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Tutor Zach McLaughlin 's Column

Staying motivated

Weekly Topic: My ways of increasing motivation

Dienstag, 9. März 2021, 01:21

Throughout my life, I have found four important ways of increasing and/or maintaining my motivation, and they all work equally well for hobbies, studies, and work.


#1 Break things down into smaller tasks: Big goals, like learning a language, are intimidating! It’s hard to imagine achieving them when you only focus on the final or long-term objective, but when you break them down into smaller tasks, it becomes much easier. Be realistic, make a list of steps you need to take, and work towards your goal a little bit each day. Completing each step will give you the motivation you need to start working on the next one, and getting a little closer to your goal each day helps to build momentum!  


#2 Change it up / take a break: Even if you love what you’re doing or want to do more to improve faster, it’s important to change your routine or take a break sometimes. You need time to process information - to think about what you’ve learned, practice it, and put it into perspective. It can be good to have a couple of projects on the go so that you can take a break from one thing and work on something else for awhile. A change of pace can both refresh and inspire you. Even taking a short break to go for a walk in nature can really help to sort out your thoughts and refocus. 


#3 Find a way to make it personal: It’s hard to really get into something, learn it, remember it, and enjoy doing it unless it has some personal meaning or value to you. Whatever you’re doing, find a way to make it personal or relevant to your life. If you’re learning a language, read and watch things you enjoy and learn vocabulary related to those things. It’s also great to have shared experiences with other people - those connections can make everything more meaningful and worthwhile!


#4 Talk to, work with, and look up to people who are better or more experienced than you: It might be depressing to always be around people who are better than you, but receiving support, advice, and inspiration from talented, intelligent, and wise people can really boost your motivation. A little friendly competition can also help to push you to improve more. Keep looking ahead and believe that with practice you will be just as good someday!

This column was published by the author in their personal capacity.
The opinions expressed in this column are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Cafetalk.

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