Simple Steps To Motivate Learning
There is a crucial reason why many students get bad grades and stay far below their potential during their studies. It’s not because they’re too stupid or don’t really want to succeed. The reason is this: these students cannot motivate themselves to learn on their own.
In principle, they want to. But they cannot. They block themselves. They invent excuses so that they don’t have to learn, they deal with alibi actions or sit at the desk, rummage through their documents and… play with their smartphone, watch Netflix or google for the largest sand deposits is South America.
This procedure is everything – except productive.
And I bet you sometimes belong to exactly that kind of students and waste your time. Sometimes that may be okay, but at the end of the day that behavior makes you unhappy. To be exact, you make yourself unhappy. And that must not be.
That’s why I’m going to show you how you can immediately motivate yourself to learn in three simple steps.
How you can motivate yourself to learn
If you believe that you need iron discipline and Tibetan willpower to learn, you are wrong. You need a little bit of courage to write something and a stopwatch.
But one after the other:
Step 1: Start a new beginning!
It’s never too early – and it’s never too late for a fresh start. No matter what situation you are in right now: You always have the opportunity to start all over again in the next moment. Completely independent of what happened yesterday, last week or in the past five years. None of that counts. And this is exactly the huge advantage of a new start: You leave everything behind you and open a new chapter. Without feelings of guilt, without legacy.
The only important thing is that you mean business. Because the dynamics of a new beginning will immediately fizzle out again without the real intention of wanting to change something and won’t get you any further. Therefore make the firm decision to start a new attempt and this time to do it right – until the last consequence.
Turn your new beginning (even if you start with a small step) into something big. It’s not one of twenty-three equal options, but your unique chance to forget old missteps and do a lot better from now on.
Step 2: Set a target and write it down!
A goal only becomes a real goal when you write it down. So get used to writing down your goals. Quite classic on paper. At first glance it looks like just a small step, but this point has a big influence on your chances of success and your willingness to act. Very big even.
By writing down your goal, you make it tangible: You can see and touch it. And that’s how it becomes real. It is no longer a blurred desire or fantasy, but a binding goal. Your goal. It stands before you; you can see it. And that is why you will be much more likely to deal with it and do everything in your power to achieve it. You can no longer simply delete your goal from your thoughts. It stands in front of you and can no longer be created out of the world.
A written goal will motivate and incite you. It is more than just an expression of interest; it is rather an official agreement with yourself. The likelihood that you will stick to (or at least try to stick to) this agreement is much greater than with a spontaneous idea that just buzzes around in your head.
Step 3: Start a timer!
You know this: You are sitting in the lecture hall. You are nervous. The exams are handed out. Snap breathing. And then the professor says the three magic words: “Your time is running.” Now it counts. Time is short. Every second is valuable. You have pressure. You don’t really know what to write. But you have to start. You must not lose any time. You start.
Stress? Yes. Motivation to start? But hello! and all this only because of the three words. Three small words with big effect. It goes without saying that time passes – but by deliberately setting a time limit, by including a countdown, your willingness to act is increased many times over.
You can also use this effect for your daily work by setting yourself a timer to complete your tasks. Start a stopwatch every time you want to sit at your desk to study or work through your lecture notes. The time runs out puts you under pressure and you get a quick start. Your time is running – you have to start. And: This time is working time. Distractions are taboo. You don’t have a free second for that now.
Bottom line
Everyone – and I mean REALLY EVERYONE – can motivate themselves to learn in the twinkling of an eye. It is not difficult and does not require any special skills. All you need is a smart strategy. And that’s exactly what you got in this article – all you have to do now is stick to it.
The three small steps from above will help you to overcome your bad learning habits and finally make the progress you deserve. Don’t mourn old opportunities, start afresh. Don’t just learn by doing, but define written goals. Don’t waste your resources, start a timer and learn for time.
You have everything you need. Start learning now. It’s easy and you’ll feel good afterwards.
Good luck!
PS: The three tips from above are excerpts from my ass-kicking book. If you want to overcome your motivation problems once and for all, this book is just right for you. I’ll show you 66 kicks in the ass with which you can motivate yourself and make yourself happy in any situation.
Expand your expertise
If your company does not offer many opportunities for learning in the workplace, it is a good time to “
” Join an online forum or LinkedIn group, ” Smith said. ” Or simply subscribe to a newsletter or magazine in your industry. “
This will help you to look beyond the boundaries of thinking in your organisation and bring in new ideas.
If you need certification or a degree to make real progress, stay too late in the office every night doesn’t get you there.
“The longer you work, the less productive you will be,” Gannon said. Find out how to take the time to work towards a new credential – whether by participating in an online program or attending weekend courses – so you don’t have to give up your plan in the middle of work.