Being motivated is the first step to being able to learn and achieve as much as you possibly can in life but especially when it comes to studying. This may be in an academic sense but also in the workplace. As many are back to school, college and university this month then this article can be of help to you or those you know who are going through this time of change such as friends or children.

Setting Goals

By giving yourself a goal you will have something to aim towards and as such this can peak your motivation. Imagine being told to run a race where you have no clue where the finish line is, you wouldn’t even want to start, there would be no point! These goals can be long or short term, can focus on the next few months or your long term career aspirations. Write down your goals, be precise in what you want, visualise yourself achieving your goal, all these things can help you stay focused.

Just Do It

A well-known marketing phrase and one used by many motivational speakers (Shia LaBeouf anyone?), however it’s one that many should listen to. Instead of sitting there and worrying about how you have so much to do or that you’re not focusing as much as you should then just get on with it. Stop playing the victim and get started, once you start you’ll realise that you’ll get stuck in and time will pass you by a lot faster than you realise.

Some ways of getting started are just telling yourself you will study for 15 minutes, by the time you get to 15 minutes you’ll find yourself nicely focused and able to carry on, or have a break and do another 15 minutes. If you feel tired then take a brisk walk, a shower or do a few jumping jacks, all these things can get your mind and body more alert. Avoid distractions, turn off the TV and put your phone on silent.

Genuine Interest

Very often when we’re given topics to study we can automatically see it as a chore, something we’re not interested in and are only learning about because someone told us to. This in turn can make you feel like giving up the moment you think about it and making studying a lot more laborious. Instead of viewing it this way why not try to find out more interesting aspects of the topic, look for articles and books on the subject that link it to something you like. Talk to other people either in real life or on forums to see what passion can be shared about the subject.

Be Positive

Easier said than done sometimes when things seem hard and deadlines are looming but by changing your entire mindset over your school, college or university you can help stay more positive. Instead of looking at school as somewhere where teachers boss you around considering it a stepping stone into adulthood, a place where you will grow and mature into someone great, a place where you can make wonderful friendships and learn social skills. For college and university, instead of seeing it as a place of anxiety and deadlines, see it as somewhere that can set you up for a very promising career, a place where you can be seen to excel in subjects you are good at and that are important to you.

Taking all these matters on-board can help you and your loved ones to realise that studying doesn’t have to be mundane or a chore, they have a longer term goal, once you see it you will focus so much more.