Posts published on December 15, 2014

How To Keep Yourself Motivated In College:No Matter What

By Melissa Burns

Motivation is a tricky thing – we all understand that there are things we ought to do if we want our life to get better: work diligently, look for new ways to enrich our lives, be ready to grasp new opportunities, widen our horizons… but more often than not we cannot be bothered to do it all. We are more than content to keep to our cozy little world, even though it means that the entire universe passes us by. We simply don’t feel motivated to do it.

But only by breaking out of this vicious circle one can really change his or her life for the better. So let’s look at how one can keep this motivation thing up.

1.     Spend Time with Positively Thinking People

Our environment defines us, and to a great extent. If you surround yourself with pessimistic, lazy, unenthusiastic people who are always whining about how the world is unjust towards them and how they are always out of luck, don’t be surprised when their pessimism rubs off on you. And vice versa – if the majority of your friends are happy, optimistic and enthusiastic it will be much harder for you to stay depressed and unmotivated.

2.     Find a Source of Motivation

Motivation cannot be sustained by itself – if there are not enough positive people around, you should get your fix elsewhere. Listen to motivational speakers, read self-help books, subscribe to an inspirational site or two – and do it regularly, not only when you start feeling blue. It will help you keep yourself energized and ready to face every new day.

3.     Get out of Your Comfort Zone

You think that you like your life the way it is and don’t want to change anything about it? If you ever start feeling like this it means that you really are in a desperate need of change. Nothing is more depressing and motivation-killing than never-changing routine, when each new day is exactly the same as the last, and you remember that five years ago everything was exactly the same as it is now. If it is about you – break this routine this very moment, do something that would stick out of it like a sore thumb. It may be something big, like moving to a new apartment or finding another job, or something small, like meeting some new people or having lunch at a new place. After all, small changes bring about large ones, as any change at all is invigorating.

4.     Get Some Exercise

Especially if your regular job is a sedentary one. Human body wasn’t designed to stay idle all the time. If you spend most of your day at a desk it is only natural that your organism will start feeling that something isn’t right – and it will sooner or later influence your psychological condition as well. Retaining healthy approach to life calls for combining healthy mind and healthy body – as they are interconnected, by keeping your body fit you will improve the condition of your mind as well.

5.     Establish a Reward

If the actual reward for doing what you should do it too vague and abstract to motivate you, why not add something more perceivable? If there is something highly unpleasant you should do, establish a reward you will give yourself after you do it. It may be anything: a glass of favorite drink, a piece of cake, a walk in a park, a meeting with your friends, a shopping tour – just be reasonable and make rewards comparable to the tasks.

Staying motivated is one of the biggest secrets of success. Those who manage to keep themselves optimistic and enthusiastic no matter how hard life is are the ones who conquer the world – use these tips and join the winners now!

Melissa is a student of journalism. She is passionate about digital technologies and tries to implement them in the sphere of education.