Struggling To Find Motivation To Study? Read This

When I think back to high school, all I remember is teachers telling me that I’m not working to my potential, or that I’ll end up with a job I hate if I don’t work hard enough during high school. It’s always so heavily focused on the negatives and what will happen if you don’t study hard enough. 

Maybe that works for some people idk, but I can tell you one thing for free – it didn’t for me. Instead, have you really sat down and thought about what would happen if you did put in the hard yards? What if you end up with your absolute dream job because you were motivated during high school? High chance you will. 

So if you’re also looking for a way to motivate yourself, here are some things that can help you find it. 
 

Stop trying to make everyone else happy

I feel like a lot of motivation in high school comes from external factors, whether that’s parents who expect good marks, teachers who put pressure on you to do well, or competition with your peers.

The key to staying motivated is to find something that motivates you, personally. Maybe that’s a career you’re really excited about or even just proving to yourself that you can achieve something you’re proud of. Whatever it is, write that motivation down. Picture what it looks like and work out what you need to do to make it happen. 
 

Embrace a growth mindset

If you expect everything to go perfectly the first time you try it, it can be pretty disheartening when it doesn’t. As a result, finding the motivation to keep working toward your goals is a tough ask. Instead, remember that everything is a process and you're improving your skills every time you practice something. So instead of giving up every time you come across a setback, embrace it as an opportunity to learn and improve. 
 

Set realistic goals

Nothing kills motivation more than setting unrealistic goals that you’ll never be able to achieve. It’s really important that there’s always something that you’re striving towards, but the best goals are the ones that you really think you can achieve. This way, working towards them won’t feel like a waste of time and you’ll be more likely to keep taking steps towards it, even if they’re small. 

Celebrate your achievements

Alright, this one should be easy. I mean, who doesn’t love to treat themselves? So each time you achieve one of those goals you set, give yourself a little reward. It could be anything; from giving yourself a little break to relax to buying something you’ve had your eye on, or literally anything else that you’ll look forward to.

The important thing is that you’re recognising the progress you’re making and giving yourself an incentive for the next goal you set. 
 

Look after yourself

Burning out is so common during high school, especially in your senior years. So it’s important to look after yourself and set aside plenty of time to rest and do things you love. 

If you feel guilty about not spending every waking second making your dreams come true, remember, taking breaks is productive. The time you spend studying will be so much more beneficial if you give yourself time to refresh your brain in between sessions. 

At the end of the day, cars can’t drive without someone pressing the accelerator. It’s the same with people. If you have nothing driving you, you’re never going to achieve the things you are capable of. 

But when you find the things that propel you forward, you’ll find that putting effort into your classes and assignments will become a whole lot easier and far more enjoyable.