscule step towards a goal. Creating incentives to reward yourself is a great place to start. For instance, studying for 45 minutes and then watching your favorite TV show for 15 minutes is a great way to reward oneself. G is to give yourself a break. In order to prevent burnout, it is imperative to give yourself breaks and recenter your mind. This may include mediation, prayer, or a short nap. I is to implement a schedule that is not too overbearing. Finding a way to structure your day without overwhelming yourself. I suggest using a planner to organize your tasks for your day while remaining reasonable. Z is to zone in what you are doing that is good and what you could do better. Make sure to not over-critique yourself but you still want to be honest and apply constructive-criticism in order to see a change. Lastly, E is to embrace failure and most importantly, to learn from it. When you fall, get up and see how you can adjust. The most important factor that goes into motivation is you.
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