Be it your exams, work, exercise, assignments, passion or any challenge in life, motivation is the only element that keeps you going. Feeling depressed due to unexpected results, or procrastinating things is a very common propensity among youth. Finding motivation to start a process, say exercising daily, or studying consistently, is way more difficult. Most people try to find their source of motivation in YouTube videos, songs, motivational talks, etc. While these sources definitely trigger a spark of motivation, it remains only for a short period and fades out after sometime, leaving you again at the initial phase.
Considering the value of motivation in our life, we present to you some tips, that may help you find the right way and source of staying motivated, not for a day, but for life.
Why do we get demotivated?
Any attempt to find motivation, without realising the cause of your demotivation is a waste. It is like curing the symptoms without identifying the disease. When you introspect and analyse the causes of lack of motivation within you, curing it and getting motivated becomes 100 times easier.
Demotivation grows out of several reasons, which can be categorised under two heads – internal and external.
Internal Sources of Demotivation:
- Fear of failure – What if I don’t succeed? How will I handle failure? Should I even do this? What will people think of me?…etc.
- Procrastination – ‘It’s an easy task, I will do it later.’ ‘Oh! it’s very difficult, I will find time to do it later.’ ‘I don’t have enough time now.’ ‘I am not feeling like to do it.’….etc.
- Working without goals.
- Self-sabotage – ‘Maybe I am not good enough.’ ‘I don’t deserve that.’
External Sources of Demotivation:
- Taking criticism seriously. The people around you may criticise you on the basis of their beliefs. They may criticise you for preferring commerce over science, for lending your time in exam preparation instead of taking a job, etc. If taken seriously, these are one of the most widespread causes of demotivation and self-doubt among students.
- Seeing others more successful than you. That friend who was always behind you in class tests topped in final exam. That cousin, younger than you, earns more. The success of others, especially close people (unfortunately) generate massive self-doubt.
Now that you have discovered the reason of your demotivation, work to eradicate it. The following tips may help you.
- Identify and act
What’s stopping you from working on your goals? What’s pulling you inside your comfort zone again and again? Identify your demotivating factor and work to eradicate it.
If it is procrastination, fight it. Make plans and work accordingly. Stop making excuses. Delete social media apps if they make you lazy. Act now.
If it is the fear of failure, work on a plan to handle failure. Make yourself comfortable with it. Maybe, set a plan B if it is more comforting. Remember, if you win, you get success. If you fail, you get experience. But if you don’t even try, you get regret.
Ignore random criticisms, if that’s what making you feel demotivated. Your life isn’t going to affect the people criticising you. Be rational. Listen only to constructive criticisms, from people you trust.
Identify and eradicate the roots of demotivational sources, whatever they are.
- Break Down your Goal
Break down your ultimate goal into smaller goals, which will be easier to achieve and focus upon. Once you achieve a target, however small it is, you feel successful. This sparks motivation and you repeat the process again and again to experience this feeling.
For example, if you want to read a 300 paged book in a month, break it down to 10 pages per day. Instead of worrying about how you will read a 300 paged book, focus on the 10 pages due today. As 10 pages are easy to read and less time consuming, you are more likely to complete the daily target. Every day when you will complete your 10 pages, you will be motivated and energised for the next day.
Similarly, break down each of your goal in daily targets and focus on the target due today.
Ultimately, you will easily achieve any long-term goal.
- Talk to Positive people
Keep communicating with people who trust you. They may be your parents or some friends or mentor. Talk to anyone who makes you feel good, encourages you and listens to your problems seriously. Convey them your concerns. Talk your heart out. Listen to their suggestions and take them seriously.
If you have no one to talk, talk to yourself. Write a diary or letter to yourself, appreciating you.
Also, cut off from people who let you down. Do not waste your energy and motivation on people who make you feel that you’re not enough. Surround yourself with positive people only.
- Introspect and challenge yourself
You cannot expect yourself to work on anything until you know ‘why’. Why do you want to study hard and consistently? Why do you want to lose weight? Why do you want to write a book?
If the reason and your resolve is not strong enough, no motivation will ever work for you. Real motivation comes from within, which is generated only when you are honest to yourself and have a strong reason and resolve to do any work.
Introspect and find out the reason. Is the work important to you? How much important? Do you really want to achieve that goal or is it just a thing for you? Once you put these questions to yourself, challenge yourself- “Oh! So you really wanna achieve that, prove it then. Let me see how desperate you are.”
Challenging and overcoming yourself is the greatest way of motivation and progress ever discovered.
- Share your plans with someone
We often make good plans, but very less often follow them. This is because there remains no pressure on us to stick to the plan. Although a lot of pressure is a bad sign and can demotivate you, you will perform better under a reasonable degree of pressure.
Sharing your plans with someone and declaring that you are going to achieve those targets no matter what is a good way to generate bits of pressure on you. As you have made a promise and shared your plan with them, you will be motivated to achieve those targets to keep your word and not disappoint them. Preferably, this should be a person you don’t want to disappoint – your parents and teachers are one of the best options.
