anonymous asked: been studying the whole of june because my exams are after the holidays and i think I've lost motivation? what should i do? there's no time for me to take a break :-(
The most difficult part of studying is definitely starting to study and sticking to it. Having motivation is helpful at first and will help you get started on your goals, but after this point it really comes down to your discipline to continue doing things!
Motivation is only going to encourage you to do something, whether it’s from looking at pictures or rewarding yourself after tasks.
Discipline is habit that forms out of the motivation you have given yourself previously. Eventually this task becomes normal to you and motivation won’t be necessary for you to do it. The task is just a regular part of your routine, like eating lunch.
Example: We all want to rest a few extra minutes (or hours) when our alarm rings in the morning. When this happens, you start having a mental talk with yourself. “Should I even go?” “Is sleeping in worth it?” You may even start motivating yourself to get out bed. “There’s a test today and I can’t miss it!” If you have discipline, you get out bed without this mental talk.
A lot of Studyblrs study based on motivation by reminding themselves about the rewards of studying, such as where they will be in the future if they study now. A lot even read quotes and look at photos & blogs. This is a good start if you are new to studying, but it’s definitely not efficient. A lot of people who study this way end up procrastinating because they give themselves breaks as a reward. Everything you have to do will build up, and that obviously isn’t fun! All you will want to do is crawl into bed.
Studying based on discipline means that you study out of habit — or that it has become a regular part of your routine. Like how you know when to eat, you know when to study. This is a lot more efficient than motivational studying because tasks won’t build up as bad. Instead of avoiding tasks and crawling into bed, you just do them.
How do you develop discipline?
The first step is understanding that sometimes you just have to do the task. Even if the task at hand isn’t fun, it has to be done! It’s now or later, and choosing later only leads to procrastination and task build-up.
Doing something sooner than later is a huge key in developing discipline. When you make the decision to put off work that needs to be done and to rely on your future self, your future self is going to be in a lot more stress and exhaustion! Things will continue to build up and won’t get done, either not on-time or not complete at all.
This can lead to you not getting the grades or qualifications you could have gotten, which may stop you from achieving your goals.
Comes to terms with the fact that some tasks are more important than others! You shouldn’t put scrolling through your dashboard, reblogging posts, watching Youtube, and even reading fan-fiction above more important tasks.
Learn to rely on yourself and yourself only. Like the first bullet, you simply have to do the task; you can’t say no or your future won’t be the way you want it to be! Disregarding the meme, keep telling yourself to just do it.
Know the difference between a break and simply stopping. If your break consists of you saying “I’ll do the rest later” or “I’ll continue tomorrow,” that’s not a break! Breaks should:
be no longer than an hour,
should be used to help you recharge, and
should have a task themselves.
Instead, say: “I’ll set a timer for 30 minutes so I can get a snack and relax.”
Remember: the point of a Studyblr is to help you study. Don’t just reblog aesthetic photos; reblog masterposts, resources, and things that will actually help you!
Other Posts on Motivation & Discipline: 1 | 2 | 3
We wish you luck on your exams! :)
