It’s been two weeks into the new semester, and about three weeks into the new year, and already I’ve lost all motivation to accomplish anything. I’m already behind on homework as I feel like I’m drowning in readings, online journals, and oral presentations. It definitely doesn’t help that I’m Netflix obsessed, and instead of trying to approach the pile of homework I have I spend my time, watching Netflix for hours at a time. Which is why I needed to find ways to motivated myself, and hopefully they help anyone else who is in need of a little motivation.
Create a Weekly Checklist
The best way to track your goals and ensure that you’re actually staying on top of your homework is creating a weekly checklist. This way you have a visual representation of how well you’re doing. Being able to check off each assignment you complete will help to motivate you and make you happy to see that you are getting stuff done. The best part is that you’ll be able to see if you aren’t keeping up with your goals, which should motivate you to want to try harder to stay on track.
Treat Yo Self
It’s hard trying to stay on track and not letting yourself get distracted by the vast amounts of technology and Netflix shows out there. You deserve to get a reward every time you’ve achieved your weekly goals. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant or expensive, it could be as simple as getting some ice cream after you’ve worked your butt off for the week.
Don’t forget to take breaks!
A break from working might sound counter-productive, and a little bit like procrastinated but they are definitely worth it. You don’t want to work yourself to the point of exhaustion. It’s really up to you how you decide to take your breaks. Do you want to take a 5-10 minute break after every assignment you complete? Do you want to work for an hour, take a break for 10 minutes and then continue working for another hour? It’s really up to you.
Eliminate distractions
Anything that allows you to procrastinate needs to be out of sight when trying to do work. Keep your cellphone on silent and put it out of reach. Close the browser that has Netflix already loaded for you. Stay away from the TV. Just try to keep yourself away from anything that counts as a distraction so you can focus on your work.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
Okay so maybe you didn’t reach all your goals for this week, no big deal. Everyone fails sometimes; just learn from your mistakes. Keep trying and making your weekly goals. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it and you’ll be accomplishing your goals before the week is over.