Self Motivation For School and Work
The key to self-motivation is to monitor your emotional state and make adjustments as you need to. This is easier said than done much of the time, as many things that make you happy during work also can decrease your productivity. Taking frequent breaks can prevent you from burning out on the job; for instance, can keep you going for longer. On the other hand they reduce the amount of work time you have. As a result, you need to pay close attention. Keep notes of what works and what does not, and learn from your successes and failures.
However, there are several mental techniques that you can use that do not have a tradeoff. The only thing to consider then is whether or not they work for you—use them if they do, do not use them if they do not. Firstly, make a plan for accomplishing your goals. Start conservatively, and then if you can handle the small conservative goals, adjust your plan to become something that you can handle. Slow and steady wins the race, more than racing full ahead and burning out. Mentally partition your tasks, especially tasks that may be distracting such as checking email—these tasks are best to save for later rather than tackling early in the day. Once you have your plan, you need to stick with it. Losing one part of the plan can be worse for your motivation than not having a plan at all.
Secondly, channel your negative emotions such as fear and doubt, and use them as inspiration to drive you. Instead of getting depressed by failure, channel that energy into your next project. It will help to work out your tension and prevent you from freezing up and losing motivation. Rumination does not help and can easily become a vicious cycle of recrimination. The same “emotional channeling” guidelines apply to success as well. Feeling good after you've accomplished a goal? Reward yourself, but do not lose the thread of your progress.
Finally, apply your life's plan not only to the goals you want to accomplish, but to the life you want to live. Schedule your sleep schedule around what you believe you need (including a power nap if it helps!), and choose your food carefully. What food you eat and when can have an enormous impact on your energy levels and therefore your sense of self-motivation. For instance, nutritionists recommend that breakfast (the most important meal of the day when it comes to determining your energy levels for that day) contain plenty of protein and only a small amount of sugar, to ensure that your energy remains constant instead of spiking early and crashing late.
Your brain is a complicated network of organic circuitry and chemical equilibriums, and the balance can be delicate. Motivating yourself in work and school is therefore just like any other kind of “mind-hacking” (like losing an addiction or improving your social relations) in that you have to be very aware of what affects your mental state.
