Study Motivators That Work
When you have a task that you don't want to complete, just get started and keep going for 3 minutes. If you still don't want to complete the task after 3 minutes, stop and start another task
This method can be very challenging during the initial stages of trying it
When you procrastinate, you tend to find something else to do first to dodge the main task at hand
This rule forces you to immediately avoid any deviation from completing the task for 3 solid minutes with the option to stop after those 3 minutes
Discipline plays a crucial role in this motivation technique as starting the 3 minutes requires you to overcome procrastination
Something that helps in this process is trying to slightly mentally detach yourself from the situation to have an objective view on it
You need to look at the situation and acknowledge that you have the freedom to stop the task after 3 minutes if you truly cannot complete it and that you absolutely must start the task immediately
Often times, I keep going once I start which results in significantly improved productivity
Often times, I plan out the perfect study and work session with my tasks and times detailed to the second
However, sometimes, life gets in the way of these plans and I'm forced to reschedule everything
Something like this can be extremely demotivating, especially if your day revolved around your very detailed plan
To help solve such issues, there are 2 options for 2 different scenarios
The first option is to prevent the situation from occurring at all
Extremely rigid and detailed plans are very easy to disrupt
Preventing the situation would be done by outlining more flexible study and work plans that can be done at most times and don't rely on strict timings (I will post another article on creating a flexible and functional study schedule)
The second option is how to move forward if you do find yourself in a situation where your study plans have been disrupted and you're demotivated
In this instance, the first step is to list the topics you need to cover and sort them from most important to least important
Estimate how much time each topic will take and look at how much time you have available
Evaluate if the time you have available is adequate to completely cover all of your listed topics
If not, choose as many topics with the greatest priority that will be able to be completed within your available time
Remember, these steps should be completed within 5 minutes at most to prevent you from losing any more time
There's always a plan for every situation. It just needs to be found.
If you truly feel like there's no reason to compete the task, find a reason
If the task is important enough for you to lament over it, it's certainly important enough for you to complete it as soon as possible
Clear your mind of any frustration and just relax
Think of what the purpose of the task is
Do you need to complete an assignment that will be a part of your final grade?
Do you need to complete a report for your job?
Will this benefit you in the future - near or far?
If you need to study, what is your end goal?
When I hesitate with my studying, I always remind myself that what I'm learning now will one day help me improve as a doctor
Once you identify a reason, act on it and complete the task
The reason will help you sense that what you're doing has meaning and purpose, making the task less of an inconvenience and more of a duty
Knowledge is always valuable.
